s3ndy Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Hi guys, just bought a Kenlowe fan with all switches ect. I don't like the look of the kenlowe thermostat with a copper wire going into the top hose. Are the X-eng switches any good and will it fit onto the top rad hose? also whats the best way to mount the fan as the car I took it off had a rotten rad where the zip ties had gone through!! Thanks Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 X-Eng switches are great Mine is in the bottom hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPendrey Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I just installed my (not) Kenlowe fan with the Kenlowe controller, and used the thermostat into the top hose... works just fine as long as you seal the pipe properly. Of course, my version of 'properly' is lots of all-weather sealant on the radiator top host inlet and then squish the pipe on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Isn't the top hose the pipe going out of the rad. So the switch is then seeing the cooled water from the rad and not the engine temperature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 No Ross, not normally, the hot water comes out of the top of the engine, it does on all engines I have ever worked on! The X-eng switch is designed to run in the bottom hose and has lower switching values to compensate, putting it in the top hose would cause the fan to run more often than it needs to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 No Ross, not normally, the hot water comes out of the top of the engine, it does on all engines I have ever worked on! The X-eng switch is designed to run in the bottom hose and has lower switching values to compensate, putting it in the top hose would cause the fan to run more often than it needs to. ahhhh I see . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3ndy Posted January 13, 2012 Author Share Posted January 13, 2012 Well I have bought the X-eng thermo switch kit and also bought the front and rear magnetic diff plugs as an extra treat god my car is spoilt hehe. Any ideas on mounting? should I just use the zip tie through the rad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabag Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Hi guys, just bought a Kenlowe fan with all switches ect. I don't like the look of the kenlowe thermostat with a copper wire going into the top hose. Are the X-eng switches any good and will it fit onto the top rad hose? also whats the best way to mount the fan as the car I took it off had a rotten rad where the zip ties had gone through!! Thanks Andy Insert the temp sence bulb in the bottom of the top hose and run the copper tube underneath and you won't see it. Kenlow do an option kit that was once standard and thats two L shaped fixing rods with clamps to fix the rods to vehicle and then to the fan. On a disco i would think the fan would hang from the bonnet slam panel or from the head light box either side. Installation instructions state run the engine untill normal running temp, let the temp increases a few degrees then set the Kenlow temp setting so the fan starts this will stop the fan running at normal temps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quagmire Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 Don't zip tie through the rad! I did this and it sawed through the radiator in about 12 months... On the new rad I used the plastic fixings that kenlowe supplied to mount to rad frame. I should have done this the first time instead of being lazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3ndy Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Do you know where I can buy one of these kits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
task Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I fitted a kenlowe fan on the CSK. The thermostat I received works with a probe inserted into the fins at the top of the rad, not into the coolant itself (whilst I was sceptical it appears to come on and off as required) I mounted the fan using some steel strapping spanning the rad and bolted the fan through this, a much sturdier and less destructive solution compared to using those zip-ties. Speaking of which, I used them on my old Series 3 and it destroyed a rad in a short space of time. If you like I can try and dig some photos out or brave the cold garage and take a few later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPendrey Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 My solution is very 'Heath Robinson'! I used four 90 degree 'mending plates' which I secured to the fan itself using nyloc nuts to prevent them coming lose. The top two plates then self-tapped into the frame around the radiator, the bottom two just slotted in where the plastic shroud was. It just fitted in using my 13" fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Do you know where I can buy one of these kits? Demon Tweaks have the plastic adjustable arm mounts (as seen in this picture http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-RP1117__17 ) , that normally come with their fan kits. They are not shown on Demon Tweaks web site, but if you phone them up you can order them (I can provide a Demon Tweaks part number tonight if required). Or you might be able to buy them for Rimmerbros as they sell the fan kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Top hose or bottom hose is a matter of debate! TBH, either works just fine, but for the record - mine's in the top hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Well, like I say, Si's instructions say bottom hose, and he has chosen a switch with a temp range suitable for this location, top hose = not recommended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3ndy Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 A part number would be great if you have it to hand? I ordered the zip tie fitting kit on ebay but don't think I will be using it now £6 wasted) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The part number for the Demon Tweeks is KLFKLM2238 and the description is "Set of 4 Adjustable anglepoise style ratchet lock mountings" Picutres of them in use on a 3.5 v8 rad. It's a bit scary drilling holes in the rad frame for to secure the mount, but there are no fins or water way behind the frame. On this setup I get left with 2 spare arms. Should cost around £11.52 + VAT for each fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p76rangie Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Well, like I say, Si's instructions say bottom hose, and he has chosen a switch with a temp range suitable for this location, top hose = not recommended Top hose is the recommended position. Cooling thermostat = top hose. Temp gauge sensor = top hose. ECU temp sensor = top hose. Overheat switch to run air-con fans = top hose. Every temp sensor or device on your motor operates on the water temp coming out of the motor. It is the correct position for such sensors and the fan switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Top hose is the recommended position. Cooling thermostat = top hose. Temp gauge sensor = top hose. ECU temp sensor = top hose. Overheat switch to run air-con fans = top hose. Every temp sensor or device on your motor operates on the water temp coming out of the motor. It is the correct position for such sensors and the fan switch. It doesn't matter where it is as long as the temp range is suitable! X-Eng has been designed for the bottom hose, thats where it should go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcock Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Surely it would be the bottom hose as the fan should only cut in if the rad is not capable of cooling the water enough by air through flow without forced assistance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Have a read: www.x-eng.co.uk/Instructions/X-Fan.pdf Bottom hose, for a reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRecklessEngineer Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Have a read: www.x-eng.co.uk/Instructions/X-Fan.pdf Bottom hose, for a reason. There are reasons for fitting in the top hose, and reasons for fitting in the bottom. I chose the top, because for my purposes, this is a better position. It really comes down to how you are controlling your engine temperature when running. On the thermostat, or using fans. My undercooled 3.5 v8 thermostat saturates quite quickly - hence top hose for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zardos Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Surely it would be the bottom hose as the fan should only cut in if the rad is not capable of cooling the water enough by air through flow without forced assistance. Does not matter as it is a closed loop, if it is coming out of the rad too hot then it will come out of the engine too hot as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3ndy Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Thanks for the part number and photos Zardos. I shall be on the phone to them 1st thing in the morning then hopefully installing it Monday after noon. I will go with X-eng advice on where to mount the thermo, they know what they are on about and have grown a buisness from what they know what works and what does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p76rangie Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Have a read: www.x-eng.co.uk/Instructions/X-Fan.pdf Bottom hose, for a reason. Look at cars built with thermo fans as standard. Check whether the sensor is on the inward side of the radiator or the outbound. It goes in the top hose for a very good reason. It is the motor that heats the water. The harder the motor is worked the more it heats the water as it goes through the motor. Therefore when the motor is working hard I actually need cooler water entering it than when it is sitting at idle. So I want the coolant to be cooled when it is coming out of the motor hotter than I want. What temp it goes in at is largely irrelevant except how much it is heated as it goes through the motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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