Mybowlcut Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 (edited) Hey. Just wondering about thermo fan conversions. I'm considering chucking a thermo fan on as everywhere I've read it does a better job than the engine fan (is that what it's called?). Just wondering what happens to the engine fan... I remember reading that it gets removed... but how? Is it a pretty simple thing to do? I remember that when Chris and I did the 5k conversion that we needed to "turn the engine over" by manually moving the fan when we were doing something to the engine when it was out of the car. What happens in this scenario when there is no fan? Does removing it increase performance? I read (or heard?) that somewhere also. Also, what is the function of the engine fan? The thermo fan cools the radiator (yeah?), but does the engine fan cool the radiator or the engine (directly)? :) Cheers! Edited November 17, 2008 by Mybowlcut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5elfori1 Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 its on a k engine I'm guessing? should be just four nuts on the front of the fan pull the fan off and put the nuts back on to hold the pulley there. zip tie the thermo the the radiator and wire it up through a switch is easiest.. or can wire to the ignition. both fans do the same thing.. but thermo does it better and also uses less engine power. both suck air through the radiator and on to the engine.. the standard engine fan controls the heat of the engine instead of just cooling it. by letting the engine warm up faster... which isnt to simple to set up with a thermo.. but its not really a big deal... and if ur worried about turnin over the engine you should be able to use the nut on the crankshaft pulley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mybowlcut Posted November 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 (edited) its on a k engine I'm guessing? should be just four nuts on the front of the fan pull the fan off and put the nuts back on to hold the pulley there. zip tie the thermo the the radiator and wire it up through a switch is easiest.. or can wire to the ignition. both fans do the same thing.. but thermo does it better and also uses less engine power. both suck air through the radiator and on to the engine.. the standard engine fan controls the heat of the engine instead of just cooling it. by letting the engine warm up faster... which isnt to simple to set up with a thermo.. but its not really a big deal... and if ur worried about turnin over the engine you should be able to use the nut on the crankshaft pulley. Answered everything, thanks! Zip ties wouldn't go too well with the cops, eh? Haha. I'd try and mount it properly somehow. Edited November 17, 2008 by Mybowlcut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5elfori1 Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 yeh.. just watevers easiest...cops don't like anything tho.. haah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mybowlcut Posted November 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 yeh.. just watevers easiest...cops don't like anything tho.. haah :) haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxyboy55 Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 wire it up through a switch is easiest.. or can wire to the ignition. you'll also need a relay and a fuse for the switch otherwise it's going to stuff the fuse inside the fan have a look at this: http://autospeed.com/cms/A_2015/article.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbey Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 don't zip tie it, make a bracket, it's fairly simple as the Autospeed article demonstrates. Thermo's are more efficient because if you use a thermal switch (like they're designed for) then the fan is only running when the temp gets high enough to trip the switch. Hardwiring to run all the time is fairly pointless, you might as well use the engine fan. Some belt driven fans have a thermo clutch on them as well but I gather they are fairly unreliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mybowlcut Posted November 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 (edited) don't zip tie it, make a bracket, it's fairly simple as the Autospeed article demonstrates. Thermo's are more efficient because if you use a thermal switch (like they're designed for) then the fan is only running when the temp gets high enough to trip the switch. Hardwiring to run all the time is fairly pointless, you might as well use the engine fan. Some belt driven fans have a thermo clutch on them as well but I gather they are fairly unreliable. Cheers for the article. I'll make the bracket myself, but I'll get an auto electrician to do the wiring and stuff. A question about the temperature sender being mounted under the top radiator hose... what is the grooved rubber seal? They don't have pictures of it anywhere that I can see. The installation that they've done looks haphazard (the wire going into the radiator hose and off the battery). Can it be done neater or is that as good as you're gonna get? Cheers! Edited November 17, 2008 by Mybowlcut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxyboy55 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 The installation that they've done looks haphazard (the wire going into the radiator hose and off the battery). Can it be done neater or is that as good as you're gonna get? you can do it alot neater than that if your radiator has a threaded hole in the bottom (or you can make one) to put your thermo switch in or if you know what your doing :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camerondownunder88 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hi, When I put a thermo in the KE15 I mounted it as a pusher fan with brackets supplied with the fan kit I got. But I tried a Davis Craig thermo switch that went into the water lines with the rubber groved thing etc. But after about 2 months this switch totally failed :y: and there to expensive to replace them so I got the shits and went looking for a