tweetyduck Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Go for standard or Kenlowe or both. Going to hot, very hot, cold and very cold places. Should I stick with the standard engine driven fan? Need a quick answer. I'm about to order one! Thanks p.s. not really bothered about any fuel economy arguments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Leave the standard one on there, it was developed by Land Rover to suit all climates. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Learn how to fix/jam a viscous fan when it fails. If you go electric, don't bother with kenlowe - get something decent from the scrappy for a few quid and an X-fan switch, the subject has been done to death (as has the "electric Vs viscous" holy war). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 ..........the subject has been done to death (as has the "electric Vs viscous" holy war). Its going to start all over again now..... You wait Neil - you'll regret not doing a search! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetyduck Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 but i did search. honest. sod it. I'm going standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Just an example (you'll see........): http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=39856&st=0 I use google to search this forum - just put lr4x4 in the search terms. Personally i'd stick with standard as well (have no experience of the others though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve b Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 Another vote for std Neill, mmgemini has mentioned this aspect of overland before and I would agree , FF also makes a good point about learning how to jam a broken std viscous...... cheers Steveb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobyone Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 in cold places, remove the viscous unit. when in hot places, re-attatch it. simple and will only cost you the spanner! in the cold, you will get more horses to boot as the viscous fan removal frees up those ponys. richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 9, 2009 Share Posted December 9, 2009 in the cold, you will get more horses to boot as the viscous fan removal frees up those ponys. You may want to invest in a day's driving course at a race track though, a 300TDi unleashed in such a manner could be a bit much for the inexperienced driver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyoldgit Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Keep it standard. Keep it simple. Job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 You may want to invest in a day's driving course at a race track though, a 300TDi unleashed in such a manner could be a bit much for the inexperienced driver Well, it is about a one percent increase in available power (though I had to make a few educated guesses in the fan calculation ) Also, without the fan your engine will warm up 3 times faster and use 10% less fuel ... Oh, hang on, you're all being ironic, aren't you? Damn, caught out again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobyone Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 fridge freezer you made me laugh. thanks. lol. i like humour in forums. it makes it all nicer!! richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Careful, Fridge has never been called funny before. Well only in the funny peculiar way Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Keep the standard fan - the viscous unit decouples when cold, so the fan's drag on the engine is negligible. The thermostat will be closed, so the radiator will not be cooling the engine, thus the idling fan will not affect warm up times. In hot conditions, the standard fan is at least four times more powerful than an electric one and can be secured to its hub with cable ties if the viscous coupling fails in an open mode (they usually seize solid when they fail, though). Water, dust and low battery charge will not affect it, and you don't have to worry about its drain on your battery. Electric fans are only fitted by manufacturers where mechanically driven fans will not fit, such as on transverse engines or severely cramped engine bays and can't be jerry rigged when they fail. I was very disappointed to have to replace the viscous fan with electric when I fitted a Discovery 200Tdi to my 109. The advertising claims by Kenlowe and others are misleading, if not fraudulent. There is no measurable performance, economy or warm-up penalty with a viscous fan compared to electric (their claims would only stand up against a fixed fan like on Series vehicles with the vehicle stationary, giving high blade angle of attack), but there are severe cooling and reliability concerns with electric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Slightly OT, but may help. How do you test your viscous fan is working? I mean before it is too late and you know its not working because your engine is overheating? Is there a way Neill (or others) can make sure his viscous fan is working before he leaves the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Slightly OT, but may help. How do you test your viscous fan is working? I mean before it is too late and you know its not working because your engine is overheating? Is there a way Neill (or others) can make sure his viscous fan is working before he leaves the UK? Either when the engine overheats if you have a standard Land Rover temperature gauge, or when it unscrews and goes through the radiator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetyduck Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 Thanks guys,,, and possibly girls (not a licence to ridicule anyone for being a big girl) I recon I will get the standard one re-fitted and decide after i've driven a few 1000 miles here and in Morocco (planned May 2010, fingers crossed for that!). The entire std fan is about £120 so its not