blackdragonsocal

The fan is from an '88 Fiero and I bought the adjustable thermostat from Autozone. Install took an hour and a half and we were winging it the whole time so I think we did pretty good. Currently it's wired directly to the battery, but that will change when I move the battery to one of the bins. I'm still trying to get the thermostat adjusted right, but the fan keeps the car plenty cool when it comes on. In the picture below you can see the fan held in place with my custom mounting brackets (big zip ties) and the thermostat adjuster under my right hand. The thermosensor is mounted between my radiator and the fan shrouding.
-John

wpgrexx

how much was the thermostat thing for the fan? how many cfm is it?

blackdragonsocal

The thermostat was $18 and it's all you need to control the fan. Not sure on the CFM.....with the stock fan my stock gauge (don't worry, aftermarket is on the way) stayed rock solid at 1/4. Now with this fan in, the gauge gets up to just under 1/2 and the fan kicks on and it'll get it back down to 1/4 in a couple of minutes at idle. The fan works just as good as those $100+ fans IMHO and as you can see the shroud fits almost perfectly. Not bad for $20.

blu_gxl

just make sure you wire it to a switch so that it doesn't run after your car is turned off i was having a problem with dead batteries with it the way you have it 3 in less than a month. the first battery lasted for a good 2-3 months b4 it craped out though

NZConvertible

Wire the fan direct to the battery via a relay and fuse, and switch the relay with the thermoswitch, which is powerd by a switched ignition source. That way it'll only run with the ignition on.

RX-7Impreza

NZ

that was greek to me!!!!

Justuin

87GTR

iTrader: (61)

NZ is right... thats the best way to use a relay

deadRX7Conv

14 year old fan-- I guess that it is OK if your car is 15 years old. They don't last forever. Buy 2 and keep a spare. I replaced many roasted fans and they fail when you need it the most.

The Fiero V6 had ~140hp. Because of the mounting location, the fan had to make up for airflow issues in the trunk (?). So, it has enough CFM for the rotary. Just make sure you get one off of a V6 with A/C. There were different fans for w/wo A/C..... I just don't care to put a $20 fan on an engine that cost $2500 for a quality rebuild.

Second, for anyone with the dead battery issue, don't shut off the car while it is hot. It only takes a couple of minutes to cool down(if not, buy a better fan). If you hear the fan, just wait at idle and shut the car off when the fan switches off. If you're not capable of doing this, then you bought the wrong car.
If the fan is capable of killing the battery after running only a couple of minutes, get a real battery(SearsGold/InterstateMega/Optima....). Plus, new quality batteries have excellent warranties.
If you are a busy person(hurried/no patience), then it would be best NOT to wire the fan to the ignition switch. There is tremendous amount of heat soak when shutting off the engine hot. Having the fan run for a couple of minutes will provide needed cooling. Plus, this will help prevent coolant temp spiking/boiling; especially if you shut off the car 'right before' the fan thermoswitch kicked in.

Also, thermoswitches fail. Wire in an override switch. And, you can also wire in a small 12v lamp(radioshack special) that can illuminate when the fan is on. It can be mounted just about anywhere in the car. It can also be installed in some of the aftermarket temp gauges. When the light is lit, you know the fan is working. If the temperature is still rising, then you know that the fan quit.

The autoparts stores sell the electric fan wiring/mounting kits. If there is any movement in the fan, the plastic WILL cut through the radiator and cause a leak. Make sure that it is mounted firmly and that you use some foam tape around any questionable edges.

Used fan + thermoswitch + zip ties + wire + relays + knowhow(directions) + quality/warranty/CFM(newfan vs old) + fuse +....= is why I always recommend a NEW fan which usually comes with everything.

The E-fan is NOT one of the places to cut corners. With the number of RX's with headers/exhausts/intakes/rims/tire/shocks/springs/bodywork/mods......., why be cheap when it comes to cooling???

NZConvertible

Like this (the A/C wire is optional):

blu_gxl

deadrx7conv, this is why i had the switch it self for a while but, if you think about it the stock fan isn't on when the car is not on you don't have to let the car idle down (with exeption to turbo) you just shut it off you should not have to do anything different with the e-fan it should not have to run after the car is off or let the car idle down unless you have done some hard driving.

J-Rat

iTrader: (2)

The reason for the relay is a good idea (basically, its necessary) is that you dont want all that amperage going to any switches you may put into the wiring equation. If that fan is pulling anywhere close to 1500-2000 CFM its going to draw 15-20 amps. Thats fairly signifigant. Please tell me you used a fuse!

I am running a 3-fan setup, with a 16 inch fan inside the bay and 2 8 inch ones mounted to the A/C condensor. Total CFM is in the neighborhood of 3000. My amperage draw is a little high, I already melted a 25 AMP relay. But the 30 amp one I have now is holding. Plus you dont have to run them all the time, only in traffic.

Rat

deadRX7Conv

Yeah, but don't forget that the mech fan runs all the time and passively cools the inner fenders/hood/hoses/belts/exhaust/electric omp/.....these components act like heat sinks when you shut off the engine.
Heat soak is an issue with an electric fan--rarely with a mech fan because of constant airflow. Driving hard/traffic/short trips....will compound the problems.
Most people don't have common sense. They will make the mistake of shutting off a hot engine-turbo or not(i.e run into the 711 for a slurpee/biggulb and wonder why the gauge climbed to 3/4 after engine restarting (if it starts-vapor lock).
The excess heat will cause issues and component degradation.
Yes, when converting from a mech to electrical fan, you DO need to do things differently. That is the difference between quality and hack work.
Fuel lines need to be insulated and/or rerouted to prevent vapour lock/hard hot starts. Hoods need to have heat protection as do other mechanical/electrical components. Components need higher quality materials. New cars are engineered for either mechanical or electrical fans. There is a big difference.
Wiring the fan for operation whether the key is on or not will provide that minute or two of airflow to prevent problems and is a bandaid for the aboved mentioned issues.

If running the fan for a few minutes after shutdown is good enough for the FD3S, then it is good enough for me. Plus, I always skip the ignition switch. It simplifies the wiring and prevents additional wear on cheap/ancient automotive electrical systems.

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/fan_mod.html
http://rx7.voodoobox.net/howto/fanswitch/fanswitch.html

rx7_ragtop

I have mine set up to run based on temp, doesn't matter if the ignition is on or off. No battery problems here.

Brad

blackdragonsocal

Yeah I already hooked up an LED on the dash so I can "see" when it's on and I think I'll leave it wired the way it is. I like that it stays on for a little while after I shut off the car.....I think the battery will be fine.