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Fan Choices [& More]

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noutlaw

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Hello -

I'd like opinions on the various fans out there and which ones people like in "hot" weather... Colorado it's dry and hot in the summer - the biggest thing is I'd rather not install an electric cooling fan that mounts in front of radiator. My car runs great when it's doing 30 MPH or greater - but when driving in traffic, etc. it seems to start heating up quickly. I know this is typical behaviour but i'd like the car to be able to hold it's temp if it's sitting at a stop light for 3 mins - currently it seems to run up pretty quick (from 170 to 185 or so). My radiator has been completely rebuilt, flushed, etc.

Currently I have FLEX-A-LITE FAN installed. However I've seen posts that recommend the "Nock (sp?) fan". Moss also has "tropical fan" and the "5 blade plastic cooling fan"...

any inputs would be appreciated. I don't think the flex-a-lite fan is doing much for the car when in traffic...

Opinions on the available fans welcome!
 
Re: Fan Choices [& More]

Hi Noutlaw, the temperature ranges you quoted are quite acceptable for the Healey engine if they do not exceed your indicated values. A five bladed fan will run quieter than the more common six bladed fans. The best of the metal flex fans seems to be the one that Nock sells. The Moss six bladed yellow metal fan that looks like the old original Healey fan has a history of breaking and does not move sufficient air to improve cooling. Similarly, their metal SS flex fan is considered less efficient and is also of questionable quality. Additional improvement in the Healey cooling system requires fitting a larger radiator..--Fwiw---Keoke
 
You might want to check what temp thermostat you're using and also whether or not it's working as it should.
 
Hi Noutlaw,

I installed a five blade plastic fan from Denis Welsh which for me works fine. Check out the following site:

https://www.bighealey.co.uk/section.php?id=12

I decided not to use the metal ones as I've also heard from people that they tend to break up.

regards
 
Gents -

thanks for the information. Do you think that these fans pull more air through than the flex-o-lite fan?

My main concern is that when in stop and go traffic in summer (radiant heat, etc.) having the car overheat.


Any advise on whether or not to do the electric cooling fan? the one's moss sells are hooked to temp sensor - but i think i'd rather have manual switch (?).

Higgins - the fan listed there is the same pic as what's now listed on moss catalog (online).

The thermostat checks out and works fine.

I'm just being over protective... i've had the car boil over on me in the past, but since rebuild of radiator it hasn't happened. Colorado is so dry in the summer and hot - but i see a lot of texas guys with cars so somehow it has to be a manageable thing...

I've also read the specs on water wetter product which basically works when you are running 100% water in the system and raises boiling point - any comments?

p.s. my secret paranoia is that my wife wants to drive the car in the summer and well you know how attentive they are to temp readings, etc... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
I installed a fan that I purchased from the North Texas Healey club. It works like a charm. Have a 160 thermostat installed. The temp never goes above 175, even in the Florida summer.

Ray
 
noutlaw -

I live in Hong Kong which is routinely over 90 deg w/ 90% humidity. It is tropical here and healey's don't like the heat.

I have prepped my car for the extreme heat here and for the most part I have found that the six bladed fan that British Car Specialists (BCS) in Stockton,CA sells is the single best thing you can do to your healey to lower idle temps on a hot day. I also have a DW fan on my BJ8, but frankly it doesn't move nearly as much heat from the radiator, but it is much quiter than the fan from BCS.

Other things you should do:

1) completely and totally flush your system including the engine block

2) consider having your radiator re cored with a high efficiency core (I have an excell core in my BJ8)

3) use a 160 thermostat with a wide mouth. If you want a 180 thermostat, get the one made by Wahler - it has a very wide mouth which is better for coolant flow

4) Watter wetter should be used with 10% to 20% anti-freeze, but no more than that, otherwise it does no good to use the water wetter. My healey, in very hot Hong Kong, with only 10% anti-freeze and water wetter, never boils... it gets to ~ 195 deg at it's hottest then just hangs out there. Even when sitting at idle for a long time.
 
