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Electric Rad Fan Fitting


Iain T

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Adrian, choose a decent spec steel and there will be no problem. The original looks to be machined from bar not cast and machined. Given its round shape it's an easy production machining job. 

Peter, my main concern is clearance. What I don't know is how much the engine moves forward under heavy braking. I would have thought only 3mm or so. Does anyone know? 

DPD man arrives around 10am today! 

Iain 

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Adrian, over the production life of our cars many parts would have been changed not only in design but manufacturing techniques. To me due to it's regular shape it looks an odd part to be cast but then sometimes multiple or even different parts are cast together. 

I imagine where you are the temperature gets pretty toasty in the summer hence the interest! 

Iain 

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9 hours ago, ahebron said:

While I generally agree with this philosophy it is only a round piece of steel with a counter bore on the back, a threaded hole right through and four smaller holes to bolt the fan to. Nothing an decent engineering shop couldn't knock up in an hour or so. Whether the fact it is casting versus machining makes a difference I don't know.

Adrian

Whilst I'm more fortunate than most, having married into an engineering family, I'm always conscious that there are many of us who can't just sidle up to the in-law's door with a packet of chocolate biscuits in one hand and a piece of Triumph hidden behind the back in the other hand... :)

Relatively easy to knock up on a good lathe, including if required lightened or thinner versions, but you have to know the man with the lathe first...

 

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1 minute ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Whilst I'm more fortunate than most, having married into an engineering family, I'm always conscious that there are many of us who can't just sidle up to the in-law's door with a packet of chocolate biscuits in one hand and a piece of Triumph hidden behind the back in the other hand... :)

Relatively easy to knock up on a good lathe, including if required lightened or thinner versions, but you have to know the man with the lathe first...

 

What do you mean, doesn't every Triumph owner has a lathe🤫

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25 minutes ago, Iain T said:

Adrian, over the production life of our cars many parts would have been changed not only in design but manufacturing techniques. To me due to it's regular shape it looks an odd part to be cast but then sometimes multiple or even different parts are cast together. 

I imagine where you are the temperature gets pretty toasty in the summer hence the interest! 

Iain 

Not Wellington my friend. Temperate Marine is what they call it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellington#Climate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Strait

Fellow Triumph owners on the West Island are a lot warmer and get so toasty that it burns.

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Isn't a 1/2in chuck on a drill OK!!

Like Colin I have access to a large engineering workshop (neighbors) BUT I have to wait their convenience, but the finished job is better than any Triumph quality. Reminds me I have a couple of jobs I want done, Merv are you there! no that's not Kimba's shit on your lawn!

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What do you mean garage.....I don't even have one of those! Try working in a multi storey car park! 

However I am fortunate in so far as I've been in engineering all my life and still know a lot of people who can 'help'. 

Iain 

Adrian 

I just guggled where you are, what a lovely part of the world. Before I was born my parents were going to emigrate to NZ, they never said why they changed their minds. 

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29 minutes ago, Iain T said:

What do you mean garage.....I don't even have one of those! Try working in a multi storey car park! 

However I am fortunate in so far as I've been in engineering all my life and still know a lot of people who can 'help'. 

Iain 

Adrian 

I just guggled where you are, what a lovely part of the world. Before I was born my parents were going to emigrate to NZ, they never said why they changed their minds. 

I started life in Pennywell Sunderland but my parents emigrated in the late 60s having been here before.
I think they made right decision.

I am fortune to live on the east side of Wellington harbour in a village called Eastbourne.

Adrian

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OK delivery out the way and the fans arrived. 

I can fathom out where all the wires go apart from yellow ignition. Does this mean I connect to the ignition switched live which I think is green? 

Johny, I chickened out and bought a Davies Craig! 

Iain 

15979285566404088289290549268459.jpg

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Thatll do nicely! I take it the yellow ignition wire powers the electronics which will power down when the ignition is turned off and the green is for an optional manual overide switch. The red one will be the main fan power supply but must be suitably fused as near as possible to the battery....

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It has 40amp rating so I might be able to make a hover car! 

So I just need to find a switched live to connect the yellow to and buy a suitably rated override switch (Halfords sell a 17amp switch with a red light) and connect to the green. 

