NE1 fitted elec fans?

[Giggsy]

Hi all,
Has ne1 got rid of the direct driven fan and gone for an electric set up?
If yes what have you fit? I've heard the twin set up from the 80's range rover goes in.
Also how've you controlled it is there somewhere an elec stat can go to run the fan relay?

Cheers Ryan

 

[t-jay]

i've got twin elecy fans fitted to my mav, but they were already on when i got it. i can take some pics if you would like them?

 

[Whatmot]

youre just in time, im about to buy a pair of 9" spal fans from ebay, link.

i know there a tad expensive, but they are a reputable make. i did look at twin fans from a v8 disco, but you know what the build quality of lr's are like :lol: dont want to drag my perfectly good car down :lol:

as for thermostat switches, i use to sell/distribute a variable temperature thermostat, exactly like these, link. however, when you insert them into the radiator hose, they dont seal very well. so instead im going to buy a thermostat (which replaces a part of the radiator hose) from x-eng, link.

the thermostat they sell with them fitting comes with two switches:

The thermostatic switch insert we supply is designed to switch one fan on at 88 degrees C and off at 83 and the other on at 92 and off at 87 which is about right for most vehicles.

so if you fit two fans, like i am, you can have one switch on at one temp, and if the engine temp continues to rise, the second fan will cut it. x-eng do have circuit diagrams for wiring in twin fans, switches and stuff, but they tend to miss out the relays from there circuits. considering the current some of the fans carry, i wouldnt like that sort of current passing through the switch on the dashboard, i like my fingerprints :lol:

so i spent some time last night creating a circuit that uses the high/lo switches on the thermostat and that uses dual fuses and replays for the fans. i upload it later if anyone wants it

 

[jims-terrano]

Several years ago there was a thread on this subject, think they had trouble removing the viscus unit or something from the water pump. Anyway as far as I'm aware there is a fuel saving as well due to the engine not having to run the fan. Good luck with the project and why not have a go at making a workshop for the downloads section with photo's, parts list.

Jim T

 

[Whatmot]

Anyway as far as I'm aware there is a fuel saving as well due to the engine not having to run the fan.

thats one of the reasons for fitting one. the other three are that electrics have a far better cooling rate, they only turn one when there needed (ties in a bit with the fuel saving part) and if youre anything like me, if you drive through deep water, you can turn them off. i fitted one to my vitara, one of the best mods i ever did.

Good luck with the project and why not have a go at making a workshop for the downloads section with photo's, parts list.

thats not a bad idea......

 

[Whatmot]

heres the circuit if anyone wants it

i can give a larger one on request

i ordered my thermostat from x-eng earlier and im just bout to buy my twin fans. ill post pictures up when i get them fitted

 

[Giggsy]

exactly like these, link. however, when you insert them into the radiator hose, they dont seal very well.

I agree it look like it'd be a bitch to seal prob be best to fit on surface of rad or to the hose. Used to use these on blow radiators to monitor rad temps so it didn't blow cold.

Like the anodised look 1 pimp my ride!!

When I get some pennys together i'll get my camera, axe, hammer, tape and the rest of my installation tools out and attempt a workshop download!! (I hope someone beats me to it! :lol: )

 

[Whatmot]

anyone still thinking about fitting electric fans, ive made a workshop download on how i went about fitting them to my mav. its in the downloads section, workshop 31, or theres a link here. thanks to shark1e for uploading it.

btw there are some spelling and grammar mistakes

 

[Deleted Member S]

Hi whatmot from the pics in the download it looks great :smile: Could I ask how much it has cost to do this :?: I think i'm going to have to do something a bit like you have as the viscus fan keeps cutting in on motorways & long hills when the weather is a bit warmer, but the temp gauge stays at the 1/2 way mark all the time :roll: so was thinking of fitting a small fan to be used on motorways to help with the cooling

 

[Whatmot]

hi sweety. as for costs:

• fans - £91 (incl p&p), however if you were on a budget a single 11" fan would probably be sufficient for about 1/2 that price
  
  thermostat - £36 (incl p&p)
  
  the fuse box cost me £6 i think, the relay box cost me £15 and the power distributer cost me £7. but like i said, all of them are overkill so smaller versions would be a fraction of that.
  
  then there was various bits of wiring, which i think totaled nearly £15

i had the mav standing the other day on idle for about 10 mins, it got to running temp before i took it for a short 'blast', then when i returned home i left it standing for another 20 mins. the temp rose and then stabilised below the 1/2 way mark, and during that whole time the fans didnt switch on once!! just goes to show how unnecessary an engine fan is at this time of year. come to think of it, ive probably overkilled the cooling by fitting two fans, but then i wont know that until summer comes around.

driving on main roads/motorways, an engine fan is unnecessary anyway, unless youre moving at low speeds or putting the engine under extreme pressure in heat because theres a enough natural air flow through the radiator to keep everything cool. ive defo noticed an improvement in fuel economy. im running a test this week to see what the mav can do mpg wise. i put £20(@£1.14/liter) in the other day and i reset my trip meter to see how many miles i can squeeze from the car. ill post up how i get on when i have to refill

 

[Whatmot]

refilled the mav today. trip said 117 miles, although im sure i could have done a few more before i got back to where i was when i last filled up. anyway, lets do a bit of math:

£20 @ £1.14 (point something, but i cant remember what is was now) Per Litre = 17.54 Litres of Diesel

There are 4.55 Litres to each UK Gallon, which means i put 3.8583 gallons in.

Divide 117 by 3.8583 and you get 30.32 MPG

now im really chuffed with that figure, considering that is an average, which means at some point i must have done more; based on the reverse logic that i know ive done less because ive hammered the mav to work several times to work this week despite my best efforts to drive economical :roll:

also considering that although my drive to work is only 5 miles, it does consist of 20 major bends, a few minor bends and several (norfolk) inclines (and yes i did count them ). i reckon a bit more careful driving on a straight journey and i could easily squeeze 35+ out of her!! im going to give the car a good service and 'going' over this summer, with a few mods thrown in and that figure might push 40 mpg (i bet those of you with power boxes could do that).

anyway, enough of me. still really chuffed with the new fans, i defo think they have contributed to the increased economy

tom

 

[JonathanM]

Very good download, superb info.

You are right about those with aircon possibly having a problem, as the condensor rad & fan sit in front of the radiator.

You say you've removed the viscous fan by unbolting the 4 10mm bolts, I assume the rest of the fan assembly is still in place? Do you feel there would be enough clearance between engine & rad with the viscous fan (alone) removed, or is it too tight a clearance?


Sweety, I find that my viscous fan rarely cuts in in the UK, long hills when towing or when stood in hot weather (whats that?) only, but on the continent towing it is working quite a lot, and even at autoroute speeds solo it can be heard.

 

[Whatmot]

You are right about those with aircon possibly having a problem, as the condensor rad & fan sit in front of the radiator.

You say you've removed the viscous fan by unbolting the 4 10mm bolts, I assume the rest of the fan assembly is still in place? Do you feel there would be enough clearance between engine & rad with the viscous fan (alone) removed, or is it too tight a clearance?

the actual viscous hub is still there. unlike my vit, the 'hub' cant be unbolted so if you were to remove it, it would have to be permanent ie by using a hacksaw :lol: im probably going to do that in the future, because even with the fan removed, the hub still creates a bit of drag. ill make sure i buy a cheap second hand water pump first, so any point if i need to refit the viscous unit, i can.

as for space. the remaining viscous hub is offset to one side from what i can remember, you should be able to fit a fan on the other side of the rad (if that makes sense). you could probably squeeze a 12" in, but ill check. if you do what i say a above and completely remove the viscous unit, then you should be able to fit twin fans in, but ill check on how much space there is later.

EDIT// just been outside and took some measurements

between the viscous hub and radiator there is a gap of 1" 1/2. with the hub removed, the space increases to about 3"

if you wanted to squeeze a fan to one side of the viscous hub, then you could probably just fit a 12" fan, but an 11" would be more comfortable.

hope that helps anyone