p38 viscous to electric fan???

[micky22]

hi guys
my diesel p38 has a duff viscous unit i no this because the fan cam be stopped with a rolled up news paper a tip i found on here. Now my air con dont work either so i want to use the electric fans for the air con to cool the engine instead of the huge viscous fan but i want to know if they would be good enough for what iwant them to do? and how would i set about wireing them up? please can someone piont me in the right direction.

 

[rasheed]

my tuppence says no. the aircon fans can be conscripted by the ECU / BECM to supplement the viscous fan on really hot days. don't think they're up to the job just on their own.

 

[dogsbody]

You either need a viscous fan or you could replace it with a Kenlowe electric unit. The aircon fans on they're own will not be enough. Don't take any chances with your cooling system or you're liable to be replacing the head before too long.

 

[Davie F]

Not sure if I hold with the rolled up newspaper trick, try spinning the fan when the motor is cold, it should not freewheel more than 5 turns, also block of the air flow from the grill so that its not pulling cold air in and when you get to tempature the fan should start to roar but keep an eye on your temp if you try this, I take it that your motor is running hot before you tried testing the fan !
Davie

 

[kds]

Took viscous fan and cowl off my diesel, wired the aircon fans through a stat, found they very seldom run even in traffic but my rad is fairly new

 

[mgmayo]

I have the same engine and am running without the viscous fan( in pursuit of max efficiency). There isn't any aircon so I rigged up a aircon single fan from a disco. I fitted a fan/temp switch i think 88deg, it only comes on with needle past second white strip. I am usually then pulling 3.5t water tank which I do regularly, on short journeys 2-3mls. With the hot weather I usually lower windows & put passenger side heat full on. Havn't had engine dying yet!

 

[Datatek]

hi guys
my diesel p38 has a duff viscous unit i no this because the fan cam be stopped with a rolled up news paper a tip i found on here. Now my air con dont work either so i want to use the electric fans for the air con to cool the engine instead of the huge viscous fan but i want to know if they would be good enough for what iwant them to do? and how would i set about wireing them up? please can someone piont me in the right direction.

the aircon fans are plenty powerful enough to replace the viscous fan even if the aircon is working. I can send you a simple mod to use them for cooling. PM me with an email address and I will send you a drawing

 

[Datatek]

Not sure if I hold with the rolled up newspaper trick, try spinning the fan when the motor is cold, it should not freewheel more than 5 turns, also block of the air flow from the grill so that its not pulling cold air in and when you get to tempature the fan should start to roar but keep an eye on your temp if you try this, I take it that your motor is running hot before you tried testing the fan !
Davie

It's supposed to spin when it's cold because you dont need it. It's when it spins when it's hot that you have a problem hence the rolled up newspaper test.

 

[Davie F]

Thats right, but there still should be a little drag that is why if you spin it, it should not free wheel more than 5 turns when cold, also the motor gets too hot that is when it locks up and you get that roaring sound, I changed mine last year and the only time I heard it was when my engine got hot due to loosing coolant when the relief pipe came off, other than that I never hear it and the temp stays rock steady. Another way to test is run the engine with the grill covered for 10 mins so that the fan is just sucking hot air and then switch the engine off, the fan should then not spin for more than 2 turns, obviously you need someone to switch off when you are watching the fan.
Cheers
Davie

 

[Datatek]

When the viscous coupling is totaly cold, it wont spin, it take a good 30 seconds to a minute before the silicone compound loosens up and the fans slows. In winter both mine roar on a cold start.

 

[kds]

Mine was still roaring away after a mile or two, having changed it once because it locked up solid I gave up on it. If your temp gauge only gets to second white strip mgmayo its hardly warm, mine sits just under 12 oclock with ton and half behind it.

 

[richrover]

the aircon fans are plenty powerful enough to replace the viscous fan even if the aircon is working. I can send you a simple mod to use them for cooling. PM me with an email address and I will send you a drawing

Hello Datatek,i am very interested in the drawing ,[email protected]

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

can ya not publish it in the FAQ section?

 

[Datatek]

Hello Datatek,i am very interested in the drawing ,[email protected]

Thats a funny looking email address The mod is not suitable for the V8 except as a backup to the viscous fan
PM me with a good email address.

 

[wammers]

Thats a funny looking email address The mod is not suitable for the V8 except as a backup to the viscous fan
PM me with a good email address.

V8 already has that facility. Aircon fans come on to assist cooling automatically.

 

[Datatek]

can ya not publish it in the FAQ section?

Perhaps because it doesn't come up as a question very often, usually only as a follow on from a viscous fan problem.
From the number of times people ask the same question about EAS it would seem that few ever look at the FAQ's

 

[Datatek]

V8 already has that facility. Aircon fans come on to assist cooling automatically.

But only in an overheat situation, with my mod you can select the temperature and so use them to prevent an overheat occuring in the first place

 

[The Mad Hat Man]

Perhaps because it doesn't come up as a question very often, usually only as a follow on from a viscous fan problem.
From the number of times people ask the same question about EAS it would seem that few ever look at the FAQ's

I take your point, but if stuff isnt posted there, we might as well not answer any Q's

 

[wammers]

But only in an overheat situation, with my mod you can select the temperature and so use them to prevent an overheat occuring in the first place

Ok Keith good point.

 

[richrover]

Thats a funny looking email address The mod is not suitable for the V8 except as a backup to the viscous fan
PM me with a good email address.

[email protected], in my case the viscous fan broke in pieces and in my area i have not found the part, i bought a universal fan but it is steel made, it is more heavy, do you think this will work or i am risking the water pump bearings because of the fan weight.