| Replacement Radiator Fan and Electric Cooling Fans |
From "Car Care & Repair"
episode CCR-109 |
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If you want to boost the power of your vehicle's cooling system, you may want to consider some after-market upgrades. A high-velocity radiator fan and auxiliary cooling fans can help keep your engine cooler even under more severe conditions. The high-velocity flex-fan delivers greater airflow, helps save fuel, extends the life of the water pump and belts and boosts engine horsepower. Electric cooling fans are thermostatically controlled and engage whenever the air conditioning is turned on or when a probe mounted to the radiator reaches a specified temperature. In this demonstration, we install both accessories on a 1989 Chevrolet C-1500. For better access, we removed the front grill before beginning this installation. Replacement and auxiliary fans such as these come with installation instructions and diagrams. Follow the instructions that come with your models since installations may vary according to style and vehicle. Since this project does involve some electrical wiring, it's also a good idea to check your vehicle's service manual for the location of the factory wiring you'll need to access. The basic steps for these installations, as presented in our demonstration, are outlined below. Safety Tip: Fan blades can be very sharp. For safety, wear gloves and a heavy long-sleeved shirt when removing and replacing fans. Materials: Replacement radiator-fan kit, including fan-spacer and installation hardware
Auxiliary electrical-fan kits, including wiring and installation hardware
Vehicle service manual
Socket wrench
Speed wrench (optional)
Gloves and protective clothing
Wire cutters Installing a Replacement Radiator-Fan - As with any project that involves the car's electrical system, begin by disconnecting the vehicle's negative battery cable for safety and to avoid damage.
- The plastic fan-shroud helps direct the airflow through the radiator and enhances its cooling ability. You'll need to remove the shroud to access the existing radiator fan.
- Remove the existing radiator-fan blade. The radiator fan is located at the front of the engine, behind the radiator, and is controlled by a thermal fan-clutch (figure A). We replaced the factory fan with a high-velocity model (figure B) that runs constantly when the engine is turned on, so the thermal clutch will not be used on this model. In addition to the replacement fan, we install two electric cooling fans (figure C) that mount onto the front of the radiator. These increase the amount of air flowing through and cooling the radiator.
- Remove the accessory belt that turns the fan (figure D). Since you'll be removing the belt, this will be a good time to replace it with a new one. With the belt off, remove the mounting bolts that hold the fan in place on the water pump and carefully lift out the old fan (figure E).
- Since the new fan is not a clutch type, a spacer will need to be installed so that the new fan is positioned properly. The spacer was included in the installation kit for our new fan. Position the spacer (figure F) and install it securely according to the manufacturer's instructions and diagrams.
- With the spacer securely mounted, install the new fan blade.
Installing Auxiliary Cooling Fans
A pair of thermostatically controlled cooling fans will help beef up your existing cooling system. These are particularly helpful for older vehicles if the cooling system is not operating as efficiently as it once did, or for vehicles driven in particularly hot climates. Electrical cooling fans (figure G) help further increase the airflow through the radiator to maximize cooling. The fans install in front of the AC condenser (figure H), since these also help the air conditioner operate with greater efficiency. Each fan is connected to sensors that install in the radiator fins and detect temperature changes in the radiator, as well as probes that install in the AC control to engage the fans whenever the AC is turned on. The thermostat engages the fan when radiator temperatures reach a certain level. This fan engages when the radiator reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The fans attach to the condenser by means of plastic fasteners (figure I). In our demonstration, in addition to removing the grill, we disconnected the radiator and moved it back for greater access. This may not be necessary for all installations. - Prepare the first fan for installation by attaching the plastic mounting clips (figure J).
- Install the vibration-damping pad to the back of the clip and thread the plastic fastener rod through the clip and pad.
- With the clips, pads and fastener rods in place on the fan, thread the ends of the plastic rods through the AC condenser and attach the plastic locks at the back of the condenser to hold the assembly in place.
- With the fans mounted on the condenser, install the thermostat-control box, wiring and sensors according to the manufacturer's instructions. The thermostat control is screwed to the sidewall of the engine compartment (figure K). Attach the ground wire to the metal surface of the engine compartment to ensure a good ground. To supply power to the fan unit, locate the power line from the air-conditioner harness and splice into it with a snap-on connector (figure L). Attach the radiator sensors and the fused line (figure M) to the vehicle's AC control according to the manufacturer's diagrams. We were able to feed the wiring harness from the fan unit through a grommet in the front firewall (figure N) and into the engine compartment.
- Repeat the process for the second fan unit.
- Reconnect the negative battery cable and test the new fans by turning on the air conditioning.
RESOURCES :
Auto Repair for Dummies
Author: Deanna Sclar
ISBN: 0764550896
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