Removed stock fan from my 78 ZH fairlane & fitted 16" Ice Thermal fan (pushing thru radiator). No drama yet, i.e. doesnt overheat, but see bigger temperature variation in traffic and low speed driving ( 160 deg high flow thermostat, high flow water pump, new 3 core rad.), and summers a commin.
Believe twin thermals from AU may be a better bet. Anyone know if these fit ZH's on engine side? will additional cowling be required?
Alecz
Once you install a big core radiator, there isn't much room left between the radiator and the water pump pulley. In my son's 302W powered XY the fan shroud is almost touching the end of the pulley. I've got more room in my 351/XE, but room may be a deciding factor when choosing an appropriate fan combo. If the AU ones are better (and they will fit), then go for them.
As far as Im aware the El fan set is made by Davis craig (which means you cab buy just the motors on ther own should one shit itslef) where as the AU ones are just a ford number thats why they are cheaper, and yeah the off set on the AU fans would be perfect if the inlet and outlets werent on the opposite side on our cars, Which puts the fans in completely the wrong place, but if it works well then Im pleased to hear it.
Photos are good guys cheers, did you blokes have to up your Alt sizes?
no worries, i havent upgraded ALT yet, assuming being an LTD it may have had a bigger one from standard anyway, but it seems to keep up... i will upgrade it eventually
the ones i have are EL, and they cool my 351 just fine, i can sit in traffic on really hot days (like last summer in central NSW 40+ degree days) with the Air con ON, barely getting over 1/2 gauge, so i am sure i could run a cam in just as easilly as you could with the AU ones
Perhaps, but I've seen EL fans fail to cool a hot 351 that AU fans cooled fine.
If you want to compare, hold your car at 2500rpm for 15 minutes in a tin shed on a 30 degree day. If your engine is anything like mine your extractors will be glowing red and the heat from the running will have the shed up to about 38degrees. If it hold up then clearly there is no need to change anything (well, if its even close to holding up then I wouldn't change it... not everyday you'll be doing that!). I was genuinely surprised the AU fans did so well.
Wierd as I've seen EL fans cool without issues. Mine are badly cut due to prior owner having them in a Commodore. Mine sit there on a 40deg+ day with the engine sitting @ 75deg. You'll find if you wire up EL fans the incorrect way you won't get full speed I haven't seen many that have been wired correctly.
The AU ones fit nicer. If a mate ever get around to it fitting some? I'll take a look then.
I agree with the wiring issue. One fan is a single speed the other dual speed. I measured the resistance of the single speed motor then found the two wires on the dual which were the same resistance as the single. This ensures you have hi speed. They each draw about 8amps. I have no probs at 40+ either.
What is the correct way to wire them up? I would just put full battery volts to each one via a 40 amp relay. I have found they draw 5A with no fans attached.
I was told by an auto electrician that both motors (AU 2 wires) have the same power and rpm and they achieve low speed by the electronic speed controller feeding power through them both in series to slow them down.
What is the correct way to wire them up? I would just put full battery volts to each one via a 40 amp relay. I have found they draw 5A with no fans attached.
I was told by an auto electrician that both motors (AU 2 wires) have the same power and rpm and they achieve low speed by the electronic speed controller feeding power through them both in series to slow them down.
Both of my AU fans have only TWO wires each, a positive feed and an earth. So I am guessing the high/low speed wiring doesnt apply to the AU fans in my application.
Both of my AU fans have only TWO wires each, a positive feed and an earth. So I am guessing the high/low speed wiring doesnt apply to the AU fans in my application.
My XD 351C (on gas) is not liking the warmer days, but I'm not sure if more airflow will help.
*puts on the noob hat*
Currently the radiator and stock fan seem to be doing a great job, in that a LOT of hot air comes off the radiator. I'm not sure of the science behind it, but it seems to me that blowing hot air into the engine bay is a bad thing.
The engine is tuned (although it needs colder spark plugs and leads, which I'll be getting shortly), the radiator is a new 3 core, the thermostat is new (82C). So will sucking more air through the radiator fix the problem?
I'd like to be able to use the aircon on hot days, as currently I'm in the ironic position of only being able to use the aircon on mild days, where winding down the window would suffice anyway.
My XD 351C (on gas) is not liking the warmer days, but I'm not sure if more airflow will help.
*puts on the noob hat*
Currently the radiator and stock fan seem to be doing a great job, in that a LOT of hot air comes off the radiator. I'm not sure of the science behind it, but it seems to me that blowing hot air into the engine bay is a bad thing.
The engine is tuned (although it needs colder spark plugs and leads, which I'll be getting shortly), the radiator is a new 3 core, the thermostat is new (82C). So will sucking more air through the radiator fix the problem?
I'd like to be able to use the aircon on hot days, as currently I'm in the ironic position of only being able to use the aircon on mild days, where winding down the window would suffice anyway.
Yes, if you cool the coolant faster than a stock fan will you'll have a cooler engine. Don't expect to the temp to go under 82deg celcuis though. As the thermostat won't allow it. If the systems too efficient it will drop below 82
Slotted in a set of AU thermals to my ZH today ( same rad as XC i think), got em from American Auto Spares @ $240. The're magic, piss all over the crappy "Ice" single thermal i had in it. Just needed slight mod to top corner to clear hose & angle bracket at base for support, wired both (on at same time) to existing davies craig thermal switch. Left the Zed idling in driveway for 20 mins, temp never went above 80 deg, fans off at 75 deg (fans- 2 mins on x 3 mins off). Looks like i finally have the right combo to cool the clevo- Miloden160 deg high flo thermostat (brass bypass standard restrictor still inplace), Miloden high flo water pump & the AU twin thermals.
Thanks heaps for all the info in earlier posts, saved a lot of time.
Alecz
Yeah wacked in the EL jobbies on the weekend, I havent put in a thermo switch yet as I was looking for the ones Rhett used, so at the moment she is using toggles in the dash.
But I put in a Dayco Thermostat and drove it to work this morning. Very happy. Got ridd of the awful noise the cluthfan makes, more responsive and sat on 1/3 all the way through bumper to bumper traffic for about 20 minutes.
Still think I will go to a bigger Rad tho, just for more volume of water, for the new motor.
Im thinking these arent EL fans tho. They are not offset like au fans, but each fan only has 2 wires, no white wire as mentioned in an earlier thread.
I picked up 3 little switches from RS Components in Osborne Park that close when they reach a specific temperature. They only cost about $8 each and I’ve mounted them all to the top of the radiator near the top inlet. A 60C switch activates one fan, a 75C switch turns on the other fan, and a 90C switch is connected to a reversing alarm to let me know that something is wrong before I go cooking my precious 351.
Dam, just went to RS Components at lunch and got a 60 and a 90, was going to get the 75 but thought Id try the 60 first, if it comes on too early I might up it to the 75.
Where are you guys mounting these switches? Are you tapping threads in to the rad?
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