Electric fan

[jpyke]

Hi all,

I'm nearly back on the road for full use again! You may remember I had a nasty incident with the crankshaft bolt a month ago so I've now got no engine driven fan, but a Kenlowe 16" mounted in front of the rad with a revotec adjustable thermostatic fan switch in a boss on the rad.

It was hot on sunday, and when I went out for a test drive I found the temp gauge rose to about 1 o'clock (its a mk1 gauge with the word "normal" in the middle - needle was pointing at the L) and stayed here the whole time. The electric fan is adjusted to kick in just after 12 o'clock so was running the whole time I was out. I have to admit I'm not particularly comfortable about this, 20amp draw on the alternator the whole time isnt great - I was hoping it would cut in and out but not be on all the time. There were a few times when the gauge when up even higher still (nearer to 2 o'clock) at which point I panicked, pulled over and checked under the bonnet to find no issues with water loss, over pressurising or anything.

So, some questions - hopefully someone can offer some helpful advice!

1. I'm now beginning to wonder whether an electric fan by itself is enough - I'm not sure the rad is big enough to cool just on air pressure when driving. (Its a brand new Supergill and the rest of the cooling system is totally clean and brand new);

2. I got a temp sender from Rimmers - but when looking on LDPart website noticed that they said the standard aftermarket ones read too high. I've bought his recommended replacement to try - do you think it could be this? I adjusted the fan switch going by the temp gauge so perhaps its just coming in too early and not as hot as the gauge would indicate.

My work has a thermal camera so I may be tempted to borrow this of a lunchtime and see what the temperatures really are across the rad and engine.

Thanks folks!

[Seaking]

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i am running a electric fan only seems to run normal after fan kicks in .

[Marco Polo]

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jpyke wrote:

Hi all,

I'm nearly back on the road for full use again! You may remember I had a nasty incident with the crankshaft bolt a month ago so I've now got no engine driven fan, but a Kenlowe 16" mounted in front of the rad with a revotec adjustable thermostatic fan switch in a boss on the rad.


1. I'm now beginning to wonder whether an electric fan by itself is enough - I'm not sure the rad is big enough to cool just on air pressure when driving. (Its a brand new Supergill and the rest of the cooling system is totally clean and brand new);


My work has a thermal camera so I may be tempted to borrow this of a lunchtime and see what the temperatures really are across the rad and engine.

Thanks folks!

My Stag has only gottwo10"electric fans mounted on a bracketin front if the rad to cool it. I've never overheated in the 9 years that I've driven the car in North Queensland. The dailytemps locally are around 25 - 27C during the winter (now) and in the mid 30's during summer. The onlyother mod to my car is a louvred bonnet and a early opening thermostat. I can't say if the bonnetmakes much of a difference asit was done before I owned the car. I do have an uprated Bosch alternator. I used a thermal probe and found with the fans running, I had a rad inlet temp of 96C andoutlet temp of 88C with an ambient of 30C and high humidity.

regards,

Raoul

[VSTAG8]

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Gidday All,

I have a 16" curved electric fan and this holds temp ok - cuts in and out

on 25` day in New Zealand. Have moved number plate down onto scoop

to direct airflow up into fan.

VSTAG8

[singapore stag]

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Hi, Glad you are back on the road. Have you considered fitting a capillary gauge? you will get an accurate reading of whats going on (Sorryif it seems teaching to suck eggs etc).

The heat in the engine seem to linger about with no where to go, would not a "suck" fan be more capable of cooling?, it may also suck out the build up of heat.

P.s photo only included because it looks good

[Pommie Stag]

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Marco Polo wrote:

jpyke wrote:

Hi all,

I'm nearly back on the road for full use again! You may remember I had a nasty incident with the crankshaft bolt a month ago so I've now got no engine driven fan, but a Kenlowe 16" mounted in front of the rad with a revotec adjustable thermostatic fan switch in a boss on the rad.


1. I'm now beginning to wonder whether an electric fan by itself is enough - I'm not sure the rad is big enough to cool just on air pressure when driving. (Its a brand new Supergill and the rest of the cooling system is totally clean and brand new);


My work has a thermal camera so I may be tempted to borrow this of a lunchtime and see what the temperatures really are across the rad and engine.

Thanks folks!

My Stag has only gottwo10"electric fans mounted on a bracketin front if the rad to cool it. I've never overheated in the 9 years that I've driven the car in North Queensland. The dailytemps locally are around 25 - 27C during the winter (now) and in the mid 30's during summer. The onlyother mod to my car is a louvred bonnet and a early opening thermostat. I can't say if the bonnetmakes much of a difference asit was done before I owned the car. I do have an uprated Bosch alternator. I used a thermal probe and found with the fans running, I had a rad inlet temp of 96C andoutlet temp of 88C with an ambient of 30C and high humidity.

regards,

Raoul

Raoul are you still going to use just the electric when you have the Air Con fitted?

How do you switch the fans via a thermo in the top hose or properly via a rad tapping?

Just think of going the Davies Craig route but not sure how to switch with the extra air con rad in front of the car rad.

Hope all is well up North

Nige'

[jpyke]

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Hi Sukh, thanks for the encouragement - no need to worry about sucking eggs - all advice gratefully appreciated!

The capillary gauge looks good - where was that from? Presumably need to fit into RH water transfer housing?

I would prefer a suck fan TBH but even with a shortened crankshaft bolt I don't think it would fit!

