This is quite the interesting conundrum. If you were closer I'd just straight up trade you shrouds so i could have one without the annoying protruding bolts. Course then I could have traded you the fan as well. But i've had the lincoln fan fail once, and even though i have the electric W/P drive locktited on there like nobody's business, i still carry a 12" crescent wrench incase i need to switch to clutch.

 

Well I feel like I'm getting close, I've made a lot of progress thanks to all the help. I was just checking out rock for a shroud and they're fresh out. So.... this saga grinds on I'll probably get the bolts tomorrow and put it on, I don't think I need much flow with the cooler temps outside and any little bit helps, plus I can turn on "defrost" and run the efan. Thanks again for all the help!

 

I'm guessing your Fan shroud looks like this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2004-Dodge-Dakota-Fan-Shroud-Overflow-Windshield-Wiper-Resevior-/181565651471?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a4627fa0f&vxp=mtr
Looking at this I don't see were the second shroud attaches I will say the parts that are shown on these OEM parts places can be wrong I have see it many times.

I'm beginning to wonder if your Dakota was in an accident and it has the wrong parts on it it could be your current shroud is a junkyard part off a different car like a Durango that's just a little different.

This could explain a few things like a missing fan clutch and fan blade they were damaged and never replaced did you get a carfax report on it?

 

A vid that's very interesting changing things out an modifying things regarding the cooling efan for a better setup


magnethead may find this instructive for him

 

Yeah, I saw that one on ebay and it looks like mine. I'm not positive about this but once an automobile is in a wreck with significant damage in Texas the Title changes to "salvage" if the damage is repaired and it's put back on the road, I think, and again I'm not positive about this. But, I haven't checked carfax either. My title is the regular one and not "salvage". The old guy who I bought it from seemed like a real honest fellow and he said he was one owner and he didn't mention any wrecks. The radiator in the vid is the same one I have, no obvious connection point for the remaing shroud. I would have liked to seen the whole setup before the guy took it out. I keep hoping someone on the forum has one like mine and we can compare (same year, engine, model) to see what it should look like. I stopped a guy in town the other day but his was a 2000 with a V8.


Today I went to town, got some bolts and put the fan and clutch on. Everything seems okay. There is enough flow to hold a sheet of paper on the front of the radiator and I didn't have any overheating. I drove around town quite a bit in slow traffic, hit several yard sales and was trying to see what it would do, everything went well with no problems. I could hear the fan engage and disengage several times so for now everything is okay! yeeehiiiii!!!

 

Keep forgetting to go out and take pictures of mine.

My truck should be a salvage title. But that would require me knowing where the title is. It's still a blue title wherever it is, I keep the green title around here somewhere to prove it's mine when needed.

 

Yeah, the salvage title is not a big deal, you can buy, sell, and drive em just like the other title. I guess it's just to let the new owner that there's some "history". If you get a chance to take that pic I sure would appreciate it.

 

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Thanks magnethead! Same radiator, I just don't have the mounting studs and no shroud.

 

Where did you get your efan and is it thermostat controlled or does it run all the time? It sure fits in there real nice. That would probably be my cheaper/easier route rather than buying a new radiator and shroud. I don't know if those studs can be installed in mine or not, if that shroud ain't in there real good it's gonna get shredded. I've got $86 in the mechanical fan and clutch, not too bad to write off.