Dual electric fans? Burning through thermostats? here's your answer.

[Tenchuu]

so i have tried shitty (hayden) to nice (SPAL) thermostats to control my Dual FAL pushers and all of them burn out (the SPAL lasted all winter though while the haydens worked for a couple of months) so after putting a little thought into it i found out a way to bypass all this bullshit about replacing your =fan controllers, and in the process not spend $200 for a FAL one (mainly cause i would be out a car for a few weeks while it came in)

so i went to the local parts house and found a shitty hayden temp sensor as shown:


after hooking it all up i run the output signal into two relays:


note 30/40A relays

and then i hook up a maxi fuse block (small fuses blocks were melting in 1/2 due to massive heat, i went through about 5 of those things since last fall too):


so basically i am just using the thermostat as an "on" signal for the relays that then pipe the power through 14 gauge wire to the fans and back out to the ground near the fuse box under the hood. i will let you guys know how it holds up, but i figure at worst i will end up replacing relays now instead of e-fan controllers.


anyone else do this? anyone else have problems with e-fan controllers melting down on them?

[Z U L8R]

yes and yes. all the load is on the relay instead of the contacts in the thermostatic fan control relay/switch. just make sure you use a 30 amp relay (to someone who may be unsure)



Dave

[jhec23]

My setup for my taurus efan is pretty much the same as yours. Try using 10gauge wires though because 14 is a little thin and will get hot everytime.

[Z U L8R]

^ another good point =]

Dave

[WWJD]

I'm using a painless them. sensor and swich (relay) using 4 gauge wire. best $60 bucks spent

[250sxdet]

I had the same problem with the fuses melting, so we ended up just hooking the fans up to acc. So basically, the fans are on all the time...it takes a while to warm up, but at least you dont have to worry about the fans giving out.

[Tenchuu]

Originally Posted by 250sxdet

I had the same problem with the fuses melting, so we ended up just hooking the fans up to acc. So basically, the fans are on all the time...it takes a while to warm up, but at least you dont have to worry about the fans giving out.

that will cut down the life of your fans being on all the time.


also-
I was debating going with larger wire but i figured that the relays come with 14 gauge on them, and was unsure if the the large wire would really improve the current flow since the smallest point in the circuit is the relay contacts.

[JeremyR]

i got the dif fan controller...works great!

[irax]

I just had alway used a switch to turn the fans on or off and just waited for the temp gauge to goto almost warm to turn it on.

and wouldn't you want the temp sensor to be on the outlet side of the radiator and not the inlet?

[aNskY]

i run a universal dual fan controller from my local parts store... works fine and it was like $50

[Tenchuu]

Originally Posted by irax

I just had alway used a switch to turn the fans on or off and just waited for the temp gauge to goto almost warm to turn it on.

and wouldn't you want the temp sensor to be on the outlet side of the radiator and not the inlet?

i just tossed it there so it was easy to get to mainly. and the bottom of the radiator usually runs quite a bit cooler than the top (when i was hitting it with the lazer yesterday) so i figured that i would put it in the fastest heating up part of the radiator, then i lazered the block and made it turn on when the block got to the temp i wanted (got close, then let it idle up till the desired heat was reached. ended up that the block was about 20 deg hotter than the top of the radiator.

and i got PMed about a wiring diagram, i can work one up here in a day or two, it was super easy, but i will do that and post it up.

[eek]

instead of a fuse holder you can also use circuit breaker so if the fuses are popping you don't have to go out and buy more, just flip the switch.

[Pacman]

Whats the temperature at which cooling should begine on these engines? I know that e-fans usually kick on at like 195 degrees F or something in that range. Whats good for the KA?

[brokeAs240sx]

Originally Posted by Pacman

Whats the temperature at which cooling should begine on these engines? I know that e-fans usually kick on at like 195 degrees F or something in that range. Whats good for the KA?

I have my primary fan kicking on @ 175 F or so. Works great - cooler weather & no traffic = fan doesn't turn on at all.

[Tenchuu]

Originally Posted by Pacman

Whats the temperature at which cooling should begine on these engines? I know that e-fans usually kick on at like 195 degrees F or something in that range. Whats good for the KA?

I'm running a RB25 so i can't help you on the KA.

[Z U L8R]

Rb25 Ftw!

Dave =]