Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 42

Thread: Thermo Fan vs Viscous Fan v6.023.455

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Western Australia
    Posts
    260
    Total Downloaded
    0

    Thermo Fan vs Viscous Fan v6.023.455

    I know this has been asked and covered before but I'm interested in what peoples thoughts are on this now, not then.

    I'm replacing the radiator and doing heads/gaskets/cam/lifters/etc soon and I will need a new viscous clutch IF I keep the fan. How many people have swapped to thermo/electric fan/s and why? And what did you do, how did you set it up? As far as I can tell the AC fans at the front of the condenser are useless, I've bought a new 3 core brass/copper radiator, I'm going to run a extra trans cooler (with fan) and thought about putting that where the AC fans currently are, with 2 thermo fans for the radiator, probably AU or BA Falcon.

    At a guess I think the cost to install electric fans would be similar or even cheaper than buying a new fan clutch and I don't use the Rangie for offroading so there's that to consider. I've installed a 120A alternator so not concerned about power draw from thermo fans. It may not make much difference but I do plan on installing extractors and heatwrapping them to help with under bonnet heat.

    I had thought about having one thermo switched to be constantly on and the other to come on if needed, or is it better to have both running the same? If I do change to electric fans it will be a test bed for the other Rangie waiting to be built which will be set up for touring.

    Any suggestions welcome, cheers!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Sunshine Coast
    Posts
    1,202
    Total Downloaded
    0
    I've fitted electric thermo fans and they have been working great. Just ensure they are wired with relays and with power direct from battery. Mine aren't falcon units however they're the ones that apparently fit well.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Bellarine Peninsula, Brackistan
    Posts
    5,309
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Been running them for years now, no serious issues and vastly superior than an engine driven fan in stop go traffic or crawling around in the scrub.

    They are fake EL fans in a shroud that requires very little work to fit a RRC rad. The weight of my set up is supported by alu brackets each side to the RRC mount points, rather than through the rad.

    I have one on all the time simply because I'm too slack to fit another adjustable temp switch. After well over 100,000km that motor stopped working, but a post mortem showed the 4 brushes were sticking in the holders............ they were barely worn.

    Cleaned them up and that motor is working fine, kept as a spare.

    Fans are wired directly to one battery via a 50amp fuse and individual relays. Can't remember the exact details but they need ign on and one needs temp signal.

    A bonus from doing this mod is all the extra space you gain at the front of the ICE.

    DL

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Ballarat,Vic,Aus
    Posts
    3,580
    Total Downloaded
    0
    They seem to be working really well for me too ( I wired them series parallel so they will run low speed and high speed through a standard 2contact temp switch).

    The most important thing... use a fuse ..... NOT A SELF RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKER. Those bastard things de-rate massively as the underbonnet temp rises leaving you stranded with a cooking motor in heavy traffic when towing a heavy load. I can't curse those bastard breakers enough.

    They guarantee when you need your fans the most .... they'll shut the bloody things down.

    seeeya
    Shane L.
    Proper cars--
    '92 Range Rover 3.8V8 ... 5spd manual
    '85 Series II CX2500 GTi Turbo I :burnrubber:
    '63 ID19 x 2 :wheelchair:
    '72 DS21 ie 5spd pallas
    Modern Junk:
    '07 Poogoe 407 HDi 6spd manual :zzz:
    '11 Poogoe RCZ HDI 6spd manual

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    1,317
    Total Downloaded
    0
    So much quieter as well.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Two Rocks WA
    Posts
    1,334
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Hi I still have my original viscous fan( yes its been replaced over the years) I believe it moves more air and is just simple.
    Re the extractors..Dont bother I gained nothing except a nicer note, would I do it again ..NO The later exhaust manifolds are more than adequate. I used HM headers extractors at the time, bloody expensive. When they finally die I will put back on the original exhaust manifolds.
    Brad
    Range Rovers Have Charactors inside them
    LROCWA Ex member 23 years
    1971 Series 2A
    2004 Discovery2a V8 Auto
    2003 Discovery2a TD5 Manual
    1982 4door man (sadly now gone)
    1989 Vogue auto
    2011 TDV8 Vogue
    What would life be without a Rangie?



  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Fremantle WA
    Posts
    3,742
    Total Downloaded
    0
    And as an aside re the hot engine bay issue, after visiting Davo in Derby and seeing his experiments, I am seriously thinking of adding a thermostatically controlled engine oil cooler unless someone tells me the engine oil needs to run hotter than the coolant/auto trans.

    Even though I'm running a TD5 in lieu of the V8, and already have a HD alum radiator waiting to be installed, the oil cooler principle should be the same.
    MY16 D4 TDV6 - with a little Cambo magic for towing "The Brick"
    MY95 RRC LSE Vogue Softdash "Bessie" (turning circle comparable to QE II) with MY99 TD5 and 4HP24 transplants. Back home Nov 22 after a magic overhaul by Chivalry
    SADLY SOLD MY04 D2a TD5 auto Classic and MY10 D4 2.7 both with lots of goodies

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Bellarine Peninsula, Brackistan
    Posts
    5,309
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by DoubleChevron View Post
    They seem to be working really well for me too ( I wired them series parallel so they will run low speed and high speed through a standard 2contact temp switch).

    The most important thing... use a fuse ..... NOT A SELF RESETTING CIRCUIT BREAKER. Those bastard things de-rate massively as the underbonnet temp rises leaving you stranded with a cooking motor in heavy traffic when towing a heavy load. I can't curse those bastard breakers enough.

    They guarantee when you need your fans the most .... they'll shut the bloody things down.

    seeeya
    Shane L.
    I think mine only run on low speed haha, I'll have to look into that! Still more than adequate.

    The reason I wrote 50 amp FUSE is if you have a big prang and there are volatiles freed the fuse will have blown once and can't blow again, unlike a circuit breaker that will reset potentially repeating the short (with sparks).

    Like a resetting fire lighter really.

    cheers, DL

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Ballarat,Vic,Aus
    Posts
    3,580
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by 350RRC View Post
    I think mine only run on low speed haha, I'll have to look into that! Still more than adequate.

    The reason I wrote 50 amp FUSE is if you have a big prang and there are volatiles freed the fuse will have blown once and can't blow again, unlike a circuit breaker that will reset potentially repeating the short (with sparks).

    Like a resetting fire lighter really.

    cheers, DL
    You should be running full speed (I'd hope). With series/parallel, slow speed is the fan wired in series ... so each fan gets 6volts, and if there is any wiring/fan issues, you will have no fans. Parallel is high speed, ie: 12volts to each fan. wiring or fan issues should leave the other fan working too

    The falcon fans may have had a resistor there for low speed? I bypassed this though and wired myself.

    seeya,
    Shane L.
    Proper cars--
    '92 Range Rover 3.8V8 ... 5spd manual
    '85 Series II CX2500 GTi Turbo I :burnrubber:
    '63 ID19 x 2 :wheelchair:
    '72 DS21 ie 5spd pallas
    Modern Junk:
    '07 Poogoe 407 HDi 6spd manual :zzz:
    '11 Poogoe RCZ HDI 6spd manual

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    397
    Total Downloaded
    0

    Thermo Fans vs Viscous Fan

    I have twin EL Falcon thermo fans on my V8 Disco, easy to fit and wire up, pull 3000 cfm of air. Coupled with one of Brian Baskin's Delta Current Controllers that keeps the temperature very stable. You can set the temp you want the engine to run at via an adjustable knob on the dash, the controller then ramps the fans up and down to maintain it. Works great.

Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!