add on electric fan for BN6

[bighealeysource]

Hey all,
Has anyone had experience with installing an add on pusher
type electric fan on your Healey - think it would be the same
for all 6 cyl models ? Does it help with keeping the engine
cooler ? Installation tips ? I'm looking to install the one
Moss sells - Hayden 10 inch - and before I get into it thought
I would see what the gang thinks.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Cottontop]

I would see what the gang thinks.

Mike,

I don't know what the rest of the gang thinks, but I had a 16" pusher on my V8 car with a high efficiency core in my Healey radiator. It seemed to make the most difference cooling things down when the car was stopped and the engine was off.

I think that the best bang for your buck would be to start off with a
Texas Kooler, now also from Moss.

I switched to one and added a shroud. That made a significant inprovement.

I think that others will agree.

Tim

In the interest of transparency, the NTAHC does make a few dollars from each sale.

 

[Keoke]

MIKE
I think that the best bang for your buck would be to start off with a
Texas Kooler, now also from Moss.

What can happen here is the large pusher fan can block the incoming air to the radiator when at speed causing the engine to overheat.---Keoke--

 

[bighealeysource]

Thanks Tim and Keoke ! I got the fan with the Moss special 20% off sale
but wanted to see what everyone had to say before I actually installed it.
I have put on a Texas cooler fan and that has definitely helped. Plus reading
more on the subject, think my timing may not be spot on as that will make it
run hotter. kind of wondered about the fan blocking partially blocking
the radiator and how that might be another problem !
Thanks,
Mike

 

[Cottontop]

Mike,

Absolutely install the pusher fan and see what it does for you in your car. I'd suggest that you have or get a somewhat precise temprature measurer, such as an IR Gun. HF has several others for less $$.

Then you can see what actually makes an improvement and what doesn't.

Personally, I think that you'll get more temp. reduction by installing a shroud around the Texas Kooler than by adding the pusher. An engine fan should penetrate about 2/3 of its blade depth into the shroud.

Another thing that helped my cooling was to add a 2-3" tall air dam to the frame front crossmember (under the radiator). That helped a little by pushing some of the air that would normally pass under the car, up into the front face of the radiator.

To ME, cooling a Healey is as much about body and engine bay airflow as it is about radiators and fans. In MY opinion, that is that is why Healey added hood louvers and fender vents to their racers instead of installing bigger radiators.

Please let us know what you find out.

Tim

 

[johnea]

Mike,

A high efficiency fan and a shroud works best at idle and low speeds.
Travelling at highwayspeed the airspeed thrue the radiatior should be enough to keep the engine in the safe zone even without the fan.
In my opinion a pusher fan blocks too much of that incoming air.

 

[TimK]

Make sure your radiator is not dirty/blocked inside. The only way to be sure is to have the top and bottom tanks removed. All my overheating problems disappeared when I had my radiator re-cored. I installed British Car Specialists' 6 bladed fan and shroud before I realized the radiator core was blocked. The fan helped increase the time till it overheated, but couldn't overcome the fact that about 1/3rd of my radiator tubes were blocked with a clay-like substance.

 

[Frankenhealey]

Mike,

A high efficiency fan and a shroud works best at idle and low speeds.
Travelling at highwayspeed the airspeed thrue the radiatior should be enough to keep the engine in the safe zone even without the fan.
In my opinion a pusher fan blocks too much of that incoming air.

This was the case with my 383 Chevy Healey. Had a full radiator shroud built and then attached the electric puller fan. 4 years of cooooooling problems solved

Ian

 

[Cottontop]

Hi Ian....

I thought that I/we ran you off with the 36 pages of posts about getting fresh air into your footwells.

Are you coming over for Conclave. We're not gonna' make it after all.

Tim

 

[Frankenhealey]

Tim,

The British are NOT coming unfortunately. One car in a container is not cost-effective and I won't use a RoRo. Also I want to your roads but insurance is a nightmare. Charles offered to speak with Mr. Hagerty himself but the logistics have defeated me this time.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Michael Oritt]

Opinions certainly vary here, some feeling that the fans block more air than they supply but on my 100 (even with a new and larger radiator core) its overheating problems only occur when stuck in traffic and for this car the Hayden pusher fan is indispensible. My wife's 3000 can idle in traffic with no problems. I have plans to build a sheet metal shroud for my 100 which was on last winter's to do list--maybe I will get to it in a fewm months....

 

[HealeyPassion]

Well in my, possibly misguided, attempt to ensure I don't have any cooling problems with my efi Healey, I have gone to an aluminum radiator, 6 bladed flex fan (Kooler style), put on the BCS fan shroud, and added a pusher fan that is temp. controlled by a SPAL controler, and have the rally wing vents... oh yes and Sebring ducts to increase the air input. If I have overheating problems I don't know where I'll start looking :crazy:

Cheers,
Steve
https://stevesaustinhealey.com

 

[Cottontop]

If I have overheating problems I don't know where I'll start looking

Steve - I got a 15F drop when I removed the hood. - Tim


On another topic, One thing that I have observed (but have not tested) is that flex fans tend to become less efficient at higher RPMs.

At higher RPMs, centrifugal force tends to reduce the flex blade curvature. I would expect that at REALLY high RPMs, the flex fan blades would become a nearly solid disc and could actually impede air flow.

Take a look at the fan disc from the side as you blip the throttle and you'll see what I mean.

Tim

 

[Cottontop]

Maybe one of you guys can explain something to me.

Assuming it is running, how does an electric fan block more air when used as a PUSHER than when used as a PULLER ?

Or assuming that it is thermostat controlled and NOT running, how does an electric fan block more air when used as a PUSHER than when used as a PULLER ?

Tim

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

If I have overheating problems I don't know where I'll start looking

Steve - I got a 15F drop when I removed the hood. - Tim


On another topic, One thing that I have observed (but have not tested) is that flex fans tend to become less efficient at higher RPMs.

At higher RPMs, centrifugal force tends to reduce the flex blade curvature. I would expect that at REALLY high RPMs, the flex fan blades would become a nearly solid disc and could actually impede air flow.

Take a look at the fan disc from the side as you blip the throttle and you'll see what I mean.

Tim

How about using a "fan clutch" which works great at low speeds coming ON only when the engine temp warrants it and then goes OFF at speed or when the engine cools down. My V12 Jag XJS had this set-up.
Patrick

 

[Jerry]

I put a metal baffle that covers from the grill to the cross member just under the radiator. My assumption is that the air coming in the grill now has a better chance of going through the radiator. With the side baffles, the theory has worked so far. Running much cooler. Someone was talking about a wing behind the cross member to create drag/suction for air coming through the radiator.
Does anybody have pictures of that?

BN4
BJ8
Jerry

 

[Keoke]

Assuming it is running, how does an electric fan block more air when used as a PUSHER than when used as a PULLER.

Well let me try:
We use the term "block more air". when actually we mean efficiency. With the Pusher its typical installation limitations [ very close to the radiator ] cause it to be very inefficient. Consequently, it is Producing mostly turbulent air flow and there is also considerable leakage out of the gap.

ONTOH, the puller will be operating in a more linear air flow situation [ spacing between the fan and radiator better controlled ] an there fore is more efficient when sucking linear air through the radiator, as apposed to trying to push the same volume of turbulent air using the pusher.

I said I would try OK!!-----Keoke- :laugh:

 

[GregW]

Ain't no air gettin' past that area circled in blue. :wink:

 

[Keoke]

Ain't no air gettin' past that area circled in blue.

I can't do that but I-- ---------Keoke-

 

[GregW]

Any time I can help, my friend.