Does anyone know if the cooling fan can be reversed to blow air out instead of pulling air into the engine compartment ?
Even if it's possible to reverse the existing fan (i.e. turn it back to front) it will still blow air in the same direction. To change direction of the airflow will need a fan spider with reversible blades.
Thanks for the advice.
Do you know where I might find such fan spider with reversible blades?
Not off hand. The only thing I can suggest for a machine of that vintage is to register on the ACMOC web site and pose the question - https://www.acmoc.org/
I would have thought with the rear engine that the fan would be pushing air out the back. Can't remember, been too long since I worked on any. Might check some of the dismantling yards, CAT used parts, etc. see if a pusher or a reversible was an option. Multi-wing makes aftermarket, but the are NOT cheap: http://www.multi-wing.net/blade-profiles/true-reversible-fan-blades/