Electric Cooling?

Special K · 06-09-2003, 10:32 AM

Has anyone tried to install an electric cooling fan (16"-2700cfm=$60.00, not too bad!) in place of the stock belt-driven unit? It occured to me that by eliminating the stock unit you could free up some space in the front of the engine for an A/C comp., and still have space left over for a small SuperCharger (which everyone knows is impossible to do [hmmmm, maybe that was the TurboCharger that couldn't be done on a Type IV

]). Anyway, if one could design a shroud similar to the horizontal Riechert tuning unit

http://www.ismi.net/riecherttuning/type4.htm

,but with an electric fan instead of the Rube Goldberg belt assy you could achieve a couple of things:

Good cooling even at idle when engine rpm is low. Quicker warm up of the engine by using a T-stat to signal the fan operation. And maybe a small gain in hp from not having to spin the relatively heavy fan. Sure you'd have to fab some new engine tin up front, and over the cylinders. And do some math to get the pulley ratios for the Alt./ A/C comp./ and SuperCharger

, but the benefits might be worth it in the long run.

I don't know, just a thought......What do you guys think... Am I missing something obvious here?

mike mueller · 06-09-2003, 12:18 PM

The stock fan is not belt driven, it's bolted to the crankshaft

There is company that advertises in Excellence that makes a horizontal electric fan just like you describe.

They don't recommend it for street use, but it's more than likely due to liabilities in case some cooks thier motor while using it.

Special K · 06-09-2003, 12:37 PM

OOPS! You're absolutely correct Mike, it's not Belt driven. I guess that I was too busy checking out the horizontal set-up at Riechert (well, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!).

As far as electric fans go, they seem pretty dependable, I don't hear alot about them going out. For an added safety measure, I suppose that you could wire an "overtemp" switch (available at any HVAC supplier) to cut power to the fuel pump just in case the fan goes south on you. In fact, an overtemp fuel pump cut-out wouldn't be a bad idea on the stock set-up. Hey, a tow truck is cheaper than a new engine!

I haven't checked out Excellence. I've only got the one issue "Beauty and the Beast", but I'll have to get a new issue and check it out. (Damn, I thought I actually had an original idea for once!

)

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Electric fans....like this?

Special K · 06-09-2003, 04:09 PM

WOW!! That should do the job! Put some rubber skirts around the bottom of the car and you've got a hovercraft! Actually I was thinking of one big fan (located as far back as possible, and horizontal) to cool both sides + the oilcooler. But I must say that whomever made that dual-fan cooling system did a pretty clean job.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

That style motor is going in my 356. The shrouds are made by Fiberwerks in Florida. GM alternator and Summit Racing fans.

nutzforporsche · 06-10-2003, 08:17 AM

What is the base price on the shrouds and the fans?
Thanks!

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

300 ish to the shrouds and the alt hanger....125 for the two fans.

nutzforporsche · 06-10-2003, 08:44 AM

Thats pretty cheap

Scott S · Scott S's Garage

Man, I love the look of that!

One question - how on Gods green earth do you change the plugs?

nutzforporsche · 06-10-2003, 10:18 AM

Good question Scott.....

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

There are holes cut in the sides of mine.....right where the they are on the 2.0 tin.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Well it's in, electrics hooked up and ready to fit the headers....

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Other side....

Special K · 06-10-2003, 01:37 PM

Pretty sweet Mike!

Just curious, does anyone happen to know about how may cfm the stock set-up puts out at say 3000 rpm? I realize that there are many factors to take into account (altitude, barametric pressure, etc...), I'm just looking for a general range so I can figure out about the min. cfm required for a single fan set-up.

P.S.- I went to the Summit Racing site to check out the fans that they carry, and saw a couple of trans. oil coolers (the mesa type, tested to 200 psi) with built-in fans. 1/2"NPT fittings big enough for oil cooling purposes?

mike mueller · 06-10-2003, 01:58 PM

I've been told that the Stock cooling fan is rated at 1680 cfm @ 4600 rpm

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

2500 continuous....

Jason White · 06-12-2003, 09:30 PM

Mikez,
Can you give me a webpage, phone #, or address for Fiberworks. And any other info you may have. Those fans are sick.

Thanks,
JW

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

http://www.fiberwerks.com/

norustscott · norustscott's Garage

First off, I like the idea. However, I sit in amazement on the specific cooling system designs that came out of Wolfsburg...Every tiny hole, shape of castings and air flaps has been carfully calculated to give the proper cfm with the correct "under the shroud and through the cooler air pressure". It was a significant engineering effort and done without CAD programs ...

With a stock engine the fan supplies a constant air flow and is metered with a Tstat via the control flaps.

What controls a the amount of air with the electric setup? Does the Stat simply turn on & off the fans? If so you are going to have a very "digital" cooling function and depending on a built in delay for a cycle ... you are going to see...on off on off on off on off. every minute or so?

Also, the stock system allows for a split control of the air from the passenger cylinders and and the oil cooler. You would need to make provisions to duct air to the cooler. Air resisitance at the cooler, is greater than the cylinders and will cause a dam affect and allow air to pass over the cylinders and heads more freely robbing air from the cooler. The fact is that to get the best heat exchange you need to slow the air down by creating a higher pressure zone. The stock system is desinged to do just that, slow the air down, creating a slightly higher pressure zone over critical areas...mainly the heads, cooler.

If the electric stat cold control the speed of the fans with a variable or step function say 3 speeds, then it might help to keep the engine at a constant temperature. Just look inside the stock shroud casting and you can begin to see the complexity of air managment...Next would be to get the correct flow pattern for the cooler, heads and cylinders...

Still I really like the idea of electric cooling.

BTW...MikeZ, did you consider keeping the stock fan on the crank, or atleast a dummy that has the same mass as the stock. Gene Berg found that once you lighten the flywheel you needed to add a wieghted pully at the other end....Just more to noodle...