There is an inline fuse in both the blue and orange wires but you suggest a fuse from the battery to the red? I have a second fuse box from the battery for a tripmaster and map light so I could use one of the free slots. 

Now to see if the fan actually fits...... 

Iain 

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Good news it fits, just!

This fan is a 11" not sure if a 12" would fit without mods. 

The fan rim is about 10mm from the water pump and the crank bolt head is 4-5mm from the spider web fan casing. I could take a little off the casing and 1-2mm off the bolt head which would give 8-10mm clearance without mucking about with the fan spacer. 

I'll take some pics tomorrow, I have to go to Halfords for the electrical bits. 

Iain 

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I think it's enough clearance and I may be able to squeeze another few mill by altering the rad angle. I hope there aren't any large movements, at least not with me in the car....

I'm happy it fits, I just need to do the wiring, my nemesis!

Iain

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2 minutes ago, Iain T said:

I just need to do the wiring, my nemesis!

Hello Iain,

Good to hear progress is being made.

I've not looked at your wiring diagram in detail, but thought the attached pdf might provide some reassurance.

I use it for my installations - ignore the earth symbol on the switched live feed as that was placed in error.

It may assist, if applicable to your requirements.

Regards.

Richard.

Electric Fan Conversion Diagram.pdf

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2 hours ago, Iain T said:

It has 40amp rating so I might be able to make a hover car! 

So I just need to find a switched live to connect the yellow to and buy a suitably rated override switch (Halfords sell a 17amp switch with a red light) and connect to the green. 

There is an inline fuse in both the blue and orange wires but you suggest a fuse from the battery to the red? I have a second fuse box from the battery for a tripmaster and map light so I could use one of the free slots. 

Now to see if the fan actually fits...... 

Iain 

Dont think youll need a beefy manual switch as this just operates the electronics like the temperature sensor and its the relay that switches the power to the fan. All live wires must be backed by a fuse of at least a rating lower than that of the wire itself so that in the event of a chafed wire shorting to earth the risk of fire is reduced...

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No problem.

Originally I wired my fans so that they cut out when the ignition was switched off. That has changed and they carry on running until they have done their cooling requirement with the engine switched off.

As to wires, I use Thinwall cable.

Regards.

Richard.

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I'm going to put the controller on the horizontal tray surface next to the battery. The area on the outside of the battery is a perfect size for the controller. Another advantage is it should be a relatively dry area. 

In fixing it there it seems easier to connect to a fused live from the battery and the manual override switch. I have a Brise alternator with a type 1 terminal so I don't have a B+ terminal? Forgive my ignorance! The ignition switched live enables power to the fan and by turning the ignition off stops all supply? The manual override does exactly that so I can leave the fan on after stopping, being mindful to turn it off! 

The only cable I then need to run is from the controller to the fan as this is too short as supplied. The probe has a 1m cable so it reaches from the battery tray to the radiator. Plus of course the various earths. 

Johny as you say the manual switch does not need to be heavy duty, presumably it just operates an internal switch in the thingamajig little black boxes! The real oomph comes from the battery to the fan and those cables are much thicker than the others. 

Having said all that it is a relatively low capacity fan and doesn't require much power. 

Iain 

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52 minutes ago, Iain T said:

The ignition switched live enables power to the fan and by turning the ignition off stops all supply? The manual override does exactly that so I can leave the fan on after stopping, being mindful to turn it off! 

Hello Ian,

By the fan being independent of the ignition on / off, you do not have to wait around for fan to do it's cooling - it will switch itself off when it has done what needs to be done. The other advantage of the fan self controlling is that it continues to move air around the engine bay giving at least some chance of cooling of that area.. 

As far as I am aware the majority of moderns employ this option.

The amount of power taken from a well charged battery with the fan self regulating is minimal and I have not had any issues using this set-up.

It's just an option - but a viable one.

Regards.

Richard.

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So wiring it up as your diagram, which seems the same as Davies Craig with the temperature over the minimum limit I should be able to flip the manual switch to on, turn the ignition off and the fan will remain on until below the minimum temperature? 

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