240z radiator problems. Help!

[brendanm71240z]

On the way home from a meet recently i cracked my original 71' radiator and ordered a new Champion Radiator shortly after having assumed it cracked simply because it was old and bound to fail eventually. I installed the new one and drove around fine for about two weeks and the brand new one cracked and left me stranded once again. After a tow and some weeping I had that radiator I took that radiator out and noticed that there was the general shape of a half circle where the fan is. I then sent back and today got the exact same one back today which was apparently covered by warranty(the warranty supposedly only covered manufacturer defects).

 

Is there something I am missing that is making the radiator crack?

 

Is it possible that when i installed the radiator that I bumped it on the fan and weakened it enough that it would crack after some driving?

 

Or did the fan move enough during the time it was running to hit and crack the new radiator?

 

How much space is an acceptable gap between the fan and the radiator?

 

Thanks in advance

[datzenmike]

It's not cracked. The fan has hit the rad while the engine was running and scrapped a circle on it.

 

 

This did this with the original rad so it was likely spaced properly so something has happened lately to change things.

 

Are you running the stock fan? Or has it been replaced?

Water pump replaced?

 

 

I would check the engine mount rubber isolators are not split and also the rubber transmission mount. If they are broken they might allow the engine to shove forward on hard acceleration and hit the rad. I've done this.

[brendanm71240z]

No and no but I'll give that a check thanks for the input

[datzenmike]

If not the stock fan it might be one of those 'flex' fans. Maybe when revvdt it moves out into the rad. Rev it up while watching it. Is so, get the stock one or this will just keep hapening.

[brendanm71240z]

It is a stock fan as far as I know. For now i just snipped about an inch triangle off the corners where it hit as a short term solution until I figure out the real problem. Even on the hottest days beating on it on back roads it didn't overheat so it shouldn't be a problem.Engine mount rubber looks to be worn down and compressed more than it should so getting a set i think would be a good idea.