better reliable, water proof, simple thermo switch. PRESTO I found one at a meer 0.60cents EACH :) Found at Jay car. There is a small component that mounts to the back of a amp heat sink that switches the fan on the heat sink on and off. So perfect it is designed to do it. temps were variable with the component, water proof, withstand high heat, and wired the same way as a Davis Craig switch had no load as it was on a relay so could be small. The thermo switch I got at Jaycar goes from 50 degreess to about 120 degrees. What I did is glued this switch to the top of the radator as neat as I could and paited it black and honestly you hardly notice it :) looks a part of the radator. But the next step is I was going to make an aluminium plug that goes into the thermostat housing on a K motor in one of the blanked off holes they have with this screwed to it so I get a more accurate temp reading to switch it. As only down side ATM is the radator needs to heat up before it switches. But I chose to set it at about 60 degrees and I run my 5K int eh KE15 and the temps switch when it turns the fan on the car is at optimum opperating temp :( So there proven to work ont eh radator just need to get a lower set switch so it flicks earlier as the radator top tank is cooler while the engine is slightly hotter. Hope it all makes sense. Also this way water wont leak when the groved rubber thing perishes :hmm: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productResults.as...=&priceMax= But there is a link to the thermo switches page. Cheers Cameron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mybowlcut Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hi, When I put a thermo in the KE15 I mounted it as a pusher fan with brackets supplied with the fan kit I got. But I tried a Davis Craig thermo switch that went into the water lines with the rubber groved thing etc. But after about 2 months this switch totally failed :cool: and there to expensive to replace them so I got the shits and went looking for a better reliable, water proof, simple thermo switch. PRESTO I found one at a meer 0.60cents EACH :) Found at Jay car. There is a small component that mounts to the back of a amp heat sink that switches the fan on the heat sink on and off. So perfect it is designed to do it. temps were variable with the component, water proof, withstand high heat, and wired the same way as a Davis Craig switch had no load as it was on a relay so could be small. The thermo switch I got at Jaycar goes from 50 degreess to about 120 degrees. What I did is glued this switch to the top of the radator as neat as I could and paited it black and honestly you hardly notice it :) looks a part of the radator. But the next step is I was going to make an aluminium plug that goes into the thermostat housing on a K motor in one of the blanked off holes they have with this screwed to it so I get a more accurate temp reading to switch it. As only down side ATM is the radator needs to heat up before it switches. But I chose to set it at about 60 degrees and I run my 5K int eh KE15 and the temps switch when it turns the fan on the car is at optimum opperating temp :( So there proven to work ont eh radator just need to get a lower set switch so it flicks earlier as the radator top tank is cooler while the engine is slightly hotter. Hope it all makes sense. Also this way water wont leak when the groved rubber thing perishes :hmm: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productResults.as...=&priceMax= But there is a link to the thermo switches page. Cheers Cameron Another great reply! Cheers! :y: Only concern I have is if I'll be able to do it myself haha... No doubt it would be cheaper... for someone with no electrical experience, is it feasible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camerondownunder88 Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) Piss easy to install. Ill see if I got my davis Craig setup instructions and ill scan it p might even do a wiki article for the FAQ on this. But the switch in the davis craig kit onlt has 2 terminal on it so do these Jaycar parts so just sub it into where the davis Craig switch would go presto. Cameron Edited November 18, 2008 by camerondownunder88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mybowlcut Posted November 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Piss easy to install. Ill see if I got my davis Craig setup instructions and ill scan it p might even do a wiki article for the FAQ on this. But the switch in the davis craig kit onlt has 2 terminal on it so do these Jaycar parts so just sub it into where the davis Craig switch would go presto. Cameron Pleaaaaaase do an article! So many people give great replies that would be perfect candidates for an article yet no one seems to want to write one up. :) If I had the knowledge I'd write heaps haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbey Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 If you head to the wreckers, you'll find a lot of the cars with factory thermo-fans will have a temp switch mounted into the radiator as a threaded fitting. You should be able to use one of these, you just might need a relay etc depending on the fan wiring. You can easily make a T-piece that will splice into one of your radiator lines and mount the switch in that. If Cam doesn't do a FAQ, I will when I get my thermofans set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mybowlcut Posted December 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2008 I got a thermo fan now and it looks like it will fit quite well, but I have to buy an aftermarket temperature switch (Davies Craig) which is gonna set me back $80 - that's more than the friggon thermo cost me! As well as getting an electrician to wire it all up... and having heard about cameron's switch dying I'm not too sure... but the thermo I bought was wired directly to the ignition on the car it was off, so it didn't have a switch. :bash: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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