> Buried in your last post was a reference
> to electric radiator fans replacing the normal clutch actuating (incredibly
> noisy) fan.
>
> Would love to make this mod.
>
> Thanks
>
> Chuck D
> 78 Royale Stillwater MN
I did this modification, originally, as a test run on my Ford 460. The C class MH
it was installed in always liked to run hotter that I found comfortable. 195 -
200 Up to 210 on the good hills. There just wasn't enough space around the engine
to allow the volume of air needed to move. I replaced and upgraded EVERY cooling
component over the course of 6 years that I owned the MH. It always ran at the
same temp. Yes, it had a 160 thermostat. I had thought that electric fans may be
an answer and I wanted to try them on the Ford before I did the change on the GM.
The nice thing about the 460 rad was that it was wide enough to place two 16"
fans side by side at the top of the rad.
The original placement of the belt driven fan is in the centre of the rad and
engine, as every one knows. By moving the fans to the top of the rad I was able
to prevent the heat sink phenomenon at the top of the engine compartment, as any
one who has installed the side engine vents on their rig knows about. With the
fans on top it tended to kick the air down and around the cowling as opposed to
up and holding it there.
The fans had a three way switch on them. They would come on at the set
temperature of 160 or when the AC was turned on and I had a manual bypass switch
installed for my own piece of mind. You never know when a relay will go or
something. I don't recall the brand name of the fans, but I could look it up if
any one really wanted to know.
The twin 16" fans moved 5000 cfm at 2000 rpm. A lot of air. They worked
flawlessly. On the same hills and highway at roughly the same air temp. as
previous years the temperature of the system never went above 165. Even when my
fuel pump decided to call it quits the fans still worked great. Yeah, I know,
they should anyway. I was just telling about my woes too.
The only other thing I did was to run with a lower coolant water ratio and added
a product called 'Water Wetter'. I was totally sold on the whole system and
would recommend it to any one who wanted to run cooler.
Downsides... Expensive. I did the install myself so there were no labor charges
involved. The fans were $230.00 each and the three way relay switch was an
additional $54.00. I managed to barter a bit and got the whole system for $500.00
taxes in. A bottle of water wetter is $8.50 and no they didn't throw it in.
It did look pretty cool with no belt driven fan or shroud on the rad, and sure
made changing belts simple.
Whether or not to do it on the GM?
I didn't do it, yet... After $1000.00 for a new radiator, clutch, rad hoses, 160
deg. therm. and $1000.00 to install my new Edelbrock Performer aluminum high rise
intake manifold and 750 cfm Performer Holley carb, new high performance plug
wires, Ram air system, $700.00 3" exhaust and $900.00 seats I am pretty well
tapped out this week. I know I know wah wah. But I am still having fun.
There is no fan available that I can double up which will fit the 28" wide rad in
the GM. At least nothing which will move enough air. To do it properly you need
at least 5000 cfm to make it work. To get this you need to go to two double fans.
Possible but at 40 amps minimum it gets to be taxing on the old alternator. The
double fans are $350.00 each. Do the math. The thing about the GM is there is
a ton of room for air movement. I am adding some curved aluminum plates on the
underside of the steps which will force the air to be kicked down. ( prevent the
heat sink ) I have to run the system a bit to see what temps I will be pushing
before I step out and convert to electric. I still think the water wetter is a
good additive and I will use it. It would be nice to get rid of all that
shrouding and the clutch fan but sometimes you have to live with what you get.
Back to getting walls installed. Maybe?????
Hope this info is useful. Darren
- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
paget
> to electric radiator fans replacing the normal clutch actuating (incredibly
> noisy) fan.
>
> Would love to make this mod.
>
> Thanks
>
> Chuck D
> 78 Royale Stillwater MN
I did this modification, originally, as a test run on my Ford 460. The C class MH
it was installed in always liked to run hotter that I found comfortable. 195 -
200 Up to 210 on the good hills. There just wasn't enough space around the engine
to allow the volume of air needed to move. I replaced and upgraded EVERY cooling
component over the course of 6 years that I owned the MH. It always ran at the
same temp. Yes, it had a 160 thermostat. I had thought that electric fans may be
an answer and I wanted to try them on the Ford before I did the change on the GM.
The nice thing about the 460 rad was that it was wide enough to place two 16"
fans side by side at the top of the rad.
The original placement of the belt driven fan is in the centre of the rad and
engine, as every one knows. By moving the fans to the top of the rad I was able
to prevent the heat sink phenomenon at the top of the engine compartment, as any
one who has installed the side engine vents on their rig knows about. With the
fans on top it tended to kick the air down and around the cowling as opposed to
up and holding it there.
The fans had a three way switch on them. They would come on at the set
temperature of 160 or when the AC was turned on and I had a manual bypass switch
installed for my own piece of mind. You never know when a relay will go or
something. I don't recall the brand name of the fans, but I could look it up if
any one really wanted to know.
The twin 16" fans moved 5000 cfm at 2000 rpm. A lot of air. They worked
flawlessly. On the same hills and highway at roughly the same air temp. as
previous years the temperature of the system never went above 165. Even when my
fuel pump decided to call it quits the fans still worked great. Yeah, I know,
they should anyway. I was just telling about my woes too.
The only other thing I did was to run with a lower coolant water ratio and added
a product called 'Water Wetter'. I was totally sold on the whole system and
would recommend it to any one who wanted to run cooler.
Downsides... Expensive. I did the install myself so there were no labor charges
involved. The fans were $230.00 each and the three way relay switch was an
additional $54.00. I managed to barter a bit and got the whole system for $500.00
taxes in. A bottle of water wetter is $8.50 and no they didn't throw it in.
It did look pretty cool with no belt driven fan or shroud on the rad, and sure
made changing belts simple.
Whether or not to do it on the GM?
I didn't do it, yet... After $1000.00 for a new radiator, clutch, rad hoses, 160
deg. therm. and $1000.00 to install my new Edelbrock Performer aluminum high rise
intake manifold and 750 cfm Performer Holley carb, new high performance plug
wires, Ram air system, $700.00 3" exhaust and $900.00 seats I am pretty well
tapped out this week. I know I know wah wah. But I am still having fun.
There is no fan available that I can double up which will fit the 28" wide rad in
the GM. At least nothing which will move enough air. To do it properly you need
at least 5000 cfm to make it work. To get this you need to go to two double fans.
Possible but at 40 amps minimum it gets to be taxing on the old alternator. The
double fans are $350.00 each. Do the math. The thing about the GM is there is
a ton of room for air movement. I am adding some curved aluminum plates on the
underside of the steps which will force the air to be kicked down. ( prevent the
heat sink ) I have to run the system a bit to see what temps I will be pushing
before I step out and convert to electric. I still think the water wetter is a
good additive and I will use it. It would be nice to get rid of all that
shrouding and the clutch fan but sometimes you have to live with what you get.
Back to getting walls installed. Maybe?????
Hope this info is useful. Darren
- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
paget
