Fan Clutch Delete

[d4ngerz0ne]

Sup guys,

Is there anyone that has done the mechanical fan delete i.e. relying on the aux fan for primary cooling ? How does your car k-temp hold up with only the aux fan in our climate and traffic?

On a unrelated matter , I've already been amassing parts for a electric fan mod to replace the mechanical fan with pulse width modulation (pwm) , all thats short now is sourcing the cables and some other miscellaneous items.

For those that are interested, below are the links that have inspired me to ; also cause the mechanical fan annoys the shit outta me.

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2162682-Redshift-s-2003-540iTSC-6-M-sport-build-maintenance-mod-thread-(w-pics-amp-videos)/page15

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2115627-FMZIP-s-Fat-Daddio-Electric-Fan-DIY

http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/13182671-540-Electric-Fan-Install-with-PWM-controller

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2188634-Just-cool-it!-M62TU-cooling-system-gt-88-deg-thermostat-and-PWM-elec-fan-conversion

 

[valvetronix]

Last time when my fan clutch was shot, temperature easily creeps up to 100-105c mark when stuck in jam even with aux fan on. After I replaced with a new unit, temp stays at 98-99c most of the time. I dont think its a good idea to just run on aux fan here in Malaysia, unless you're using lower temp thermostat i.e 88c.

But I am interested in doing the electric fan conversion, my mech is doing some experiments on his car now. If it's a success then I'll follow through. Technically it's quite a straightforward process but my only concern is how is the setup going to hold up in our weather. I'm running on M52 so I would benefit from the lesser parasitic drag.

 

[nivekqueen]

i already done on my e39 520i pre-facelift.
by using volvo 940 fan.

1st remove the fan 1st,

old model expansion tank like e34.

incorrect 70c thermostat, previous owner dint use coolant.

exchange with 80c thermostat, cant get 88c, so no choice to use it 1st.

after that.............

no time to talk photo....just find a way to mount the fan on radiator.
and fix the e36 fan switch and do some wiring then settle.

e36 fan switch.

relay and 40A fuse.

low speed was 2500 cfm, enough.

I already went genting and test it.
result= wonderful, max temp until 103 only.
traffic jam around 91-93c
highway cruising around 89-91。

more details in my blog, but it was Chinese version, hope you can read it.
http://touhoufree.blogspot.my/2016/03/e39-volvo-940.html

any details you also can ask me.
if your is facelift, u can plug and play with e46 m43 electrical fan.

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

Last time when my fan clutch was shot, temperature easily creeps up to 100-105c mark when stuck in jam even with aux fan on. After I replaced with a new unit, temp stays at 98-99c most of the time. I dont think its a good idea to just run on aux fan here in Malaysia, unless you're using lower temp thermostat i.e 88c.

But I am interested in doing the electric fan conversion, my mech is doing some experiments on his car now. If it's a success then I'll follow through. Technically it's quite a straightforward process but my only concern is how is the setup going to hold up in our weather. I'm running on M52 so I would benefit from the lesser parasitic drag.

Did it ever pass the 105 mark? You're right though, would probably need the 88c thermostat to get away running just the aux fan comfortably.

I spoke to the mechanic i normally patron, and it seems that electric fan retrofit is fairly common. Since the m5 guys that run the zionsvilli kit only electric fan use 2070 cfm . (I think i've come across someone in texas that runs it without a problem). My train of thought is if a 2070cfm is sufficient for the v8 , it would be overkill for the I6 ; so i've sources a mishimoto fan that will push 2200cfm (just to be safe).

Hopefully i can get this done in the next 2 months, i only get to work on my little projects every other weekend

i already done on my e39 520i pre-facelift.
by using volvo 940 fan.

1st remove the fan 1st,

old model expansion tank like e34.

incorrect 70c thermostat, previous owner dint use coolant.

exchange with 80c thermostat, cant get 88c, so no choice to use it 1st.

after that.............

no time to talk photo....just find a way to mount the fan on radiator.
and fix the e36 fan switch and do some wiring then settle.

e36 fan switch.

relay and 40A fuse.

low speed was 2500 cfm, enough.

