Electric Fan - Push or Pull

[moodyblue]

I'm going to fit an electric fan to my wedge and my preference is to fit it on the inside (pull). I think it would be better here because it is less exposed to the elements, creates less obstruction to natural airflow, helps to cool the engine bay, and allows for easier inspection / maintenance. I see many owners fit them in front of the radiator(push), is there a reason for this?
Thanks
Al

[Hasbeen]

The general consensus around here, in our hot tropical area, is that pull is much better than push. With a well shrouded fan, all the air it moves is coming through the radiator.

Do be careful to make sure the blades are on the fan the right way for your installation. The concave [cup] in the blade must be facing the way you wish to push the air. Just reversing the polarity is not good enough, if you need the thing to be efficient. If the blade is the other way round it is like a boat propeller going in reverse, & is only about 70% efficient.

Hasbeen

[moodyblue]

Excellent, thanks for the tip, I'll look out for that. Still waiting for summer where I live, some tropical heat would make a nice change.

[busheytrader]

S&S supplied a pusher fan with their V8 conversion kit many years ago. I've not had any issues with it mounted in front of the radiator, but then again the London area isn't as hot as Oz.

Adam

[UKPhilTR7]

I fitted mine on the inside of the bay. I too thought like you that it would not stop the airflow and that it would be protected. If you have aircon, I do not think you have the option to fit a push one.

It is true what Hasbben says, that you need to ensure that the blades are fitted correctly. If not, it will all have to come off again.

[moodyblue]

Plenty room inside the engine bay for it anyway, so it's going inside with the blades set to pull. I'll stick on a warning light and switch while I'm at it.

[saabfast]

I fitted mine in front of the rad as a pusher, mainly because the viscous coupling was starting to groan a little so I just took the fan blades off which did not leave room for a leccy fan. Also It looked a bit more 'original' with it hidden. Have never got around to removing the old coupling etc yet!
After fitting (typically) I did hear that, if you are fixing the fan with those serrated plastic prongs that go through the rad, it is a good idea to sleeve them with a bit of plastic straw for the core depth as the serrations can wear through the copper tubes with a bit of movement. Never got around to doing that either!

[moodyblue]

Another good tip, thanks, wouldn't want to damage my radiator. I'm going to bin the old pulley so I'll have plenty space.

[TonyS]

As there is room with most installations to have a fan either side of the radiator, is there any advantage/disadvantage in having two?

I think I am bordering on paranoia about the engine overheating and wondered if this is a possible belt & braces solution.

[saabfast]

Can't see that what is effectively two fans in series should be a problem, as long they are both pushing the air the same way. However, I would think that, particularly in the UK, and as long as the rad and stat are good, there should not be a problem with one fan. What you might need to watch with two is the power consumption. Rad fans tend to take quite a lot of power.

[mak]

In having two is there a risk of reducing the available air getting to the radiator.

[FI Spyder]

Never have a problem with just the stock fan and rad. However we don't have any 90F weather here (yet). Just 80's.

[john 215]

Hi,

Got a 17" pusher on the V8 and stock on the 4 cylinder. Would wire a manual override switch in whilst you are fitting this.

IF you go the twin fan route would work out how much current those bad boys will draw, you don't want a cool car with a flat battery, no use to anyone !

Cheers John

[Hasbeen]

The 8 had a new 16" fan fitted in the engine bay as part of an insurance claim. Same make same fitting as the old one, but with the blades cup pointing the wrong way. The car immediately started getting hot in slow running. It had always struggled in heavy traffic, but was now not usable in those conditions.

This was done by a Melbourne Oz highly respected sports car specialist organisation, who claimed the manufacture told them it did not matter which way the blades were.

When I looked I found the blades on the wrong way. When I reversed the blades, the cooling was still lousy, but back to what it had been, before the new fan was installed incorrectly.

It probably only matters if the cooling is marginal.

Hasbeen

[moodyblue]

Reminds me to ask a question about my next project which has a Sprint engine and will also have an electric fan. Should I fit an 88 or 82 thermostat?