Electric fan

[Liz]

please can anyone help?
With an A+ 1300 engine and a new radiator,
would it be advisable to fit an electric fan?
I don't want to get stuck in a traffic jam in the summer
and get my new engine boil over and be ruined.
If electric fan is the way forward, what type do you
recommend and where can I buy one?
All advice will be gratefully received.
Happy Easter to all.

[bmcecosse]

I wouldn't bother - just the normal two blade fan will be fine. Obviously - if stuck in a jam, switch off when not moving.

[charlie_morris_minor]

i can not recommend a fan from personal use as the last time i did it i took one from a metro.

things to be aware of, if you want to get a slim fan to fit between your radiator and front grill make sure it is a "push" fan as opposed to "suck\pull".

If you decide to fit it in the engine bay you will need the suck\pull version not a push fan.

whilst stationary it will make little \ no difference when you start to move the fan and air flow could balance themselves out and reduce the flow of air through the radiator.. the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve.

Along with the thermostat switch i fitted a "bypass" switch under the dash, that allowed me to turn the fan on when i got into a queue of traffic because like you i did not wish to boil the engine i had just spent a few hundred pounds rebuilding.

A quick look on ebay show that accuspark do slim fans them and they seem to have a good reputation so i would take a punt on that one.

[mowogg]

I fitted one a few years ago, with a manual over-ride switch and operation light. I took my car around Europe-3500 miles. it only run once on a climb in the swiss alps due to normal use. I used in in a couple of traffic jams

I would recommend this. Noticeably quieter once fitted, arguably more power, but more importantly if you put on the near side you can ensure there is plenty of air flow around fuel system to avoid any vaporisation within the fuel system

[bmcecosse]

I ran my Traveller for many years with NO fan, Absolutely no difference in noise or power.. I only ever fitted it when going in for MOT because they leave the engine ticking over for ages while doing the test. As I suggested earlier - if not moving just switch off - as many modern cars now do automatically.

[IslipMinor]

I have a thin 'push' Spal 9" fan fitted in front of the radiator (you can just see the label in the picture below) and have a thermo switch in a boss soldered into the top tank. Wired via a fuse to be 'permanently on', to cool the water when the engine is switched off and heat rises to the top of the radiator. The only times that the fan is on is in traffic and immediately after switch off.

When the car was first refurbished 18 years ago I fitted a secondhand electric fan, and it failed in 40°C weather in France on its first summer trip abroad. Put the original metal blade back on and the noise was horrendous, but it does rev much higher than standard.

Changed to the Spal when we got home and it has worked perfectly since then - I do carry a spare metal blade just in case!