HEY GUYS
FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT, OR CONSIDERING A THERMO FAN CONVERSION FOR THERE RIG, I'LL SHEAD SOME LIGHT IN ON MY EXPIRIENCE.....
FIRST OF ALL, I OWN AN 80 SERIES LANDCRUISER 1FZ FE 1997, I HAVE 3 INCH LIFT, 33, AND A LOT OF WEIGHT!
SO PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT EVERY CAR AND EVERY SET UP IS DIFFERENT... THIS IS ONLY MY REPORTS.
FIRST OF ALL THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU TAKE YOUR 4X4? HOW SERIOUS DO YOU GO?
FOR ME, I DON'T GO THAT HARD IN MY RIG, I'M OVER MUD AND RATHER GO SEE PLACES OTHERS CAN'T.
NOW I LOOKED INTO AND DID A THERMO FAN CONVERSION, BECAUSE I WEIGHED UP THE PRO'S AND CONS FOR THE DRIVING I DID....
PROS..... TAKE OFF ENGINE LOAD THUS SAVING FUEL, BIT MORE HP, DEEP WATER CROSSINGS, NOISE, AND SHUT OFF ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN AIR FLOW IS MAX
CONS....... DON'T LIKE MUD, DRAWS MORE AMPS, COST TO SET UP.
NOW IM AN APPRENTICE AUTO ELECTRICAN, SO I GOT ALL BRAND NEW STUFF, WIRED IT MYSELF AND OVERALL SAVED MYSELF ALOT MORE COIN THEN MOST.
FIRST OF ALL, I DECIDED TO USE FORS AU FANS AS THEY HAVE A SHROUD, TWIN FANS AND HAVE BOLT HOLES, AN OEX VARIABLE THERMOSTATIC SWITCH, BOSH RELAYS AND OF COURSE THE OLD ARB/NARVA/CHEAP CHINEESE ROCKER SWITCH.
I WIRED IT UP WITH AN A/C BYPASS SO IF I HAVE THE SWITCH OFF AND USE MY AIR CON, THE FANS STILL WORK.... A MUST! AND I USED FOAM AND STIKAFLEX TO HELP COVER ANY OPEN AREAS AROUND THE SHROUD.
NOW AT FIRST MY SWITCH WAS TURNED REALLY LOW. I WAS VERY HAPPY, TURNED ON AND TURNED OFF WHEN NEEDED TO, KEPT MY CRUISER COOL = NO WORRIES.
IT TOOK ME ALL THROUGH THE HIGH COUNTRY ON 36 DEGREE DAYS, WORKING HARD = NO WORRRIES.
HOWEVER... I NOTICED THAT MY VOLT GAUGES WERE READING VERY LOW, I IMEDIATLY THOUGHT IT WAS MY ALTERNATOR AS ITS BEEN IN SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW AND NEVER BEEN REBUILT.
AFTER REBUILDING IT THERE WAS A SLIGHT IMPROVE BUT STILL NOT WHERE IT SHOULD BE.... SO I TOOK TOO IT WITH A SET OF CURRENT CLAPS AND SAW THAT THE FANS WERE DRAWING 35 AMPS.... I HAVE AN 80 AMP ALTERNATOR AND WITH WHAT THE CAR USES IM ALREADY GETTING CLOSE AND THE ALT WORKING ITS TITS OFF...
I SWITCHED ON ALL OF MY LIGHTS (52INCH LIGHTBAR, LIGHTFORCE SPOTS, AND SOME WORK LIGHTS) AND THEN BAM... I WAS ON 12.1V NOT GOOD AT ALL, I GO SHOOTING AND NEED MY LIGHT......
SECONDLY I WAS PLAYING WITH THE FANS WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY AT 110KMS. SEEING IF IT REMAINED COOL WITH THEM OFF..... IT DID FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, THEN INCRESED SLIGHTLY AND A LITTLE MORE..... AT THIS POINT WHEN I STOPPED I COULD HEAR MY COOLENT CLOSE TO BOILING POINT GURGLING AWAY, BUT MY GAUGE DIDNT SHOW IT WAS THAT HOT.... NOW I DID SOME REASRECH AND FOUND OUT THAT THE FACTORY GAUGE ISN'T VERY GOOD AND ONLY REALLY MOVES WHEN ITS AT EXTREMITIES......
SO I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, IM SUCKING MORE AMPS, CAUSING DRAG ON MY ALTERNATOR, AND THE FANS WONT COOL EFFECTIVLY WHEN OFF ON HIGHWAY.... SO THE FAN SWITCH PRETTY MUCH BECOMES IRRELAVENT AND HAS TO BE RUNNING MOST OF THE TIME...... SO I NO LONGER SAVE FUEL, MAYBE A LITTLE. BUT NOTHING NOTICABLE AND ENGINE LOAD THE SAME SITUATION.... THE ONLY PRO I REALLY HAVE IS BEING ABLE TO TURN OFF AT WATER CROSSINGS.
NOW THIS PRO, HAS STATRED TO BE OUT WEIGHED DUE TO ME CONSTANTLY WATCHING THE GAUGE AND CHECKING ON THE SYSTEM, SO I DECIDED TO REVERT BACK TO A BRAND NEW CLUTCH FAN AND WHEN I HAVE DEEP WATER CROSSINGS TO TIE IT BACK FROM MOVING.
IN SUMMARY....
THE FANS CAN KEEP THE RADIATOR AND ENGINE COOL, BUT ONLY WHEN RUNNING ALL THE TIME.... WHICH DEFETES THE PURPOSE OF A THERMO SWITCH TO TURN OFF WHEN COOL AND ON WHEN HOT, BECAUSE ITS ALWAYS HOT AND WILL ONLY SHUT OFF WHEN COOL AT IDLE.... SO CAN'T REALLY KEEP IT COLD UNDER LOAD.\\
ENGINE BAY WAS HOT, AS THERMO FANS PULL THE AIR THROUGH RADIATOR BUT STILL KEPT ENGINE COMPARTMENT HOT ALSO HEATING UP EVERYTHING ANYWAY
DRAWS TO MUCH AMPS WHEN ALL LIGHTS ARE ON TO THE POINT MY ALT WAS DOING NOTHING.
AND TO BE FAIR NOT RELIABLE ENOUGH TO KEEP ME HAPPY, AND OVER ALL JUST NOT WORTH DOING,
TO BE HONEST A THINK THERE WAS A SLIGHT FUEL SAVING, BUT NOTHING TO RIGHT HOME ABOUT.
IF YOU LIVED IN THE ALPS OR A PLACE THAT SNOWS/ REMAINS COLD ALL THE TIME... IT WOULD BE DEFINATLY WORTH DOING, SO ALL YOU UNITED KINGDOM BLOKES WITH LANDROVERS, THIS MOD WOULD BE RIGHT FOR YOU.
ANYWAY ILL STOP RAMBLING ON, HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE OUT THERE, AND IF ANY QUERIES OR DOUBTFUL POINTS, DONT HESITATE TO EMAIL ME ON nathan.ward12@hotmail.com
CHEERS