going to break the bank (much). At least then I actully have a fan fitted (its invisible at the moment) I might very well sell it on for a electric later before the proper trip. My thoughts are you can't go wrong with a standard vehicle, if only to start with. At least then i can fit an electric later if i change my mind. Anyhow that should keep 50% happy with "i'm going standard" and 50% happy that "i might change my mind for the trip". Of those 75% will think i have too much money (not true) and 25% will think i'm a idiot either way. I could fit both if you want....one sucking and one blowing Now i need to blag the one in Mikes shed for a sunday lunch voucher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 A standard viscous will be absolutely fine for Morocco - only reason you'd need to go electric is if you have a transplanted 200TDi in an early car which means there is a big ggap between rad and fan, or if you've got a goosed viscous. BTW, I thought viscous fans usually failed unlocked, usually cos the fluid has escaped? Mine certainly did but I managed to fix it with a self tapper through the hub to lock it up. I tested it by poking a rolled up newspaper into it with the engine running - the fan stopped running fairly easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 There is zero power change and it does not affect the engine heat up time. It does give much better access to the engine and allows the fan to be turned off when wading. It is also cheaper than buying a new viscous unit WHEN it dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 There is zero power change and it does not affect the engine heat up time. It does give much better access to the engine and allows the fan to be turned off when wading. It is also cheaper than buying a new viscous unit WHEN it dies. £65.00 here for the OEM viscous part http://www.land-rover-parts-shop.com/shop/lrps/en/browse/Defender+110/2/0/31/11/16 Cheaper than a kenlowe and much less hassle to fit than a secondhand fan from a scrap yard once you factor in getting it, fitting thermostats etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks90 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 /\/\/\ wot he said. stick with the viscous everytime unless you absolutely cant have it due to space restrictions. It pulls vast amounts of air compared to a leccy one, and is mechanical and reliable compared to some unknown leccy motor with wires / relays / thermostats etc. if it does fail unlocked, self tapper or some proper strong wire ties can usually do the job of locking it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callum Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 awful lot of hate going on for leccy fans here. granted, i wouldn't bother changing a viscous for one if i didn't have to, but they are powered by electric motors, which tend to be pretty reliable devices. as for power 'four times more powerful' seems like a figure plucked somewhere from the air. i'd concur with red90 regarding the cost though. i'm going to have to say that i can't see many reasons to fork out for a kenlowe (excess money weighing you down maybe), when you can get a fan/fans depending on your radiator from a scrappy, with cowl, for about £5. that's a lot of viscous units. i'd also say that the extra space for working is quite handy too. Last time my fan actually came on was when i burst my bottom hose, otherwise it just sits there doing not a lot and not taking up much space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 ...and again with the b*ll*cks about electrics, every time this subject comes up the LR owner's inbuilt mistrust of anything electrical comes to the fore They are not unreliable, complicated, going to kill your puppy, etc. They can be turned off or forced on so you aren't going to trash them going through water, etc. and can cool the engine even with the ignition off, or boost cooling if needed independently of what else is going on. My twin fan setup cost me £25 from the scrappy and overcools the 4.6 even towing. I know far more people who've had viscous fans fail (at least two of which have taken a radiator out with them) than electrics. My 2p's worth here, given Neil's total indecision about everything, is that you don't need to rush out and buy anything, the TDi will live happily with no fan in the UK so you can worry about it later. And why rush out and spend £100 on a viscous when you say you may well change your mind later for whatever reason Here's a casualty from this year (and Lada replacement part on the left ): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I dont think there is a correct answer - neither are without fault. Personally i think its less hassle to stick with standard on mine as its there and working at the moment. The electrics are easy enough, but directly replacing the viscous unit is less hassle for me so thats what i'll do - esp if a new one only costs £65 - like i said its worth my time not to trawl around scrap yards risking bits that dont work/are coming to the end of their lives etc.... adn cheaper than a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 As most of you know I run an electric fan Why. Because I would have to carry a spare viscous fan when on a trip. Not only are they expensive but they are unreliable. I've seen two detatch for no reason at the screw on the hub.... Now if I could get a fixed fan for my 300Tdi I would. That I know is reliable with metal blades...... A second point. Without the viscous fan the front of the engine is easily reached to change any necessary bits.... With a viscous you would have to carry a spanner and then remove the t work. Yes an electric fan will work. It will also cool the 300Tdi in an ambient temperature of 45 Deg C when towing an overland loaded Defender on non tar roads for 38 kilometers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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