Spal relay wiring question

[Koizumi]

Quick question:

Where is a good place to connect the ON and ON WHILE RUNNING wire from the Spal fan relay?

I should mention that my car in an ‘84 and it doesn’t have the Carrera Cooler and associated wiring/relay, etc.

I figured out that Luggage Panel #1, Fuse 7 (25A) has power when key is turned to ON and also to RUNNING. It fuses the Fresh Air Blower, Rear Defog Relay, and Rear Wiper (which I don’t have).

Is this a safe or recommended spot?

My Spal fan is for my oil cooler. And there is no thermostat trigger. I’m wiring a simple dash on/off switch.

[HaroldMHedge]

My 87 uses fuse #1 (far left when facing the fuse panels). This has the power windows, seat heating and sunroof (oil cooler fan on separate page) listed as loads according to the Bentley manual. Bentley's 84 fuse #1 has power windows and sunroof listed so I would recommend fuse #1 on panel #3.

[Koizumi]

Originally Posted by HaroldMHedge

My 87 uses fuse #1 (far left when facing the fuse panels). This has the power windows, seat heating and sunroof (oil cooler fan on separate page) listed as loads according to the Bentley manual. Bentley's 84 fuse #1 has power windows and sunroof listed so I would recommend fuse #1 on panel #3.

Awesome! Much appreciated, cheers

[SCforme]

Your 84 should have a tube type cooler rather than a trombone or radiator style, correct? Or have you converted to a radiator style? I also have an 84 and I've been wondering if an auxiliary fan would work with the tube type oil cooler. Any one have experience with this setup?

[GH85Carrera]

The 84 is a Carrera, and they came with the radiator style cooler, just no fan. My 85 is the same way. I just wired in a fan to a toggle switch. When the temps get to 210, the switch is flipped on, even on the highway. The common wisdom is at speed on the highway the fan is not needed. Since I drive on long road trips I tested that. It was a 100+ degree day and if I turned off the fan the temps would climb up higher. Turn on the fan, they would slowly drop to 215 to 220. I have an oil temp gauge that has numbers. The fan would help keep the oil temps down, with no doubt. I tested that twice.

With the fan off, it was 230 with the fan on, 210-215. It would take 45 to 60 minutes or more to see the swing in temps while driving at 75 MPH or so.

[SCforme]

Actually the 84 Carrera has the multi-tube (not trombone) style cooler. I have an 84 Carrera with this stock cooler. I believe this was a one-year only solution with the radiator style being introduced in 85. Still would love to know if anyone has run a fan with this type of cooler and the results.

[Koizumi]

Yes my 84 Carrera has the multi-tube radiator brass cooler (NOT the trombone). It does work quite well; however, summertime in horrid LA traffic with the AC on can bring temps close to 250 boiling point. Despite being a heat radiating tube cooler, I figured I’d try out a cooling fan attached to it. I mean, why not, it certainly can’t detract from the cooler doing its job. So yes this is somewhat of an experiment to see how effective a fan setup would be for those with the less common 28 tube brass coolers.

I also have the numbers temp gauge. I added a matching orange sliver at 250 to help monitor the danger zone at a quick glance.

The Spal 6.5” thin push (pull will not fit due to tire in the way) is fan attached via steel zip ties and 2 brackets. Lots of room in front of the cooler for a fan after swapping out my dead horns for the awesomely loud AF small round PIAAs.

I’ll share real-world results after I complete the install. Just waiting for a rear wiper switch to arrive to complete the project. I do hope it helps keep things cooler.

[SCforme]

Koizumi, yes, please keep us updated. Would like to try this if it works. What fan will you be using and will you you mount it behind or in front of the cooler? Thanks, Ron

[Koizumi]

Originally Posted by SCforme

Koizumi, yes, please keep us updated. Would like to try this if it works. What fan will you be using and will you you mount it behind or in front of the cooler? Thanks, Ron

I used Spal 30100403 which fits nicely. It’s straight bladed, so it is much more effective that the curved dispersal from center type blades.

It’s also a push style fan and is mounted to the front of the cooler using nifty steel heatproof zip ties via 2 brackets that come with the fan. I tried to find a pull fan that would fit but there isn’t enough room (even for a super thin fan) to fit the tube cooler from behind. The tire gets in the way when turned inwards. Outwards turn is notably fine, but in the end, there’s nothing out there that would fit mounted from behind.

[SCforme]

Koizumi, thanks so much for the info. Let me me how it works. Ron

[Koizumi]

Not much to update yet; however, I added my own nomenclature graphics to the OEM rear wiper switch & it looks great because it looks stock.

Pic is just to check fitment. I have yet to finish up the wiring.



I used an old 60s Dymo label maker and tape to create the label.

[dicklague]

"PUSH" or "PULL"?

Fans are DC motors, just reverse the wires to change direction.

[Koizumi]

I’m using a super thin push Spal on the 28 row heatsink brass cooler. There’s not enough room with the tire for a pull fan.

It’s an experiment to see if I can get the temps to drop with a fan on the unique ‘84 brass cooler

[911pcars]

No need to experiment. Air flow helps, but realize a tube and fin cooler is more efficient at shedding heat.

S

[Koizumi]

My goal is to reduce temps in stop & go LA summer traffic where there are no air flow opportunities.

I’ll share results soon

[Steve Marshall]

I just added a fan on my 86. I connected it to the condenser blower so it comes on when I turn on the AC. I figure if it's not hot enough to run the AC I don't need the fan on.

[Koizumi]

Ok, real-world tangible observations post-install:

Los Angeles traffic blows.

Stop & go in the summertime with the heat averaging btwn 80s/90s Fahrenheit.

AC on max blast, engine temperature hits 210F fast, and in stop & go traffic, it quickly soars above 210F.

Turn on the oil cooler fan on the 28-row tube cooler - and temps drop! Yes we know that the tube cooler works differently than a finned cooler. But yes I can tell you from real experience that adding a fan to the tube cooler makes a difference when the car isn’t moving much or at all.

Ok! For those that wanted to know, now know!

[RSTarga]

How much of a drop?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by SCforme

Actually the 84 Carrera has the multi-tube (not trombone) style cooler. I have an 84 Carrera with this stock cooler. I believe this was a one-year only solution with the radiator style being introduced in 85. Still would love to know if anyone has run a fan with this type of cooler and the results.

Even us old timers learn stuff all the time. I always thought the Carrera was the default start of the radiator type oil cooler. So it was 85 that it started and it still did not have the fan.

My fan is wired to the windows fuse. The windows will still roll and and down after the key is off, until you open the door. So my oil cooler fan will run after shutdown, until I open the door as well.

[Koizumi]

I have my fan wired to the power windows. Nice that it shuts down when I shut off the car in case I forget to turn off the fan.



Fan switched on and AC on max, I’m hovering at approx. 210F in mostly stopped traffic with outside temperature @86F

Note that I switched on the fan upon starting the car on my gridlocked traffic jam drive. So the fan does help especially when the AC is on and the car is stuck in traffic.

Maybe the Carrera radiator style cooler is better than the 28 tube brass heat sink beauty but with a fan slapped on to it, it’s certainly a decent contender!

———

Next experiment will entail letting the car get over 210F with AC on, similar outside temps, crappy traffic (perhaps like 225F-230F) and then start the fan. My guess is that it won’t bring down the temps too much once it’s gotten that hot. Who knows though, I’ll have to find out and I’ll relay my observations here.