Electric fan installation

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Richard B
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Electric fan installation

#1 Post by Richard B » Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:55 am

Anyone managed to fit an electric fan on a 2000/2.5 between the radiator and the engine? If so can you tell me what make/size.

Modern electric fans are more efficient on suck rather than blow. Also if the fan is fitted to the rear of the radiarot it does not block parts of the radiator.

The reason I ask is I brought a 14" fan from Acuspark and I have had to fit it in the front. Thankfully this is on the wifes 2000 not my PI! :lol: I should have got a 12" fan as the 14" does not fit flush against the radiator as the bodywork interferes.
Richard
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Lloydpiestate
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Re: Electric fan installation

#2 Post by Lloydpiestate » Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:09 am

hi richard,

drop dave harvey a line, he has one fitted to his, although his is on the outside of rad, there must be a reason for this ???

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englishbull
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Re: Electric fan installation

#3 Post by englishbull » Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:18 am

Hi Richard


like Dave Harvey, I fitted mine on the front of the radiator and was a 15" (I think) Mitsubishi one and it as very good air draw to the radiator.
Had to move the radiator back slightly on the PI and also removed standard fan.
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johnconradlee
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Re: Electric fan installation

#4 Post by johnconradlee » Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:11 pm

I'm contemplating replacing my existing 1980s Kenlow one of these for next summer (nearly bought one this year but winter arrived so I put it off):
http://www.mishimoto.co.uk/mishimoto-sl ... an-14.html
They're very thin (14" version is 67.5mm max deep) so might fit between the rad and the engine and also quite reasonably priced.
John Lee

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Alec
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Re: Electric fan installation

#5 Post by Alec » Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:17 pm

Hello Richard,

I have a Kenlowe 15 " fitted to the front of my PI engined Mk 1, plenty of room as I also fitted an oil cooler alongside (Subsequently found to not be required on a road car). I do not like the Kenlowe attachment via the core so made up brackets. This means the radiator can be removed without disturbing the fan.

I think it's a fallacy that fitting it to the rear gives better airflow as air needs to exhaust as well as feed and a blockage downstream impedes airflow just as much as upstream. I chose to fit it at the front to give a neater under bonnet appearance and again less dismantling should the radiator need to come out.

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Re: Electric fan installation

#6 Post by Charles H » Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:18 pm

I have a couple of very old Kenlowe fans on my pair. They both fit well in front of the radiator together with an oil cooler. Mk2 easy, plenty of space. The support bars are mounted on the vertical reinforcement section that go from the radiator support panel forwards to the grille panel, but the Mk1 although very similarly mounted, due to the fact that there is less space, the radiator is mounted 5mm further back into the engine bay to create enough space.
I have seen more modern kenlowe systems fitted behind the radiator using the cable tie to matrix type method. This is only possible however with the mechanical fan removed. These fans have a curved type blade system and are much much slimmer.
Personally, whilst the front mounted fan is not thought to be ideal, I have never experienced any trouble in many thousands of miles. The fan just gets blown round when not powered (the tell tale bulb glows) and means you can raid a scrap yard for anything suitable. I have heard that Peugeot 306 twin fans are good!!
If in front, they cannot easily be seen either!!
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Richard B
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Re: Electric fan installation

#7 Post by Richard B » Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:08 pm

Charles H wrote: The fan just gets blown round when not powered (the tell tale bulb glows) and means you can raid a scrap yard for anything suitable.
Yes just had that. I've fitted a 12 volt "double make" relay. This disconnects the warning light from the fan motor when switched off, so the light does not glow. Pins 87 & 87b.

My interest is that the modern fans are more efficient on pulling the air rather than pushing the air.
Richard
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Alec
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Re: Electric fan installation

#8 Post by Alec » Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:18 pm

Hello Richard,

the efficiency of the fan depends on blade design but it matters not if that design is in front or behind the radiator, it will move the same amount of air, all else being equal.
I would add that I'm very happy with my installation as the fan rarely cuts in even in summer. (No mechanical fan either.) P.S. My Reliant only has an electric fan, that too is a pusher, as designed by Reliant despite there being plenty of room behind the radiator, and quite a puny, basic fan also when you look at it.

Alec
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Re: Electric fan installation

#9 Post by JimB » Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:33 pm

Alec wrote:Hello Richard,

the efficiency of the fan depends on blade design but it matters not if that design is in front or behind the radiator, it will move the same amount of air, all else being equal.
I would add that I'm very happy with my installation as the fan rarely cuts in even in summer. (No mechanical fan either.) P.S. My Reliant only has an electric fan, that too is a pusher, as designed by Reliant despite there being plenty of room behind the radiator, and quite a puny, basic fan also when you look at it.

Alec
I think it might matter whether the fan is in front of or behind the radiator - I can imagine that's it's more efficient to suck air through a matrix than try and push it through one. All the car designs I've worked on have fans mounted on the rear of the cooling pack (water, oil, transmission).

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Electric fan installation

#10 Post by Polly » Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:42 pm

I'm with Alex on this one, since a fan must first suck in air before it can then blow it out at the other side, it will be irrelevant which side of the radiator it is mounted. However fans are designed to either suck or blow, so need to be fitted accordingly. What is important however, is that they must be fitted as close as possible to the radiator, hence the plastic ties through the core holding the fan in contact with the radiator being the preferred method.
My mk1 fan is in front of the radiator, but take care, the drain hole under the front centre is perfectly positioned to ensure the water drains onto the fan!!!
I have blocked mine with a bolt and two washers, but some form of shield would be better.
Les


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