This has been bugging me for a while. Just put a new water pump in the bird and while installing the fan shroud I wanted to get this seal gap resolved.

I've replaced the seal with one from CASCO, and has never fit right. In the pics below I tried to show how there's a gap. I've loosened the upper shroud and tried to 'flip' the edge up but it doesn't want to stay that way. Am I missing something here? Thought about just 'roughing it' and forcing it up and tightening the thing down. Anyone else had this issue?
Please excuse the dirt & dust. getting ready to clean it up for a show this weekend.





Kent — Round Rock, TX
'56 F-100  | '56 Crown Vic  |  '57 Fairlaine 500  |  '57 Thunderbird

To be honest, the shroud for a Tbird, in it's stock configuration, is not good for cooling purposes so the fit of the seal does not matter.  The problem is the lower shroud which does nothing as far as cooling  because of it's open design.  CASCO does sell a lower shroud piece which will help cooling, so unless you have the aftermarket lower piece I wouldn't worry about the fit unless you are talking aesthetics.

If you have an aftermarket radiator, this could be the problem as far as snugness is concerned.  I have see this on other Birds with aftermarket radiators..  I have what I am sure is an original radiator and the rubber piece and the shroud fits tight against the radiator.

The only way I can think of to correct your problem is elongate the bolt holes in the shroud so it is closer to the radiator (if possible)'



54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Unless your Tbird is super rare, you will be better off ditching the 1957 radiator and shroud and installing a modern aluminum radiator and electric fan. These cars are not appreciating.   Resto mods are selling for a lot more money than stock examples.  1950s mechanicals were not engineered for today's traffic. My 55 TBird was bone stock when I bought it.  It overheated, it wouldn't stop, it rode like crap, the motor leaked oil and it ran like the 60 year old car it was. After three years and a lot of upgrades, it is safer, more reliable and a lot faster.  Just my two cents.

It still has the stock, date coded radiator for the car. I'd prefer to not change it as it works just fine for what I use it for (fair weather cruiser). I did add the CASCO water pump with the rear impellers to help with low RPM cooling since the stock pump bearing went out. Figured it couldn't hurt. The shroud doesn't have a lot of movement to go up as fan clearance at the bottom gets too close. It has a 6-blade fan that was installed when a/c was added.

This car hasn't had any cooling issues other than the well known creeping up when idling for extended time. I'm sure if it was daily'd during the summer in traffic it would be a different story. Main concern was to try and make the seal look a little better. The open design at the bottom of the shroud is a good point as it's not anywhere close to the rad.

Thanks for the info.

Kent — Round Rock, TX
'56 F-100  | '56 Crown Vic  |  '57 Fairlaine 500  |  '57 Thunderbird

Change your water pump pulley to a 302 mustang and your creeping temp at idle will stop. I bought mine from Summit with a kit of 4 thin spacers. It was chrome so I had to ruff it up and pain satin black to match my others.

There is black cloth backed tape that could be easily used to seal this area. Wipe everything with brake clean. It’s similar to duct tape but doesn’t rot.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Pulley is very interesting. The stock one is so large it has to be a big factor in slowing things down at idle. 

Thanks for the tips.

Kent — Round Rock, TX
'56 F-100  | '56 Crown Vic  |  '57 Fairlaine 500  |  '57 Thunderbird

Kent This comes from of our own Greenbird. For a test. Start with a cold engine, have the coolant down in the tank about an 1”
or less, leave the cap off, start the engine and allow to get hot enough that you know the thermostat is open (I use a temp gun) and look in the tank. If you see no movement of coolant, slightly raise the rpm 1-200 rpm, If you now see movement change the pulley. The coolant needs to move thru the radiator at idle. I also put a plug in the bypass with a 1/8” hole in it.
Many will say that it will be too fast for highway driving but it has not been for mine.
I fought idle heat creep up for 4 years. Now I never think of temp any more.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Any one know what the mustang  application is for the  smaller pulley ?


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Summitracing.com - water pump pulley then - Ford 289. There are quite a few. 5.875” and 6.1”. Mine was a single belt but there are 2 and 3 also. Many many offer aluminum. Like I said I would buy a spacer kit too, I used one to align the belt.
Standard y blocks are over 7” but they have quite a few different ones depending on where your Ford was built and options.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

It still has the stock, date coded radiator for the car. I'd prefer to not change it as it works just fine for what I use it for (fair weather cruiser). I did add the CASCO water pump with the rear impellers to help with low RPM cooling since the stock pump bearing went out.

The seal purpose is to ensure airflow is forced through the radiator. If defective (looks like a poor repro), it will allow incoming air to escape between the core support and radiator core.

The CASCO WP, did you use their re-design or were they able to fit the new style impeller into the original WP HSNG? There is also available a new design WP SPACER that will improve coolant flow.

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