Thread: Going to throw my viscous unit in the bin - Going electric 300Tdi

Perhaps this might help

Message - AULRO Classifieds

(markets-engine parts)

Personally i'd keep the viscous.
I've got thermo's and to be honest they're rather contrary....they tend to operate when everything's freezing cold and occasionally work when ya really need em. And i've investigated extensively this problem, and it's most definately not wiring or the fans themselvs lol.
I can't remember the cost of electric temp fans now but i'm pretty sure a viscous unit with fan would only be a few hundred.

300Tdi viscous unit and fan should be less than $400 to $450.

Much more reliable than electric IMHO.


JC

I was quoted $160 for genuine coupling (without fan) and $93.50 for aftermarket

KISS
stick with the thermo clutch fan (not the electric), they can move much more air than an electric fan ever will.

I had a thermo on my SIII for awhile, with a 4 core military radiator running coolant. I also had a bolt on fan for off road work.

Once I was in a valley, doing river crossings and some low range short stint climbing. With the thermo fan the temp was edging on the red of the gauge. I pulled up and put the fan on and within a couple of minutes the temp had plummeted to about the 1/3 mark on the gauge. It stayed cool for long haul low range work for the rest off the day.

The electric was okay for highway use, and the metal fan I had was the 8 blade military tropical version that took 15kph off the vehicles speed on the road. I reverted to a standard fan set up for the Simpson Trip and wouldn't go back to electric.

Given that heat is one of the few things that will kill a 300Tdi, and given how exceptionally well they run on their standard fan, I would dissuade you from going electric.

I thought about putting thermos on for a while, but with the cowling intact and the viscous fan working properly they shift more air, as mentioned above.

Mine seized at one point, not so viscous anymore but it works fine in terms of keeping the engine cool.

Just to gate crash a little - I know how the viscous coupling work but not how it senses the heat in the engine - is it just the heat soak through the water pump and shaft? If so surely the delay in the VC locking up as heat in the engine rises and likewise the reverse is quite large and can result in the engine cooking in some circumstances.

Or does the VC detect the heat from the radiator through the air being sucked through it and over the VC housing.

My 101 has had the VC removed and the fan is bolted direct to the water pump flange on the shaft - seems to work OK.

Garry