I already went genting and test it.
result= wonderful, max temp until 103 only.
traffic jam around 91-93c
highway cruising around 89-91。

more details in my blog, but it was Chinese version, hope you can read it.
http://touhoufree.blogspot.my/2016/03/e39-volvo-940.html

any details you also can ask me.
if your is facelift, u can plug and play with e46 m43 electrical fan.

nice retrofit, did you DIY ? Did you mount the fan directly to the radiator?

I thought the e46 electric fan+relay didn't work properly because it couldn't communicate with the dme?

 

[Mtigo]

any picture with 940 fan install in your car

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

A little update , I decided to get a new fan shroud (slightly more than 300rm) to go with this project since :

1. I don't know the age of the existing one in the car
2. Existing one is cracked
3. Help with fitting and cable planning/management.

Here's the fan I opted for. A Mishimoto 16" Heavy Duty Race Line electric fan pushing 2200 cfm . It has curved blades which are suppose to be quieter than straight blades , something which i like .

The local dealer/retailer WAS NOT at any one bit helpful at all, and i figured there would be a hefty markup as well, so decided to fuck it, and had the fan shipped from UK over Ebay and set me back just over 1k + taxes + shipping .

Fitting mock-up. Some of the additional tabs will have to be trimmed a bit , but either than that it fits as expected.

The fan will sit in a 18" cake pan (hopefully i can find one) ,which is then secured to the shroud.

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

So, update.

I manage to get my hands on a 18" kuih pan, about 4-5" deep for Rm30. It fits really snug, which is much welcomed. First order of business is to trim it down to about 2" deep.

After trimming about 3" off the top, it fits flush with the top fan shroud guard. That is pretty much the furthest you can go with your cake mount as this is also where the nearest side of the fan clutch to the water pump would be.

Then i proceeded to make an opening , about 15" in diameter for the fan opening after determining bolt positions for the fan. I had to grind the edges of the fan as it would fit properly inside the pan. No big deal though.

As i found out later in my build, my mishimoto doesn't seem as slim as what others have used. This was causing clearance issues between the water pump position and the fan. So in my quest to fit everything properly, i further trimmed the pan so that it will be more recessed into the fan shroud , and at the same time reverse the fan position to be towards the radiator ( remembering to change fan blade direction too)

Current fan-pan position is held with masking tape until i can find the time to do another mock up by removing the fan clutch.

While I had that sorted out, i used the excess material from the pan to make a plate mount for my PWM. Heres the cardboard draft.

First trial fit .

Voila, it fits nicely. Secured with M6 bolts + washer + loctite (final install)

I manage to test the fan by just hocking it up to the car battery and it is as VERY quiet at full speed. very pleased


Next up, wiring .

 

[moots]

i love this kind of local mod diy...keep us updated bro....

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

i love this kind of local mod diy...keep us updated bro....

thanks. Surprised more people don't do the electric fan retrofit. I really hate the clutch fan.

Trying to move as quickly as i can, but other things always seem to get in the way. Doesn't help its been a hassle getting what i need.

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

right, so i realised the connectors i bought were of the wrong size .

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

So the right connectors came last week.

Unfortunately, gonna take a hiatus from this project as I am planning to sell my e39.

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

More information will be added to this thread in due time. Uploading pictures is too much of a hassle !

New weatherpack connectors arrive. This time the correct size that can cater for 10 - 12 GA wire.

Didn't have a crimping tool so had to do with using pliers . Added solder as a precaution . Tested the connectors with a multimeter and worked fine. Gave it a good tug to make sure it was nice and secure.

The original connector on the Mishimoto fan, does not instill confidence. I had it switched to the Delphi connector . I realised at this point that the gauge of wire I went with might have been a little overkill.

Mock up of where I'd place the copper inline sensor .I think i went with the 1.25" diameter one.

Placing the inline copper hose adaptor meant splicing the lower radiator hose. Removing the radiator hose was a pain , but managed to remove it without breaking anything.

Temperature probe placed into the sensor . I wrapped the sensor with some teflon tape to prevent any potential leaks.

I trimmed the kuih pan so that it would fit more snugly/deeper into the fan shroud. Its just secured with 5 bolts , will probably add loctite later . I test the fan by hot-wiring to the car battery and it was very secure. It was at this point that i realised that I could change the depth/height of the fan by removing some spaces by the motor. Theres a trade off of course, as removing the spacer meant moving the fan further out from the shroud.

