Push or Pull?

[Boomlander]

Can't decide whether to position Jethro's new electric fan in front of or behind the radiator.
More room in front behind the grille and would be less intrusive but any suggestions - also I assume that I should run the fan via a relay rather than straight through the thermostatic switch?
Thanks and a very Merry Christmas to all our readers.

[panky]

Pullers are more efficient than pushers but as you said there is more room in front of the rad. Since the original fan is such a small affair I don't think there will be a problem with a modern lekky fan having that bit less performance through being a pusher and yes it definitely should be wired in using a relay.
Happy Christmas

[bmcecosse]

I've run my car both with and without a fan blade fitted. It makes not the slightest difference to the noise or the fuel economy.... Why bother with an electric fan when the standard one is perfectly adequate ?

[Boomlander]

For some reason the existing metal fan is very close to the radiator and I've had to bend the blades back to stop it catching the fins - maybe its a non standard rad.
Anyhoo the electric fan was a gift so I thought I would fit it.
At least it will work in traffic as the metal one doesn't seem to do a lot with the engine idling.

[bmcecosse]

It does enough! The radiator is well over specified !

[The vast minority]

Have you examined the gearbox check cable? It is designed to prevent the box and thus the engine from moving forwards under heavy braking or a shunt.

If everything is standard and the fan is fouling then something is wrong and it's possible your engine is sitting too far forward.

Check the cable hasn't rusted through or even melted as this isn't unknown.

best position for leccy fan is in its box in your garage as it is not needed.

Al

[kennatt]

Well everyone has the option to do whatever they want with their cars,but it allways puzzles me how many buy a classic and then want to convert it with modern tech,,when there's nothing wrong with what rolled off the floors at Cowley.Except for safety items,brakes, seat belts and indicators,I for one don't see the point in spending money on anything else

[The vast minority]

Well everyone has the option to do whatever they want with their cars,but it allways puzzles me how many buy a classic and then want to convert it with modern tech,,when there's nothing wrong with what rolled off the floors at Cowley.Except for safety items,brakes, seat belts and indicators,I for one don't see the point in spending money on anything else

Correct with exception of brakes, absolutely no need to upgrade those either. I can lock my brakes with the original servoless system running its original drums. A better upgrade would be wider tyres to help with safety in that respect.

Just sayin

Al

[MarkyB]

I intend to fit an electric fan when I get a round tuit.
There is no point having the fan going round and doubtless using some small amount of power when it's not needed.
Electronic ignition already fitted, points work well enough but need maintenance all too often.
Poly bushes too for similar reasons.

You don't have to update anything, it's up to the individual.

[bmcecosse]

Honestly - that little fan uses no noticeable power, not the slightest improvement in economy - nor does it reduce the noise one jot when removed..... As kennatt suggests - just keep it standard - no need to make changes for changes sake...

[Roni]

Different conditions now to what the car was born into.
In heavy, slow or stationary traffic I would regularly get high motor temps. That was with the std 2 blade and also a 4 blade fan. The road was unavoidable so the only answer, to keep the car from overheating , was an electric fan.
Just adapting the car for modern road and driving conditions.

[MarkyB]

Noticeable is the operative word, Why do all modern cars have electric fans, are they cheaper or simpler than fixed ones?
There have been lots of attempts to improve the way the fan works over the years, with good reason.

[twincamman]

Noticeable is the operative word, Why do all modern cars have electric fans, are they cheaper or simpler than fixed ones?
There have been lots of attempts to improve the way the fan works over the years, with good reason.

The vast majority of modern cars have transverse engines, so to use an engine-driven fan would require the rad to be mounted to the inner wing as in the classic Mini etc. An electric fan allows you to mount the rad behind the grill, where the cold air comes in.

[kennatt]

if you don't bother to fit a temp gauge(They didn't think they needed one from new),Then you don't know what the temps doing so nothing to worry about. Moderns with a guage ,without a stabiliser would scare the wits out of the driver the temp fluctuates all over the place depending on how its being driven ,they are designed to remain in the normal range so the driver has peace of mind.My daily driver is transverse,I have never heard the fan come on.
My other classic is a 2.8 V6 scimitar ,they all have problems with overheating,at times,several expiriments have been done by other owners with heat guns,the results show that with the gauges at ,say 90deg,the actual temp on the engine/rad is somtimes way over that, sometimes way under.so fitting a gauge and being transfixed by it tells you nothing about what the actual temp is on a sound system.
The engine on a moggie will not overheat if the system is standard and in good order,matters not whether running or in a line of traffic,they are greatly overcooled,you could easily take off the fan blades in the winter without any adverse effect.As previously stated,leave it as it is,I don't even see the great need for oil gauges,allthough others do. The only thing I want to watch is the speedo and mirror to avoid the cameras and traffic cops.

[Boomlander]

Hmmmm.....Food for thought, thanks guys.

[M25VAN]

You will have more room if your fan fits directly to the cores of the rad. I used to have a Nissan Sunny unit fitted complete with cowling but it was a bit tight. Now have a Kenlowe fitted to the core with much more room. Modern motorway driving, i.e. flying along and then sitting in a queue (slowly moving so unable to turn off engine) always caused me temp problems. I guess the electric fan shifts more air and gets on top of the cooling quicker.