Electric Fans?
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From: Casselberry, FL
Electric Fans?
Hey guys! what do you guys think about an electric fan in a 79' street driven RX-7? has anyone run into problems? is it worth it? and if so any recommendations? I heard on here I think that the 90' Taurus fan fits nicely. If anyone can help me I would really appreciate it. Thanks, Jason
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From: Gig Harbor, WA
I got one from Schucks (go online and print out the price, its usually 10-15 $ cheaper) I then removed the crappy *** clutch fan and shroud, hooked it up and away I went. I wish I would have gotten the adjustable thermo switch, but you get used to turning it on and off. One of these days I will wire it into my AC switch. There are threads out there about people using fans off of other cars, just do a search.
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Joined: Apr 2001
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From: indiana
lots of folks use the 'black magic' fan with good results. check summit racing. www.summitracing.com
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i'm using a taurus fan. it fits my rad perfectly... but the pre '83 rads are smaller me thinks. i'm not sure how well it would fit for you.
holy jeebis does it draw alot of air, and amps (25).
i toyed with the a/c switch and relay idea, but it only works when the hvac fan is on so i scrapped that idea. i just wired it so i can run the fan when the car is off so i can cool her down between races.
the only time i have to use the fan is sitting in traffic, so using a manual switch isn't much of a nusence for me.
holy jeebis does it draw alot of air, and amps (25).
i toyed with the a/c switch and relay idea, but it only works when the hvac fan is on so i scrapped that idea. i just wired it so i can run the fan when the car is off so i can cool her down between races.
the only time i have to use the fan is sitting in traffic, so using a manual switch isn't much of a nusence for me.
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
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From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
you want the biggest fan you can find (not just the biggest you can afford) and if you have the '79-82 setup with the large oil cooler under the radiator, make it so the fan overlaps the oil cooler a good amount.
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From: Monument Colorado
I custom made mine from a pontiac fiero, it fits my radiator and goes accross most of my oil cooler. This fan was designed for a car that has a V6 in the rear so cooling off a rotory WILL not be a problem!. Mine is also on a toggle switch but im also gonna wire it up to the a/c switch. When drag racing i just used it right before the burn out box and on the way back to the the pits. When autocrossing i had to leave it on all the time, but the motor was at 7000rpms most of the time.
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From: Gig Harbor, WA
minute hp gain, you figure without the drag of the clutch fan you would but the extra load to the alternator will take it back; however when driving I have my fan off completely and only use it when in traffic and things get heated up. My clutch fan was so bad it would send cyclic vibrations down the shaft and I could feel it in the seat. Have fun on your conversion.
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From: Casselberry, FL
Hey 81dragrx7colorado, I got a fan from a Fiero GT today from the junkyard and man does if fit the Rad like a glove! I am soo happy with it, I cant wait to hook up the electricals tomorrow. I looked at Taurus fans while I was out there, and I have to say the Fiero unit is superior. and for 30 bucks you cant go wrong! Only minor mods were required to mount it on my 79 Rad, and it actually looks factory! I will post pics tomorrow. Thanks again everyone! Jason
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
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From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
there is a bigger HP gain than you would think... a clutch fan pulls more CFM than an electric, so it needs more energy to turn.
Car Craft did a test on all sorts of different fans, from a stock (for the engine) non-clutch fan (450hp) all the way up to no fan at all (496hp). A clutch fan in working condition was 485hp, and with an electric fan on it was 494hp. so on that engine a clutch fan in WORKING condition sucked 11hp, an electric fan only sucked 2hp, and a non-clutch fan sucked 46hp. I think that engine only revved to about 6000rpm too.
My '80 had a clutch fan that wouldn't freewheel easily, it was stuck in "hot" mode. You could feel the difference like night and day just by loosening the belts so the belts would slip at high RPM. This sucked for belt life but at least the engine didn't have a ton of HP sucked away.
Basically if you're serious about performance you need an electric. Also if you remove the air pump an electric is almost mandatory to prevent slipping/breaking belts all the time.
Car Craft did a test on all sorts of different fans, from a stock (for the engine) non-clutch fan (450hp) all the way up to no fan at all (496hp). A clutch fan in working condition was 485hp, and with an electric fan on it was 494hp. so on that engine a clutch fan in WORKING condition sucked 11hp, an electric fan only sucked 2hp, and a non-clutch fan sucked 46hp. I think that engine only revved to about 6000rpm too.
My '80 had a clutch fan that wouldn't freewheel easily, it was stuck in "hot" mode. You could feel the difference like night and day just by loosening the belts so the belts would slip at high RPM. This sucked for belt life but at least the engine didn't have a ton of HP sucked away.
Basically if you're serious about performance you need an electric. Also if you remove the air pump an electric is almost mandatory to prevent slipping/breaking belts all the time.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Southeast Pa.
For any of you guys that need a fan control. There is a company called Centech here in Pa. They sell the neatest fan control. It wires to the fan and gets its signal from either the sending unit on the engine or to the back of your gauge in the dash. It has a control adjustment so you can set the temperture when it will kick the fan on. I have installed a couple of them on street rods and they work very well. I have not put one on a Rx7 but I am sure they will work just as well. I can't remember the cost but if you contact them they are very helpful and nice.Info # 610-754-0740, or www.centechwire.com. They also sell wiring kits for many applications.
