bushwhacker Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Hi there. I am considering removing the vis fan and using an electric fan instead. Can I dump the plastic shroud,and should I go for double fans one for the rad and one for the intercooler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 what do you think to achieve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Strange as this may sound there is a good reason to keep the viscous fan as it ensures air movement under the bonnet and also keeps air moving through the intercooler, by not having either the fan shroud or the viscous you will hinder the effects of the intercooler as it will not have enough through put to exchange the heat build up, if you fitted a leccy one it would need a controler based on a thermo couple to effect charge temps if that makes sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 You wouldn't need a control for the intercooler, just run it all the time, but then what is the point of going electric? Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I took the viscous fan off our 200Tdi Discovery and fitted a Kenlowe fan over 10 years ago, but I retained the Shroud. The electric fan never comes on. So when I changed the radiator on our 300Tdi auto I just left the viscous fan off. Even on a 2000 mile tour from France around Scotland and England last September, including getting stuck on the M40 in the aftermath of some one else's crash it did not overheat or give any trouble at all. In normal use they do not seem to need the viscous fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 Thanks guys. Well my viscous fan is running a bit wobbly it needs replacing. I have 2 electric fans knocking about the garage so I thought try them but I was not sure hence the post. I am still unsure from what I have read above. Can anyone confirm for definite if I need a fan on the intercooler. I had read about running with no viscous but as I said I wondered how this would affect the intercooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBolton Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I have had the viscous and shroud removed from my 200tdi for nearly a year..plus I'm running more boost and turned up pump...ran in traffic in hot weather with no problem...its not a hot running engine...only once offoading have I wanted a leccy fan and that was winching though bloody deep mud... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C18RCH Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Any loss in power that may result from the lack of air flow through the intercooler is more than made up for by not having to permanently drive the cooling fan. I removed mine from my TD5 and installed an electric one and it was the best improvement I made to it. The engine was noticeably more responsive and the MPG went from 28 to 32. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelw Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Any loss in power that may result from the lack of air flow through the intercooler is more than made up for by not having to permanently drive the cooling fan.I removed mine from my TD5 and installed an electric one and it was the best improvement I made to it. The engine was noticeably more responsive and the MPG went from 28 to 32. very significant increase!!! what other enhancements have you made to your truck, I can't believe the viscous fan alone would affect MPG to that extent!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwhacker Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 I think I will take the viscous and shroud off, and go with a single fan for now. I would like to put in a temperature sensor or switch to make the fan come on before it gets to high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Then look at X-Eng's X-fan, and job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C18RCH Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 very significant increase!!! what other enhancements have you made to your truck, I can't believe the viscous fan alone would affect MPG to that extent!! It already had a K&N airfilter fitted before I swapped to the electric fan but other than that, it was completely standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boydie Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 With my 300TDi I adopted the alternate approach, I cut out the plastic portion of the cowl behind the intercooler with a jig saw giving air flow through it - I then mounted a Davis Craig 16" diameter electric fan IN the remaining shroud. The temperature switch in the top hose is set to bring the fan on at 90c and off at 80c. The "beauty of this method is 1.) Full air flow through teh intercooler when ever the Disco is moving - which is when the turbo is working. 2.) The electric fan comes out with the cowling with the removal of the top hose and the two retaining clips - very quick and easy. I didnt fancy pushing retaining screws through the cores of my 4 core radiator to retain the fan. I have two temperature sensors, a 50mm 50-150c VDO guage with the sensor fitted in the"normal/standard" location adjacent to the thermostat housing, the standard guage sensor has been relocated to the port in the cylinder head just above the central exhaust ports. Normal running temp for my engine is 100c and now with the electric fan fitted at idle it drops to 90c. Before with the centrifugal fan it never fell below the 100c mark. once the Disco is moving the fan runs intermittantly contradicting both guages, unless a temperature drop of 10 degrees from the thermostat housing to the radiator is normal (not!!) even so the engine does run cooler and without having to drive that heavy fluid coupling idles easier. While silicon coulplings are quite efficient their downfall is the bimetalic coil, its in the air stream, not a worlds best practice design. Consider this, at low speeds cold damp air flowing through the radiator with a best air temperature increase of 8-10 degrees through the radiator the air over the bi-metalic coil is below its activation temperature and can/will render the coupling "inactive' even though the water temp in the radiator is calling for additional air flow through the radiator to maintain optimum coolant temperature. In an ideal world (Rolls Royce and others of their ilk) the fan and water pump drive spindle are one and the same and the "bi-metalic' sensor or wax pellet is installed in the engine water jacket where it senses the water temperature and activates the fan accordingly, the landy system is far less expensive to say nothing of the fan and water pump locations and accordingly has some inherent design shortcomings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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