On the car I got a while ago, there was an electric fan on the radiator when I got it. Now that its time for me to put the radiator in (no engine when I bought the car), I noticed that the fan is on the "wrong side" of the radiator. The motor of the fan is on the side facing the water pump, not facing the front of the car. So I just took the remaining piece of the centrifugal clutch fan off the water pump pulley to gain the extra room I needed, and bought some shorter bolts to re-secure the pulley to the pump. Of course, this still means that the fan is sucking air from the engine compartment to the outside, instead of pulling from the outside in. I know that there has been some debate about which is better, but I, myself, feel that pulling in is better, so my solution is to just run a toggle switch and reverse the (+) and (-) on it, so that the fan runs backwards instead of using the thermostat control that is currently on the radiator which I dont know how to wire in anyway.

So, my questions are:

1. Is it ok to mount the water pump pully with the shorter bolts like I did?

2. Is it ok to just keep the fan on this side of the rad and run it backwards with the toggle switch?

3. If the answer to number 2 is yes, then is it possible for me to use the A/C switch to run the fan instead of adding another switch since my car has the A/C removed, and the switch doesnt do anything anyway?

4. If the answer to number 3 is yes, then can anyone tell me where to find the wires and what-not that I would need to find to hook it up like that?

5. If the answer to number 2 is no, then what should I do?

Thanks for any help, and the car is an 83 GSL.

~T.J.

 

I think ppl mount fans how they want to but it's usually mounted on the engine side of the radiator and wired so that it PULLS the heat out of the radiator(blowing towards the engine). Yes u should still be able to use the temp sensor to contol it, just alternate the leads between + and - to determine which lead needs to be ground. If u can't seem to get it to work that way then a separate toggle switch would be u best bet.

 

Personally i would use a puller type fan, and install that on the Inside of the engine bay......You made that too confusing to read at this hour. You can buy, the wiring kits at most automotive stores. Good luck. P.S. I think that pusher type fans suck, and sometimes if you reverse the motor it won't last as long. Depends on wether it's a 3-phase motor or not.

 

Typically electric fans are mounted aft of the rad core and pull the air through because this leaves the surface of the rad relatively unobstructed. By mounting a pusher fan in front of the core you're blocking a circle of rad fins with a hot electric motor and, in theory, decreasing rad efficiency. I've only seen fans mounted in front of rads to overcome other packaging problems (no room behind, f'rinstance)

 

Ok, I want a puller, I have a pusher on the INSIDE pushing OUT. Can I just switch the wires so that it pulls instead of pushing? And I dont know how to wire the thermostat thing in anyway...No instructions. And even if I did, I dont know if I could wire it backwards through the thermostat because I seem to remember some kind of electrical component that only lets power flow one way (diodes?) so if I reverse the leads it may not work if it has those somewhere in that "box"...

~T.J.

PS - So your saying that the fan being on the engine side of the radiator is actually better anyway? I just need it to run the other way?

 

in reply to your p.s., yup.

 

Ok, now thats all taken care of...Does anyone know how Im supposed to wire in the dang thermostat thing? It looks like the fan kit VB sells...Also, if the thermostat thing doesnt work, then where are the wires for the A/C switch?

~T.J.

 

The thermostat this is a "probe" that goes in your radiator hose line is a piece of junk and will leak(VB).
There are others that slide between the fins of the radiator. Get those.

If you are referring to using the A/C switch as an ON/OFF switch for the fan, then good luck, you would need to re-wire it for that purpose, and let everyone else know how you did it. Some guys wire it to the cruise control on/off button with a relay.

If you are referring to for the fan to turn on when the A/C is on, then just need a wire from the A/C clutch (one wire) to the ON relay of your E-Fan. This way whenever the A/C clutch is on, the E-Fan will also be on. I do this with a second smaller e-fan just for the A/C condenser.

 

Fans are on the inside of the engine compartment pulling air through the radiator becuase when the car is moving forward, it would be damn near impossible for the fan to blow air out the engine compartment into the ram air created by the forward motion of the car. When the car is sitting still, it probably wouldn't matter where the fan is.

 

I'm actually using one of those "pieces of junk."

Just so you know, it works prefectly and doesn't leak one bit. Plus you'd think the thermo-switch would more accurately with the sensor directly in the coolant flow.

Thus concludes my 2 cents worth.

 

-lafz

How did you get it to work without leaking? A friend of mine did his without leaking after many tries.

What we did to solve the problem (probably not the best idea either) was:

We cut a small groove on the inside of the top rubber hose that goes to the engine. We used a linoleum engraving tool. This way the metal probe "wire" fit inside the groove and the seal was much better. We used two clamps as well.

Again, probably not the best idea since the strength of the hose is compromised, but at least it doesn't leak now.

 

Mine sits in the fins of the rad...And I have no A/C compressor anymore, so I cant just use the switch to make the fan go on/off? So I have to add a toggle?

~T.J.

 

Just use the thermostat. Set it and Forget it. Less wiring too.

 

Ok, for the last time, I DONT KNOW HOW TO WIRE THE THERMOSTAT. I dont have any instructions...Hence me asking for anyone that knows how to wire it . Thanks though . If anyone knows where I can find the wiring instructions or anything, please let me know . Thanks.

~T.J.

 

Damn, is putting a electic fan in this complicated?

 

Black Magic Fan wiring instructions (PDF FILE)

 

Thanks, DirectFreak, thats just what I needed! .

~T.J.