GM tilt column switch question.

GPster · August 10, 2020, 01:37:39 PM

Well I raised the hood this morning and all I can see is maybe the engine fan is maybe hitting the radiator support. The radiator sits in front of the support but the fan is only about a 1/4" behind the support. There's a 2 1/4" thick spacer between the fan and the water pump pulley and there is nothing on the front of the engine that would not let me use a thinner spacer. I must have just put it together with what I had laying around because the engine originally had a clutch fan on it. Are all the water pumps the same bolt circle on the flange or is it early model or late model? the engine is an "87 2.5L Iron Duke four cylinder and none of the stuff I had laying around would have been for anything but a small block Chevy. But early or late would be the question. I'd have to pull the radiator to measure it but then I'd have to put it back together un-fixed to be able to drive it until I found the part. GPster

kb426 · August 10, 2020, 06:09:42 PM

Do you have a close by friend who can use a lathe to shorten the spacer?

enjenjo · August 10, 2020, 06:44:48 PM

That water pump is 87 to 93 in the s10 and some other models. If you can measure the bolt patter I can go through my spacers and find one for you. No charge, you have done enough for me.

WZ JUNK · August 10, 2020, 07:34:46 PM

Thats just pretty neat. A long road but you made it.

With Bonneville going on this week, I remembered you giving me the VW engine blocks to take to the bonfire at the bend in the road. They don't do that anymore.

Ohio Blue Tip · August 11, 2020, 09:39:07 AM

Good job Joe.
I remember the Bonneville bonfires.

Hope to see all of you soon.

GPster · August 11, 2020, 03:46:48 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"If you can measure the bolt patter I can go through my spacers and find one for you.

I must have forgot as I must have pulled it off a working vehicle. It has metric bolts and they are the correct length As best as I can measure it the bolts are on a 1 7/8" radius. With the Jeepster out of the garage I'm able to find stuff that I forgot I had. I found one that is "one size fits all" that probably came with a fiberglass flex fan. I'll get some bolts and try it but I can't find any shiny places on the fan that would indicate that it's hitting something, so it might be something else. It" when it's moving and it doesn't have any count that matches what's happening. Oh well nothing's right the first time. GPster

moose · August 12, 2020, 11:43:36 AM

Joe, Congratulations on the maiden voyage! Working the bugs out is all part of the journey. It usually teaches new words for our automotive vocabulary!

GPster · August 28, 2020, 04:42:56 PM

Quote from: "GPster"
Quote from: "enjenjo"If you can measure the bolt patter I can go through my spacers and find one for you.

As best as I can measure it the bolts are on a 1 7/8" radius. With the Jeepster out of the garage I'm able to find stuff that I forgot I had. I found one that is "one size fits all" that probably came with a fiberglass flex fan. Oh well nothing's right the first time.
GPster

I have spent days doing other things and I had put the belt back on today but it came right off so I put it back on . Came off again and it's a new belt. I still had the old belt so I put it on and it came off too. I had not tried it after I moved the fan with the different spacer from my stock. The spacer I had and the new position of the fan must have been the cause for the belt jumping off. Of course I didn't even raise the hood when it started right up the day I took it out of quarantine. It seems like I'm not doing much right these days only seeing with one eye and hearing with one ear it's bad when you only have half a brain.So the spacer for the fan I would need has four bolt hole about 1 3/8" apart, on a radius of 1 15/16" with the centers being 5/8". The original spacer is 2 1/4" so something 1 1/2" to 2" would be helpful. I'm going to put my original one back on and see if I still have a problem with the belt jumping off.It's still in my driveway but it has plates on it but someone probably thinks I'm trashing up the neighborhood with me working on it in plain sight but it's cooler under a tree than in my garage. All for now. GPster

enjenjo · August 28, 2020, 05:22:40 PM

I'll take a look tomorrow.

enjenjo · August 30, 2020, 04:29:08 PM

I have both 1 1/2 and 2". let me know and I'll send it.

GPster · August 31, 2020, 02:42:35 PM

The problem that I found with the after market fan spacer made me cautious about the pieces that I originally put together . That plus the fact that it looks like most of the S10s had clutch fans (this one did) I was more cautious when I put it back together with my original choice of parts. It seems that the flange on my water pump and the fan spacer that I used also may have interfered with each other. I just happen to have a 5/8" drill bit so I provided the extra clearance to the assembly. It bolted together better than I have ever seen and the only connection I could think of with it throwing the belt before was the noise from the power steering pump. The noisy pump while working the steering while the car was sitting in place didn't give me a thrown belt. I'll make a decision about changing what I have after I have a chance to drive it again but if I feel the need for change it would be with the 2" one. I don't have a fan shroud but if I need one it would still keep the fan/shroud as a simple deal. GPster

enjenjo · August 31, 2020, 07:46:07 PM

Okay.