I'm looking to see if anyone out there knows of any easy junkyard grabs that would be easy for thermostatic fan control. I already have the fans, the wiring and the relay what I want to get rid of is the toggle switch and instead have it come on automatically. thermostat is a 195 degree so keeping the water temp near 200 would be ideal. I don't want a too aggressive one that will keep the engine over-cooled.
bonus points if its NPT or some sort of thread in.
A lot of older cars that have A/C as an option have a fan switch in a metal pipe that mounts inline in a radiator hose. I used the stock A/C fan switch in my 240sx to actuate the fan since I no longer have A/C anyway. I also have laying around a Volvo install kit that has a similar metal pipe and threaded fan switch. You just cut the stock radiator hose and slip the pipe/switch combo in series.
kinda like this-
saab 900s use an external fan switch in the upper hose.
In reply to Cone_Junky:
I'm more than okay with that because this is going on the tow rig and it has a gas engine in a diesel chassis so the inlet/outlet on the radiator is about an inch larger diameter so I have made metal reducers to adapt from the hose from radiator to the block.
As long as you have a thermostat, it's not really going to overcool the engine.
In reply to Keith Tanner:
True, but I don't want something that will kick on and off at 160 degrees.
I can run either mid hose or in the cylinder head.
If I were building a highly price-sensitive car, I'd just wire the fan to run with the ignition.
If you go to NAPA, they've got a big book of fan triggers including mounting type, on temp and off temp. They can probably get original application off the part number if you can't spend $12 on a new one.
For my (stalled) turbo FC project, I was going to use the following junkyard solution I found on the RX7Club:
http://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/wiring-taurus-2-speed-fan-839089/
I have some of the parts already. BTW, the Taurus radiator fan shroud fits over the Koyorad FC radiator perfectly.
Keith Tanner wrote: If you go to NAPA, they've got a big book of fan triggers including mounting type, on temp and off temp. They can probably get original application off the part number if you can't spend $12 on a new one.
This is excellent news, I will have to check them out. thanks! I just didn't want to spend 40-50 dollars for those thermostatic fan control kits you see at autofart and advance autotards.
This is a little pricey but this a great fit:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-890018
now if I can find one with on range of 205-210 and off of 190 I would be set for the race car
I like the write up for the 2 speed fan but the one I am using is only a one speed.
On my 1968 cougar I had a electric fan and switch off an old Subie. I screwed the switch into the thermostat housing where a ported vacuum switch was supposed to be. I do not remember the year of the Subie.
Is $10 challenge friendly?
Put a temp probe on the side of the radiator, t-stat housing or ... and figure out what the "skin" temp is when you want the fan on... order the right one of these and slap it right up against it.
RexSeven wrote: For my (stalled) turbo FC project, I was going to use the following junkyard solution I found on the RX7Club: http://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/wiring-taurus-2-speed-fan-839089/ I have some of the parts already. BTW, the Taurus radiator fan shroud fits over the Koyorad FC radiator perfectly.
I never realized those berkeleyers were the reason behind those drying up in yards.....both of my current sho's have dual fan setups.....one of which is currently acting weird(runs when cold and not hot).....
Dunno about the SHO fans, but the Taurus e-fan for the 3.8L V-6 is a very popular cooling upgrade for musclecars, rotaries, and off-roaders because it moves a metric butt-ton of air and doesn't break like some aftermarket e-fans do. The Lincoln Mark VIII fan is even more powerful. The only problem is, both have very high amp draw. The Taurus fan draws 33 amps and the Lincoln fan about 50amps. If you want to use either, you'll need to beef up your alternator.
Try looking under the hoods of the mid-90's big Volvo sedans too. Same exact fan, but you can remove it from the shroud to fit your custom shroud.
High amps and high flow are inextricably linked. If your "slimline" fans don't pull any juice, they're also not pulling any air.
mad_machine wrote: saab 900s use an external fan switch in the upper hose.
Not quite true. SAABs do have a switch in the upper radiator hose. However, that switch cuts out the a/c compressor if the car overheats.
Here's how you do it with SAAB parts: grab that inline radiator hose sensor adapter. Remove the switch and toss it aside. Take the actual fan switch (mounted in the radiator itself), remove it from the radiator, and put in in the inline hose adapter. Thread size and pitch is the same.
Now you have what you need. This is what I did in my Volvo 142. Should be under a fiver at the junkyard.
an 86 Chevy Celebrity- and i'd assume all the various corporate clones- with a the 2.5 have a cooling fan setup that's pretty much self contained. you can grab the whole harness with fusible link, relay, and temp switch in about 2 minutes without really even getting your hands dirty and only using a few basic hand tools. i don't know about previous years, but i do know that the 87's use the ecm to control the fan relay so don't bother looking if the car has the modern plastic headlights. i also don't know about the V6 cars- i'd assume they are pretty similar, but i haven't looked at one....
the fan switch turns the fans on at something like 230 degrees, but $20 will buy you a switch at NAPA that will give you the on/off temps you want as long as you or the counter person isn't afraid of the big Echelin electrical catalog..
In reply to novaderrik:
Funny you should mention that, I went into napa and they thought I was crazy and very unhelpful as usual so I just walked out after he was trying to argue with me that that they have no thread in style.
tell the guy at NAPA to whip out the Echlin electrical catalog and let you look thru it... they have the catalog behind the counter somewhere, i guarantee it... they have pictures of all the different senders they sell (and there are a LOT of them..), with the specs at the back of the book.
the fan switches are the ones that have a part number that starts with "FS", and they have the catalog printed with the part numbers in alphabetical order... so just keep flipping until you see "FS" part numbers and then start figuring out which one fits your needs- threads, plug style, temp rating...
you can find the Echlin electrical catalog here if you aren't weird like me and prefer looking stuff up on a computer screen instead of flipping thru an actual book..
edit: will someone please modify the forum software so that you don't wind up with what looks like a run on sentence if you don't hit "enter" 2 times..
Lots of cars use a fan switch that screws into the side of the radiator. Some are normally open and some are normally closed until they get to their preset temp. I know the TR8 guys use one from a Volvo or Saab because it comes on at a slightly lower temp than the original TR8 one. Anyway they are cheap or free at the junk yard. Just to complicate things, the TR8 actually has two fan switches. One on the rad and one on the manifold. One is for low speed or one fan, and the other comes on 10 degrees hotter for high speed or both fans. To further complicate things, one switches power wires and one switches ground wires. Confused yet? When the AC system kicks in, the relays in the AC circuitry override the fan switches and kick on the fans full time.
Those giant books at NAPA are gold. You'd be amazed at what info is in there. Thanks for the link, Nova!
I regularly install the adjustable ones you can buy off the shelf at Autopepadvance stores for 17-18 dollars and then use a heat sensing gun to set them to the temp I want them to come on at. Make a mark on the switch in case someone turns the knob.
In reply to Rad_Capz:
Do those come with a thermoswitch?
Sold under various brand names depending on which chain store. http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_adjustable-thermostatic-fan-control-imperial_6016936-p
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