Yes RJ, I'm curious about your deal as well.

 

The new cooling fan showed up this morning! Got it installed and put everything back together.

I started the engine with the AC on, and the new fan started blowing! Yes!!

I turned the AC off, and the fan kept running, even though it wasn't even up to 180* yet. So I shut it down, and the fan turned off.

I started it back up again, no AC, and the fan started running. Temperature got up to 185* idling in the driveway with the right front end on a jackstand(for burping) and held that temperature. The fan ran while the engine was running.

I never knew about these flaps in the driver side of the fan shroud.



Both old and new have them, this is the GM OE from Rockauto.



The lower mounting points on the radiator are just channels, the fan just sets in them. The upper mounting points on the radiator have clips, both frontside and rear. Kind of a pain to get to, and hold both clips open while lifting the fan out. I did the left side first, it was easier to get to. The right side is harder to get to, the upper radiator hose is kind of in the way.

There is room for the coolant recovery tank to stay in there after removing the one bolt and lifting it out of the lower pocket. Of course, I already removed the hood latch, and the radiator locating bracket on each side.

The electrical connector wasn't too hard to get, I looked at the new one to find where the locking tab was. Then pulled the radiator forward and reached down it took it apart.

Then maneuvering the fan out of there, getting it around the radiator hose, and then back to center so there was room for the module to fit through the opening. Not terrible, but not something to try to rush through.

Transfer the captive nut for the recovery tank to the new fan.

Install in reverse. Make sure the connector clicks into place.

 

Awesome, maybe move this to the SS area and make it a sticky for future SS folks looking for information how to change their fan.

 

Blue- Delete when you transfer if you want to.

RJ- Fan looks quite different than my LT one, No vent flaps at all on mine. Interesting. Your Hot Rod needs to move more air obviously.

 

Interesting, yes. Obviously, the fan cannot cause air to flow through the flaps, I wonder how strong the wind needs to be to open them. Are they designed to cool some specific component on the driver side? They won't help at idle, when you would need them. Perhaps you're right, when boosting hard, the turbo is superheating the incoming air, the intercooler helps cool it. Maybe these flaps are an attempt to cool everything down a little more.

 

RJ- That seems to be a plausible conclusion. I think GM tried something there. And it may help.

On mine if I don't have A/C on, my fan doesn't seem to come at all, not meaning middle of summer tho.