James

[Marco Polo]

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Pommie Stag wrote:

Raoul are you still going to use just the electric when you have the Air Con fitted?

How do you switch the fans via a thermo in the top hose or properly via a rad tapping?

Just think of going the Davies Craig route but not sure how to switch with the extra air con rad in front of the car rad.

Hope all is well up North

Nige'

Hi Nige,

It's half time so just time to squeeze in a reply!

Yes, I intend using an electric fan on the rad with the aircon, but I want to fit it on the engine side of the rad, I shall reuse the twin fans on the aircon condensor. A present I'm using a thermo in the top hose, but intend to tidy up the installation with a rad mounted switch when I fit the aircon. I intend to fit the aircon later on in the year, probably around September. I'll post my trials and tribulations for sure. Give me a call as I have some ideas that are easier to talk you through rather than type!

Second half just started!

Cheers,

Raoul

[whereufromnosecity]

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James

Ihave a just14" fan fitted to mine mounted in front of the rad, and a capillary gauge fitted in place of the temp sender

No issues have arisen so far with the fan cutting in and out when in traffic etc, whilst on the move the fan is not needed and the temp gauge holds steady round the 80 degree mark

I got my gauge from these guys, i had the dual temp and oil pressure one

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayprodu...;pCode=070.018

Stu E

[jasper]

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I have been asking myself the same question , is just the electric fan enough ??

Or should we keep the viscous fan on as well ??????

I to have a capillary gauge fitted , but only the oil pressure is hooked up , should I hook up the water temp as well ? my normal temp sensor works fine so why bother changing ??



So jpykeand my self are asking is just the electric fan enough , does anyone here use the vicious as well ?

[stagmuffin]

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jasper wrote:

I have been asking myself the same question , is just the electric fan enough ??

Or should we keep the viscous fan on as well ??????

I to have a capillary gauge fitted , but only the oil pressure is hooked up , should I hook up the water temp as well ? my normal temp sensor works fine so why bother changing ??



So jpykeand my self are asking is just the electric fan enough , does anyone here use the vicious as well ?

im running a modded cooling system no "vicious " coupling:shock:and have been using a capillary gauge for oil press and water temp =much more reliable and acurate readings.even on the hottest days only goes to 90 deg c and only if i absolutely gun it does it get to 95, but soon returns to normal.so with a few small mods to rad and fit header id say no need for that radiator munching,power sapping"vicious coupling"

steve.................................

[DJT]

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jasper wrote:

So jpykeand my self are asking is just the electric fan enough , does anyone here use the vicious as well ?

I have been running Stags for 21 years and only recently have I fitted an electric fan. This was because I have had some bad experiences with poor quality viscous couplings in the past couple of years. However, I seem to have got a good VC now and the Kenlowe hasn't come on at all.

My Kenlowe is the new 14" dual speed one recommended by Kenlowe for the Stag. It is wired up to a modernthermo switch fixed into a boss in the radiator such that if it does come on it is at 'boost' speed. If this VC packs up, I will be looking at removing it completely and wiring the Kenlowe so thatthe lower speedcomes on when the engine has started, followed by the boost speed when it gets hot. Alternatively there are two-setting thermo-switches available.

Peter Howells of LD Part is one long-term Stag owner who threw away the VC years ago and relies entirely on the Kenlowe. And he has travelled to the South of France and back across the Milau viaduct in temperatures of 30+ without problem.

Dave

[Mark S]

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Hi,

I ran electric only for 5 years, never overheated and fan only ran when climbing steep hills or in slow moving traffic. Cuts in just under half way on the gauge. I do have a TR6 type spoiler fitted though.

On the minus side, the engine temp never seemed to run in the same place andI found it a little unnervingseeing the needle rise and relying on the fan to cut in, even though I have an override.There is also the issue of the under bonnet temp. Whenyou come to a standstill there is NO air circulating around the engine, carbs, coil, exhaust manifolds etcuntil the fan cuts in.

I fitted a viscous and mechanical fan over winter and engine temp needle nownever moves off the Ein any conditions, even in the recent heatwave. It doesn't take the engine any longer to warm up either.

I'm happy to lose 1 mpg and a little power to run the mechanical fanif it means a stable engine temp.

Mark.

[Peter Hills]

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Hi folks,

I removed my mechanical fan about 10 years ago and have relied on the big, 16", Kenlowe fan. This has proved adequate even when towing a caravan.

I have fitted a very simple over-ride by taking an output from the HRW switch to the output of the temperature sensor. This not only allows me to turn the fan on whenever I want to, for example when I know life will get hot - such as in the queue to leave a summer show - but the little green light comes on when the fan switches on automatically. I find this a useful confidence check that all is well.

Peter

[Pommie Stag]

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Peter Hills wrote:

Hi folks,

I removed my mechanical fan about 10 years ago and have relied on the big, 16", Kenlowe fan. This has proved adequate even when towing a caravan.

I have fitted a very simple over-ride by taking an output from the HRW switch to the output of the temperature sensor. This not only allows me to turn the fan on whenever I want to, for example when I know life will get hot - such as in the queue to leave a summer show - but the little green light comes on when the fan switches on automatically. I find this a useful confidence check that all is well.

Peter

Now why didn't i think of that, neat and discrete without molesting the dash and an indicator lamp great thinking Peter.

Its on the list of Jobs to be done:shock: