2 Speed cooling fan.....any thoughts/advice plz

[selfconfessedlunatic]

Hi all......Merry Crimbo.......I've been giving some serious hard work into ways of making our 74 Stag more economical and I'm sure I've read somewhere about a 2 speed electric fan kit? Basically it runs constantly during shall I say normal driving but when the heat is on ie traftic or under load it kicks into a secondry speed allowing more cooling? We are planning on taking our Stag on summer hols this year and really could do with both the cooling side of things be on top and of course fuel consumption too.....any help advice greatly appreciatec ta

[DJT]

Hi, and Merry Christmas.

The Kenlowe 14" HD kit is what you need. Can be set up in various ways. Either as you suggest, or if as a back-up for the viscous it can be wired to come on at high speed only.

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[V Mad]

Merry Christmas all.

1. More economical: you have a 3 litre V8! The best you can get is around 30mpg touring on a manual car (auto 26-27?). Adding a cooling fan will make little difference to that. Look at ignition timing (static and dynamic), and correct carburettor settings. Also check that running temperature is not too LOW. Wheels must spin freely (brakes must be free) and tyres fully inflated. If auto then make sure upchanges are at correct speeds.

2. Better cooling; adding an electric fan can help (presumably you are keeping the viscous fan?). Electric fans are controlled by thermostats, and a two-speed fan has two set temperatures, each should be adjustable. But unlike the viscous fan it does not need to run all the time, only when the engine temp reaches the lower does it come on at low speed, then if the temp reaches the upper set level the high speed operates.

[Seaking]

MERRY Christmas
i just run a 16" pacet electric fan on a thermal switch no other fans.it only cuts in when needed and runs after engine switched off.also run stag dads external water pump

[wilf]

On the Kenlowe two speed fan the first (low fan speed) temperature is adjustable, the higher speed kicks in approx 5c higher and that differential is not adjustable. On manual override it goes straight to the high speed.

Works fine for me........At this time of year it never comes in, in the heat of summer (remember that?) it comes in whilst crawling or stopped in traffic. So basically it does exactly what i wanted, helps the engine fan out.

[flying farmer]

I also have the two speed kenlowe but with no engine driven fan. It doesn't run when you are moving and cuts in when you stop.
When the weather is hot the second speed sometimes comes on in traffic. The only thing I don't like about it is sometimes the relays clatter loudly when turning on as if it can't make up its mind wether to turn on or not.
I shall be fitting another one to my project Stag
Neil

[milothedog]

Hi all......Merry Crimbo.......I've been giving some serious hard work into ways of making our 74 Stag more economical and I'm sure I've read somewhere about a 2 speed electric fan kit? Basically it runs constantly during shall I say normal driving but when the heat is on ie traftic or under load it kicks into a secondry speed allowing more cooling? We are planning on taking our Stag on summer hols this year and really could do with both the cooling side of things be on top and of course fuel consumption too.....any help advice greatly appreciatec ta

I fitted the 14" 2 speed Kenlowe this year, I still have the VC & fan but fitted it "just in" I bought it Direct from Kenlowe, they do a discount for the SOC It was £174 delivered and that included the extra override switch.

You have 2 options with the manual override, just the one switch as supplied or for an extra £3 or £4 an additional switch so you can have either speed when overridden.

Merry Christmas everybody.

Ian.

[jakesmig]

Happy Christmas all,
I have an oil cooler directly behind the front grille which naturally interferes with airflow but use a single speed 14", set to come on at 95C, no other fan, and it copes well enough. I use an alluminium radiator, supposedly built for an MGB RV8, but in all honesty do not see much differance from using the old and tatty stag radiator which came with the car.
John

[ChasR]

In the single speed form (I have the earlier Kenlowe on my car) it did more than enough to keep the car cool in traffic, especially now with a recored radiator. On the motorways it has been fine too.

I too was considering the dual speed Kenlowe fan controller, but unless there is another model, I was questioning how effective the probe was at accurately bringing the fan in (IIRC does the probe not sit in between the gills/tubes of the radiator, resulting in no contact with the coolant itself or is there another version?):

https://www.europaspares.com/product/236/18582/COOLING_SYSTEM_FANS/KENLOWE_FAN_SYSTEMS/Kenlowe_Adjustable_Electronic_Thermostat.html

Do the fan kits come with another type of controller?

[wilf]

Chasr - the kenlowe contoller that sesnses from the radiator matrix works fine, I tested mine with an electronic thermometer in the coolant, it came in at the same temp every time +\- 1c.

I would not be put off by it.

[ChasR]

Excellent stuff Wilf. I will probably consider one next time on the Stag or another car (the Mini?)

I say next time as I inadvertently acquired a Davis Craig EWP and Fan controller .

[DJT]

As a follow-up from my previous post on this. I have a boss fitted into the radiator which takes a modern thermo-switch. Can't remember what rating it has, but there are plenty to choose from. This is wired to operate the fan on its highest speed and only comes on very rarely, usually when stopping the engine after a fast run on a hot day, as it is a back-up to the VC which does its job of keeping the engine cool most of the time. You can get dual temperature thermo-switches which would operate the 2-speed fan at low and high temp.

Getting the boss fitted costs next to nothing if having the radiator re-cored at the same time.

[wilf]

Excellent stuff Wilf. I will probably consider one next time on the Stag or another car (the Mini?)

I say next time as I inadvertently acquired a Davis Craig EWP and Fan controller .

I would say though that care and planning needed to be put into the insertion of the probe into the radiator core, to avoid damage to any tubes.

[Jeff]

I would say though that care and planning needed to be put into the insertion of the probe into the radiator core, to avoid damage to any tubes.

The new probes fit in the top hose in direct contact with the coolant.

[wilf]

They changed them again eh?