Cooling Fan Recommendation

[culp]

Hello,

I'm just in the process of fixing the cooling on my 1970 Traveller. The radiator sprung a leak so I'm going to fit a new one and replace the hoses. It overheated on me once after a long drive and then getting stuck in a traffic jam so I thought a Kenlowe fan might be a good idea. Does any one have any recommendations? My favourite supplier ESM don't do them.

[Declan_Burns]

I would fit the new radiator and flush out the system and replace the hoses probably with NOS rubber or silicone. I wouldn't fit an external fan as the rad is oversized to say the least. That's just my opinion.

Regards
Declan

[philthehill]

I totally agree with Declan - the Minor in the main is way overcooled.
Get the cooling system in tip top condition and you will have no problems as regards overheating.
Two of the top selling items years ago as regards Minors and cooling were the fitment of radiator blinds operated by a chain in the passenger compartment; and radiator muffs that could be attached or removed according to temperature conditions.
Phil

[Roni]

I had to put an electric fan on mine as there were regular "traffic flow problems" where I lived then, and the engine driven fan at idle could not flow enough air to keep the water cool. (On one day, there was Morris Marina sitting on the side of the road in a cloud of steam as well.) The cooling system was in top condition. As long as there was some forward movement cooling was adequate. The electric fan seems to only need to operate when the car is stationary, otherwise the car cools well enough with no fan. I now live where traffic is light and it is rare to have the fan going at all.

[panky]

The only problem I have sitting in a queue (for a long time) is that the fuel pump starts chattering away as the fuel starts to vapourise in the fuel lines. The engine temp stays steady with no signs of over heating.

[SteveClem]

Never,ever, had an overheating problem with my Minors. Now the Landrover...that needed extra cooling at times.

[oliver90owner]

In 50 years of driving I. Have never had an overheating problem with a standard set up in good working order. Stuck thermostat, yes; fan speed reduced by 50%, yes; blocked radiator, yes; engine problem, yes; failed viscous fan, yes; electric fan switch failure, yes. Even seen fan blades fitted on the wrong way round. Sort out the underlying problem and all will be well.

[culp]

Thanks all for the advice

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

I would echo the comments but add that the fan can be removed for economy as long as you re-fit it in summer if needs be. The idle speed has a lot to do with overheating in traffic.

[IslipMinor]

Unless you plan to run without a mechanical fan all the time, there is no need for any supplementary electric ones. As above, make sure that the standard system is up to scratch.

We do not have a mechanical fan, as at high revs they are just too noisy (we do carry a spare in the boot!). We have a 9" Spal 'pusher' fan, fitted in front of the radiator (just visible in the signature picture), with a thermoswitch in the radiator header tank that cycles it on and off in traffic, and often when the engine is switched off to cool the system down a bit (the supply to the fan is a permanent fused 12v). The permanent supply is important, as without it the heat rise after switching off can cause overheating - it happened once after a track day session at Goodwood. I wondered what was going on, and found that one of the connections to the fan had broken, so no cooling after switching off.

The thermostat is an 82°C year-round, the thermoswitch range is around 90°C down to 75°C, and the normal 'on the move' running temperature never goes high enough to trip the fan in, and that includes many trips to southern Europe and temperatures up to almost 40°C.

As a note, the Spal fans are some of the slimmest and is mounted with a pin kit on to the front of the radiator. The whole assembly can be removed as normal, without having to remove the fan first - obviously has to be electrically disconnected!

[Big Jim]

Why are the electric fan sensors always at the top of the rad . I don't understand , surely the only temperature we are interested in is what is coming out of the rad ?
Jim

[philthehill]

As the coolant in a Minor engine circulates out through the top of the engine the place to put the sensor is either in or by the engine coolant top outlet or in the top of the radiator near to where the hot coolant enters the radiator.
Having the sensor at the bottom/outlet means that only warm coolant is measured by the sensor and then it may be to late as the engine overheats before the coolant at the bottom/outlet of the radiator becomes hot enough to activate the sensor.
The sensor should be as close as possible to the heat generator to be really effective.
Phil

[liammonty]

Why are the electric fan sensors always at the top of the rad . I don't understand , surely the only temperature we are interested in is what is coming out of the rad ?
Jim

The water at the top of the rad, where the water is entering it, is the temperature of the water in the cylinder head and should be the hottest. Surely you're interested in that temperature?!! The water exiting the rad simply needs to be cool enough to ensure the water the enters the radiator is at the correct temperature (i.e. somewhere below boiling point - which will vary depending on the pressure the system is running under and the amount of 'anti-freeze'). The water could be relatively cool coming out of the bottom of the radiator, but could still gain enough heat on its way around the engine for it to boil.

[RobThomas]

Measuring at the top of the rad is OK so long as you don't have a leak. Suddenly there will be no water coming into the rad and the gauge shows cold whilst the head heats up.

Best place is where Morris put it in the 1098, in my opinion (which is worth only what you paid for it!)

[philthehill]

Rob
If you have a leak - wherever the sensor is fitted the engine is going to be in some sort of trouble.

The sensor (temperature gauge transmitter) you mention fitted in the Minor 1098cc head is totally different to a sensor for operating a cooling fan.
The temperature gauge transmitter is able to give a variable reading whilst the cooling fan sensor just switches on the fan at a predetermined temperature and off again at another but lower predetermined temperature.
Phil

[IslipMinor]

Yes, the thermoswitch in the header tank is not always ideal, but there is no other place in a Minor that is better.

Earlier this year, on the first trip after the complete reassembly of the car after its respray, the heater core blew out after ~20 miles! Very obvious that I had a serious coolant leak (all over our nice new parcel shelf, carpets and overmats!), but nothing telling on the temperature gauge immediately (standard cylinder head capillary head position), nor did the fan come on. For both the water level was too low, and both need a 'liquid' environment to work in.

Not far from a garage with water, but the following day and ~100 miles later, the head gasket went between 3 & 4. The gasket was ~6,000 miles old, so was it connected?