I've been following this topic. Which makes me think about my six blade tropical metal fan. Installed by PO and is new. Some say; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My friend Randy knows I sometimes veer off that path.

Please bring me up to speed about the possible problems with my fan. What should I look for, that may bring failure.
Roger
 
Can't help you as I do not know what a "Tropical Fan" is---Keoke-??
 
Moss Motors has a "six bladed" metal fan that they list as "tropical fan" - in their text it says this was a factory optional option (???)

MOSS Part # 834-880 - click on "cooling system" after the search...

this could be amazing - the all knowing Keoke - not knowing... it looks like a normal fan with 6 blades - and moss painted it yellow /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Rodger - if it works don't change it... there have been msgs. on the boards regarding fan blades breaking/cracking/etc. which could be a huge problem if you experience it. It seems there are several issues that people debate on: 1) airflow; 2) vibration/noise. Some say the metal fans are noiser than the fiberglass fans and vice versa...

I'm looking clearly for the best airflow when idiling/running low speeds to keep the best effeciency for the radiator w/o installing electric "front mounted" fan on the car. In colorado it gets very hot and it's very dry - largely due to the elevation (6000 ft).

I did order a parts catalog from Nock today and will look @ what they have - a couple of postings seem to recommend their fan as A#1. No one as mentioned/commented on Flex-o-lite fan.

Anyone - how hard is it to replace the fan - is it simply removal of radiator?
 
Moss has had problems with the 6 blade fans. They have been known to loose a blade after use. We replaced one on a customers BJ8 after about 6 months. The blade did not damage
the body work as the factory installed 4 blade fan did.
RJA
BN4 1957 Longbridge
 
OH! That be one that breaks and they had a recall on it some time ago it isn't any better now than it was then. Hows Zat---Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Re: Fan Choices [& More]

noutlaw said:
Moss Motors has a "six bladed" metal fan that they list as "tropical fan" - in their text it says this was a factory optional option (???)

MOSS Part # 834-880 - click on "cooling system" after the search...

this could be amazing - the all knowing Keoke - not knowing... it looks like a normal fan with 6 blades - and moss painted it yellow /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
Click to expand...


I thought I just told you that ["Tropical"] Painted Yellow Thing is the one that has a history of breaking??--Keoke- /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/confused.gif
 
Re: Fan Choices [& More]

About six years back I put a DW plastic fan on my 100 which was an improvement over the 6-blade which was an improvement over the four blade.

About two years ago I noticed that the tips of the blades on the DW fan had pulled forward from the plane of the fan's hub toward the radiator and did so even more as the engine revved. I removed the fan and measured about a 1/2" "dish" leading me to replace it with a Nock unit.

As with Alan I feel that this is the single most significant improvement that I have made to my car's cooling system--temperatures are reduced across the board by about 10 degrees and the car is much better able to deal with traffic, high ambient temperatures, etc. etc.

Some minor fitting with a grinder was necessary for the fan to clear the hub of the water pump pulley--no big deal.

My wife's 3000 is one of those cars that simply does not overheat.
 
Ray Smith said:
I installed a fan that I purchased from the North Texas Healey club. It works like a charm. Have a 160 thermostat installed. The temp never goes above 175, even in the Florida summer.

Ray
Click to expand...

Hi Ray, Yes that is a very good fan built by Hayden and also distributed as "The Texas Cooler" by the Texas club. However, that fan is no longer available from either source.--Fwiw-Keoke
 
I've got a Texas Cooler on our BJ8 and it works great. It looks very similar to the DW fan as well as the 5-blade fan that Moss is now offering. I also noticed that the NTAHC stopped offering the Texas Cooler around the same time Moss started offering the 5-blade fan for $80.00 more. Coincidence?

Drew
65BJ8
 
If you bought a healey repro tropical fan from Moss (i.e. a reproduction of the factory six bladed fan) I would highly recommend that you replace it with either a modern fan from BCS or the DW plastic fan.

The Moss repro fans have been known to crack at the rivets and toss a blade through the shroud. $$$$$ No thanks. Maintaining originality has its limits if you ask me, and risking a gaping hole in the shroud is one of them!
 
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