Out with the old. Old fan shroud was really caked up (probably from the power steering reservoir leak that i had earlier) and brittle. DO NOT REUSE OLD FAN SHROUD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE .

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

fan clutch was mounted on the left. this setup gives me about 4cm of clear space.Could be more with a slimmer fan.

Test fitting the shroud/e-fan setup. All the preplanning/initial mock ups paid off and didnt have to readjust the fan or kuih pan. Because the fan is sat recessed into the shroud, access to the belts and other hoses are definitely a lot easier .

NEXT UP : WIRING (didn't have enough time to finish it over the weekend)


p.s. sorry for the delay moots.

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

Can't say this is will be an update with a happy ending .

Everything wired up , Constant 12v, ignition on 12v were spot on. Good continuity in the circuit judging from the multimeter. Fan wouldn't turn on at operating temperature (read out from KTEMP) even after adjusting the activiation temperature (dial) .

Shorted out the temperature sensor pins as detailed in the instructions to ramp it to high RPM , success ! Fan came on , but at the expense of the controller ( a resistor on the board) has burnt out. fml.

Controller is rated for 50 amp , where as fan inrush current only maxes at 22.1 amps. Not sure what I could have done wrong, sigh.

I've emailed the guy that makes these controllers (has a 1 year warranty) and hopefully something can be done about it. The fact that i've been collecting parts and planning for the last 6 months and hitting this hurdle is really frustrating !

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

Controller has been repaired and now in transit from the states.There was a failure in the drive circuit but Manufacturer couldn't determine the source fault, but thinks it could have been an individual component failure.

Hats off to Darryl from AutocoolGuy that manufacture these PWM controllers for prompt response , great communication and quick turn-around on repairs.

 

[moots]

Controller has been repaired and now in transit from the states.There was a failure in the drive circuit but Manufacturer couldn't determine the source fault, but thinks it could have been an individual component failure.

Hats off to Darryl from AutocoolGuy that manufacture these PWM controllers for prompt response , great communication and quick turn-around on repairs.

Cool.Good aftersales from the Manufacturer.....plse do continue to update your progress ya....

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

My concluding entry for this thread ; though will properly add in details for people who want to pursue the electric fan mod .

I haven't installed the module (time being a thing) , so in the mean time it's running off some relays (meaning it's running all the time) .

First thing i've noticed is how much more free revving the m54 engine is now (like having its chains unshackled) , the fan clutch definitely bogs down the engine and sucks up all your low end torque. With that said, acceleration off the line is much quicker, and no longer sounds like a 747 at low RPM (when fan clutch fully engaged)

I'd imagine better fuel consumption too with the reduce parasitic draw on the engine , but given how it revvs now , probably not any time soon.

Key points : the choice of fan matters ! I barely am able to fill any additional vibration from how the fan is mounted even at full speed . Also because it's a curve blade design, it is also very quiet. I do think its also an upgrade over the stock mechanical fan as I can feel a better draw of air (by placing hand in front of the grills) at idle at a complete stop

 

[tckhor]

Dangerzone,
What temperature sensor did you use ? Provide the brand and model number if you can.
Did you finally set it up and how is the performance ?
Instead of putting in an additional sensor, can the existing one (at the lower radiator hose) be tapped and used to feed the Auto Cool PWM controller ?
Thanks.
T C Khor

 

[d4ngerz0ne]

Dangerzone,
What temperature sensor did you use ? Provide the brand and model number if you can. 1. Its a sensor from Autocool ,apparently the only thing that works with their controller.
Did you finally set it up and how is the performance ? 2. I left some feedback in the post above yours. Anything specific in mind?
Instead of putting in an additional sensor, can the existing one (at the lower radiator hose) be tapped and used to feed the Auto Cool PWM controller ? 3. Refer to 1. Though I imagine any temperature-sensitve resistor would work as the current increses (measured with amp meter) as the coolant temp increased.
T C Khor

The sensor is the probe next to the roll of masking tape.

Which then screws into the hose adapter

 

[tckhor]

I see. There is another type of sensor which is the "probe" type.
It is pushed into the radiator fins.
Wonder whether this type of sensor can be used. It will be convenient and does not involve cutting the lower radiator hose.