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1973 Mach 1 "Q Code"
I know there has been a previous discussion on fan blades but for some reason my bookmark is not working. I have a d7ua 8600 aja fan, is this the one that tends to blow up and separate or am I good? Truth be told, I will probably end up with electric fans but plan to break the engine in on a run stand in the next week or so. Also, are there any better fans that I should look at?  Thanks. 

Tom

 
There was a massive recall because of the seven blade fans fracturing in early 1972 and remained active through the early 80's. Since all the fans have engineering numbers on them, I'll just list them and not the part numbers. These are the most commonly used five blade fans that were used as replacements for the seven blade fans:  D2SE-AA, D3OE-AA, D4OE-AA, D6OE-AA, D7AE-AA, D8OE-AA, D9AE-EA. There was NOT a problem with the 70-71 OE five blade DOAE-A and D1AE-CA fans. NEVER USE ANY SEVEN BLADE FAN !!! Unfortunately there was a problem with some of the replacement 5 blade fans fracturing. So the safest and ONLY five blade fan to use is the the D9AE-EA as it was in use on a lot of later models such as the 79-91 Crown Vic. It was also a service replacement for all the ID #'s I've listed above and was the fan listed for the 73 302, 351 AC Mustang in the final issue (Nov 88) 73-79 Master Parts Catalog. Part number for the D9AE-EA fan is D9AZ-8600-A (Motorcraft YA-153). 

The OE fans for our cars is 18 1/2". The D7UA-8600-AJA fan you listed is a five blade 18" fan for F and E series trucks with 300, 302, 351, and 400 engines. There was never a problem with the blades fracturing on the trucks.  For a daily driver or if originality is not a concern, I would go with a clutch fan. They are quieter and take the load off your engine since the clutch disengages the fan when not needed. I used a clutch and fan for the 79-91 Police Interceptor (351W-HO) that used a 18 1/2" fan and worked great for my setup. You could use that application if you go through a parts house. If using on line sources, HemiKiller has suggested a Hayden 2710 clutch and a Derale 17118 18" fan. I have also had some friends that have used Taurus electric fans. The Taurus, Mercury Sable, and FWD Lincoln Continentals have been around for a long time so they would be a good source of donor parts. 🙂

 
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I have that same clutch fan on my 351c. It works great and I have had no problems with this set up. Just make sure to check your spacing between the fan a radiator and also make sure you have enough clearance on the engine side too. I think I added a 3/4” or maybe a 1” aluminum spacer to get the blades closer to the radiator.

 
There was a massive recall because of the seven blade fans fracturing in early 1972 and remained active through the early 80's. Since all the fans have engineering numbers on them, I'll just list them and not the part numbers. These are the most commonly used five blade fans that were used as replacements for the seven blade fans:  D2SE-AA, D3OE-AA, D4OE-AA, D6OE-AA, D7AE-AA, D8OE-AA, D9AE-EA. There was NOT a problem with the 70-71 OE five blade DOAE-A and D1AE-CA fans. NEVER USE ANY SEVEN BLADE FAN !!! Unfortunately there was a problem with some of the replacement 5 blade fans fracturing. So the safest and ONLY five blade fan to use is the the D9AE-EA as it was in use on a lot of later models such as the 79-91 Crown Vic. It was also a service replacement for all the ID #'s I've listed above and was the fan listed for the 73 302, 351 AC Mustang in the final issue (Nov 88) 73-79 Master Parts Catalog. Part number for the D9AE-EA fan is D9AZ-8600-A (Motorcraft YA-153). 

The OE fans for our cars is 18 1/2". The D7UA-8600-AJA fan you listed is a five blade 18" fan for F and E series trucks with 300, 302, 351, and 400 engines. There was never a problem with the blades fracturing on the trucks.  For a daily driver or if originality is not a concern, I would go with a clutch fan. They are quieter and take the load off your engine since the clutch disengages the fan when not needed. I used a clutch and fan for the 79-91 Police Interceptor (351W-HO) that used a 18 1/2" fan and worked great for my setup. You could use that application if you go through a parts house. If using on line sources, HemiKiller has suggested a Hayden 2710 clutch and a Derale 17118 18" fan. I have also had some friends that have used Taurus electric fans. The Taurus, Mercury Sable, and FWD Lincoln Continentals have been around for a long time so they would be a good source of donor parts. 🙂
Care to elaborate on why one should never use ANY seven blade fan?  I have one from a 63 1/2 Galaxie 500 XL and it's GREAT!

 
Well Eric,....yes I would. This fan discussion concerns  the '72/ seven blade flex fan that was  fracturing. The then available service replacements were no better than the production fans. As I was picking up my new '72 Q code Gran Torino Sport the sales dept told me about a shop tech fatality when a blade actually come off the car and hit him in the throat. (I'll leave the rest to your imagination)! 

There was a mix of five and seven blade fans that were fracturing with the same ID numbers. The Special Service Bulletin five blade "Fix" fans were also fracturing!!  So my warning about the fans would be all the ID numbers I listed in my above post. The seven blade '63 Galaxie fan you referenced to is a fixed blade fan that used a fan clutch so was not in the same category as a flex fan.They were used from 61-66. Yours should have "C4SE-A" id#.  🙂

 
Totally understand, and makes perfect sense.  I was just keyed-in on your use of 'ANY,' since I have a 7-blade fan (from an earlier run, of course).  I'm not trying to argue semantics, either.  Thanks for sharing.

 
All's well fellow Fox Fan! All concerned stayed in their respective lane.  Sometimes I post parts and fitment info on other forums and have to remember not to apply 71-73 'Stang specific info on a Fox, Fairlane/Torino or Galaxie. So your question on the seven blade fan threw me off until I saw the fan you are using. The FLEX seven blade fan was a result of Ford attempting to increase air flow through the radiator. With more and more cars equipped with AC, emission/EGR controls, and cramped engine compartments, the load on the cooling system was off the scale. The fans were a major issue on the 72/ Mustang, Cougar, Torino/Montego, and a few full size Ford's. They were literally exploding and were beyond dangerous. And believe it or not, there are still some cars out "There" with these bad fans.  Hence...My warning!!  🙂

 
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