Electric Fans - FC 101

**101RRS** · 26th October 2016, 12:03 AM

My 101 has always had its cooling fan bolted direct to the water pump flange so it is always turning at engine speed chewing up a horse power or two and making lots of noise.

It has always been on the list to fix but never I have never got around do it. Looking at it the other day I noted that I could put in electric fans for about 1/2 the price of a new viscous coupling and fan. I have had a number of cars, including one 4wd and had little trouble and once when they did play up it was the switching mechanism rather than the fan motors themselves.

So has anyone one converted their 101 to electric fans and if so what do you have. To get max coverage of the radiator a 16" fan with a secondary 9" fan seems to work.

Thanks

Garry

**Homestar** · 26th October 2016, 05:16 AM

Never really needed to think about the before Garry. I've never had any issues with keeping mine cool and I doubt claiming the couple of horsepower back will make any difference to how it drives, but from a financial point of view, I can see your point. I have a couple of good spare viscous units so it's not something that I'll need to do, but interested in what you come up with.

**Mick_Marsh** · 26th October 2016, 12:14 PM

I had electric fans on my 100" for a while.
All did not go well. It had a tendency to overheat in Melbourne city peak hour traffic. The fans couldn't keep up.
You may have success but I'll not be revisiting electric fans anytime soon.

**grey_ghost** · 26th October 2016, 01:10 PM

Hi Gary,

When I originally got my 101 it was having issues in the cooling department.. Speaking with the local mechanic he suggested that we look at installing Ford Falcon fans... Apparently they are the "ducks guts" according to him...

In the end - I replaced the water pump, viscous fan and the radiator for other reasons.. Tis all good now.

I would be interested to see what you come up with.

Cheers,
GG.

**101RRS** · 26th October 2016, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by grey_ghost

Speaking with the local mechanic he suggested that we look at installing Ford Falcon fans... Apparently they are the "ducks guts" according to him...

Thanks for the comments - I guess no one has actually done it.

Re the Falcon fans - heard the same, but they don't fit as they are too wide.

Thanks

Garry

**101 Ron** · 26th October 2016, 04:41 PM

There is a reason why landrover placed a viscous drive fan on the 101 landrover and why most heavy duty off road vehicles don't have electric fans.
7 horse power worth of energy can be supplied by one 'A' section vee belt.
The electric motor on a electric fan....?????? 500watts on a large one.
The advailable power to drive the fan is much more with a vee belt set up.
Yes the electric fan can be placed up against the radiator core and is slightly more efficient that way....................but a vee belt driven fan will be just as efficient working in a shroud.
Now if your shrouded viscous vee belt driven fan is working correctly it will not take power/energy from the motor unless it is needed as the viscous coupling will only drive when the engine is hot..........just like the thermo switch turning on and off a electric cooling fan.
The problem with most Vee belt drive set ups is people do not maintain the cooling fan shroud and viscous coupling...........they are efficient when working correctly and under very hard slow off road hot day conditions are able to deliver more energy to the cooling fan providing more draught though the 101s thick radiator than any electric set will ever do.
Electric fans will work for day to day stuff and moderate loads and speeds.
When the chips are down towing a trailer on a 35 degree day up Mount Steeperammer electric fans will not cut it on a 101.
I currently drive a small diesel van for work.....recently the viscous fan drive has been replaced after the vehicle had been getting a bit warm climbing the local mountains with it full load.
What a difference that made to cooling , interior noise etc and driving to work every day I can now distinctly hear the first cold start up viscous fan drive engage because the silicone is at the bottom of the viscous drive hub, the disengagement on the cold motor and then about 10 minutes into my daily trip into work a slow engagement of the engine fan.
The 101 landrovers viscous fan drive can be replaced by a similar Ford item.
I was lucky when I purchased my 101 as it came with a new fan and viscous drive which I fitted and every thing cooling wise is working as it should.

**Sitec** · 26th October 2016, 07:58 PM

I've run several V8 Land Rovers with electric fans in the UK.. A popular aftermarket fan manufacturer was Kenlowe. It was always something that was never to be trusted. Both vehicles always ran hot.. Ever since I've always maintained there's nothing better than an engine driven fan. The Cummins was proof of that.. Standard 101 radiator, 5.9 turbo diesel, half the rad covered by a huge intercooler, and even on the hottest days (48 deg on The Border Track), it kept its cool. My money will always be with an engine driven fan.. especially here in Oz.

**101RRS** · 26th October 2016, 09:50 PM

Thanks for the responses - all good stuff but I am not asking how well an electric fan may or may not work but if anyone has electric fans fitted - I am inclined to stay with an engine driven fan but unless I can learn from someone's experiences with an electric fan in a 101 then I wont know if it is viable.

They all worked well in the vehicles that I have owned including the 4wd, albiet a small 1800cc engine.

So if you know of anyone who has them fitted in their 101 please let me know.

Cheers

garry

Davehoos · 27th October 2016, 09:11 PM

I have fitted an 120 watt pusher fan with cowl in front of a ser 3 2.25.
The issue for me was the slow rate that the engine warmed up and no demister heater.

The Fan does not come on when moving at speed.

The original mechanical setup if left idling would become overly warm and need to be fast idled. it also vibrated at highway revs. The idea is I can still refit the mechanical fan.

My 93 Disc V8 I fitted a EA falcon visco. I used a different blade I found as the original was stuffed. Often the Blade has to be matched as it may run at the wrong RPM.

Ford Visco come factory with different temp setting compared to aftermarket spare parts. Often they operate more.
I had removed almost new hub From a EA That ran hot with A/C on.

Disco has 2 small pancake fan that run with the A/C and that can stop the Visco from getting hot enough to engage, I was staying hot and the trans mission temp light was often on . I fitted a small dia thermostat [BF falcon] that slowed down the flow enough to heat the radiator core at revs allowing the hub to work.

falcon fans are good for the price. I would like to have used some of the spall performance fans but I don't have the clearance- or the spare cash.

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