911 fan shroud conversion for T4

Victor Frisbee · 10-06-1998, 06:41 AM

I am seriously considering a 911 fan conversion for the big 4 I will be building this winter for my 914.

Does anyone have any experience with these conversions?

FAT is the only supplier that I am aware of?

DaveN · 10-06-1998, 07:33 AM

I don't know about a 911 fan but I have heard of a light weight horizontal fan for the 914.
It provides much better cooling with a great weight savings.
It was designed by Don Ramsey at Air Cooled Classics in Knoxville Tn 423-671-4914. I have seen it and it looks neat-carbon fiber construction. There is a small ad in Panorama.

JP Noonan · 10-06-1998, 07:57 AM

Needless to say the stock FI will not work with either of those systems (the fan is where the stock manifold would be). Of coarse if you need a fan system like either of those then the engine is probably beyond the stock FI anyway.

I have read a small article in European Car about the verticle setup. It claims (the article was probably writen from information supplied by the manufacture, and did not seem to have come from EC's personal experience) the system is 22 lbs. lighter than stock and gives 10% more HP (due to the parasitic loss to the stock fan). For $400-$500 it seems almost to good to be true, I'm sure the numbers are not across the power band, but maybe I'm too paranoid.

Hot VW has an engine special that comes out every few years. The last one (about 18 months ago) had a Fat's 2.8 Type-IV. The motor was RAD. They had to clearence the rods so they wouldn't hit the cam!!!! They put a 911 type shroud on it with (I belive) a single 2BBL 48 Weber. It was for a sand rail, maybe it's racing class had a limit on carbs. Anyway call Fat's they have a good catalog and may even have reprints of the story.

Another point is that with either system you will be changing around the charging system. I think the horz shroud only requires a different crank pulley and a mount for the 914 alt. Where the Fat's shroud requires a 911 ($$$$$) alt.