My 86 Rangie Hiline

**DoubleChevron** · 17th January 2016, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by bacicat

Made it there and back - just...

Started to get hot on the way home when sitting in traffic (95 ish) but cooled down once I was doing 50. Just checked - the viscous fan is basically free wheeling, so I think that's the issue.

One more thing to go on the list...

It's probalby only a couple of hours work to stick EL fans in there.... You just need a temp sender and 3 relays for the series/parallel wiring and your done .... 1/20th of the cost of a new fan clutch!

I hope you realise before you get the fan nut *really* tight ..... it loosens the opposite direction on a serpentine belt engine ................................................

seeya,
Shane L.

**Homestar** · 17th January 2016, 04:50 PM

Thanks but I've got a brand new viscous in the garage somewhere.

**Landover** · 17th January 2016, 05:34 PM

That viscous fan is basically brand new, probably only done a couple of 1000kms. Was not a cheap one either. The radiator was also rodded at the same time. After fitting you could hear it roar in traffic. You should hear it come on at cold start for a short period before free wheeling. Maybe there is an air block it the system, it's quite a process to fill and bleed.

**Homestar** · 17th January 2016, 05:38 PM

Thanks Dave, I might have to look a little further then. It was rock solid at 88 for most of the trip - even sitting at the boom gates for a couple of minutes. It hasn't lost any coolant. It does get bloody hot under the bonnet - one of the big problems with RRC cooling is getting hot air out. I might have to put some 'speed holes' in the bonnet...

I might see if I can lift the back of the bonnet temporarily to see if it was something like that.

**Homestar** · 17th January 2016, 07:25 PM

Another question. The brakes need a good going over - the disks are very thin and need replacing. They are the solid style at the moment. Apart from the obvious advantages of reducing brake fade as they will cool quicker, is there any other advantage to getting some spacers for the calipers and going to vented disks?

**DoubleChevron** · 17th January 2016, 07:49 PM

is the condenser fans working ? I found the full fan current is being put through the switch, so the switch dies. I'm betting there is bugger all air flow if your stationary from the clutch fan, and it relies on the condenser fans for cooling.

seeya,
Shane L.

**Homestar** · 17th January 2016, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

is the condenser fans working ? I found the full fan current is being put through the switch, so the switch dies. I'm betting there is bugger all air flow if your stationary from the clutch fan, and it relies on the condenser fans for cooling.

seeya,
Shane L.

Yes, I wired the condenser fan relay in parallel to the interior fan relay years ago so I can flick them on any time I want without the AC being on - it was the only way to keep the old 3.5 cool as the whole coolant system was knackered.

The 3.9 in there now runs a rad which was rodder not long before I got it. I still think the biggest issue on these has always been the lack of hot air escaping from under the bonnet. Maybe I'll take the bonnet off and go for a run, that would prove or disprove that theory....?

**bee utey** · 17th January 2016, 08:30 PM

Lifting the bonnet won't help much as there's a high pressure zone there, that's why the fresh air intake is at the back of the bonnet. You'd be better off putting vents in each side of the bonnet, so the engine smells can waft in your windows when open too...

**Lockee** · 17th January 2016, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by bacicat

Another question. The brakes need a good going over - the disks are very thin and need replacing. They are the solid style at the moment. Apart from the obvious advantages of reducing brake fade as they will cool quicker, is there any other advantage to getting some spacers for the calipers and going to vented disks?

I have some good vented discs and calipers with the spacers. $150 would own them

**DoubleChevron** · 18th January 2016, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by bee utey

Lifting the bonnet won't help much as there's a high pressure zone there, that's why the fresh air intake is at the back of the bonnet. You'd be better off putting vents in each side of the bonnet, so the engine smells can waft in your windows when open too...

It depends where the high pressure zones are. I've seen vents added to old cars to aid in cooling ... and they run hotter. You see the vents if placed in a high pressure zone will pressurise the underbonnet ...rather than letting hot air out, there trying to force ambient air in ... Which will reduce the amount of air the radiator fan can draw in.

WIth the electric fans in there .... it never seems to get hot at idle. Infact I've never even had high speeds fans switch on yet. Which means it's never got to 92degrees. Even when it was 39degrees last week with the A/C on.

BTW: I don't believe for a second electric fans are "better" than the clutch fan. It's just much easier to tell if they are working ( as the clutch fan always seems to roar away fine about 1500rpm.... which is useless if your stuck stationary in traffic). A working mechanical fan can be designed to draw huge amounts of air ( because there is a 180hp engine bolted to it rather than a little electric motor).

seeya,
Shane L.

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