Fan's viscous or electric???

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wyldstallions

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My TD5 is currently running a viscous fan but the viscous coupling is warn and needs replacing. I'm wondering if I should replace it with a Kenlow Fan or stick with a new viscous one since I need to do something one way or another?

I tow a 3500 kg trailer over long distances fairly often. I also want to off road the car.

my questions are:
1) Viscous or Electric?
2) If Electric the single or twin set?
3) Is electric ok for Off road or will in blow up as soon as i wade in deep water?

(spoke to a dealer of the Kenlows today but he didn't seem to be able to tell me which fan I would need and if it would blow up if I was wading in deep water)
 
Electric has a number of benefits over fiscous, mainly due to the fact that it's only on when it needs to be. Your engine will get up to temp quicker, and you'll save on the energy it takes to run the fan unnecessarily. All this contributes to better mpg.

In my 300tdi I've replaced the viscous fan with a 14inch electric. I've towed a couple of heavy trailers and sat in traffic on numerous occasions and the temp gauge hasn't risen above normal. The remarkable thing is that I haven't got round to wiring the new fan up yet. So the radiator is actually cooling the vehicle sufficiently without a fan at all. This makes me think that the viscous fan is well over specked anyway. If mine is anything to go by, I think you'd need to seriously stress your engine to get the temp up enough to need fan, so I wouldn't bother with anything more than a single 14inch fan at most.

As for wading, you really should invest in one of those radiator muff things that covers the rad when you're wading. You really don't want to have water flowing through the rad and then flung all around the engine bay by the fan. This goes for electric or viscous. Electric fans should be sealed so that water can't get into the motor. And hopefully you'll be riding the bow wave such that the engine wont be bothered much by water ingress. The troubles start if you stop in deep water for any reason, in which case the fan is probably least of your concerns.

I've found 2nd gear and low box best for wading in deep water. If your against a current or going much over the bonnet, possibly 1st gear. You don't want to stall.
 
mundungus said:
Electric has a number of benefits over fiscous, mainly due to the fact that it's only on when it needs to be. Your engine will get up to temp quicker, and you'll save on the energy it takes to run the fan unnecessarily. All this contributes to better mpg.

In my 300tdi I've replaced the viscous fan with a 14inch electric. I've towed a couple of heavy trailers and sat in traffic on numerous occasions and the temp gauge hasn't risen above normal. The remarkable thing is that I haven't got round to wiring the new fan up yet. So the radiator is actually cooling the vehicle sufficiently without a fan at all. This makes me think that the viscous fan is well over specked anyway. If mine is anything to go by, I think you'd need to seriously stress your engine to get the temp up enough to need fan, so I wouldn't bother with anything more than a single 14inch fan at most.

As for wading, you really should invest in one of those radiator muff things that covers the rad when you're wading. You really don't want to have water flowing through the rad and then flung all around the engine bay by the fan. This goes for electric or viscous. Electric fans should be sealed so that water can't get into the motor. And hopefully you'll be riding the bow wave such that the engine wont be bothered much by water ingress. The troubles start if you stop in deep water for any reason, in which case the fan is probably least of your concerns.

I've found 2nd gear and low box best for wading in deep water. If your against a current or going much over the bonnet, possibly 1st gear. You don't want to stall.
Click to expand...
be carefull tho the extra 3bhp u gain from removing the viscous will turn your fender into a Ferrari.

anyone who says they notice a difference in power after removing a viscous is talking crap
 
Oh no, not saying that. I've not noticed any power increase. Just that it stands to reason that any energy saved by not turning unnecessary mechanical parts is still energy saved.
 
had my viscous fan removed now for over a year. never had any problems. I have an electric fan but havent got round to doing anything with it yet.

Only time the temp guage shot up was at a pay and play trying to pull a disco out of a hole.

The disco in question belongs to Defender89 :lol: (shameless reminder for him :D )
 
Just thought I would post a quick update on here for you all. I ended up speaking to Kenlowe direct to find out which electric fan to fit.

They very kindly recommended that due to the fact that I was towing a 3 1/2 ton trailer over 100 miles on a regular basis I should stick with my Viscous fan. and that if I had an problems that I should add a 13 inch booster fan from them.

So new viscous fan it is.
Thanks for info everyone
 
mundungus said:
Electric has a number of benefits over fiscous, mainly due to the fact that it's only on when it needs to be. Your engine will get up to temp quicker, and you'll save on the energy it takes to run the fan unnecessarily. All this contributes to better mpg.

In my 300tdi I've replaced the viscous fan with a 14inch electric. I've towed a couple of heavy trailers and sat in traffic on numerous occasions and the temp gauge hasn't risen above normal. The remarkable thing is that I haven't got round to wiring the new fan up yet. So the radiator is actually cooling the vehicle sufficiently without a fan at all. This makes me think that the viscous fan is well over specked anyway. If mine is anything to go by, I think you'd need to seriously stress your engine to get the temp up enough to need fan, so I wouldn't bother with anything more than a single 14inch fan at most.

As for wading, you really should invest in one of those radiator muff things that covers the rad when you're wading. You really don't want to have water flowing through the rad and then flung all around the engine bay by the fan. This goes for electric or viscous. Electric fans should be sealed so that water can't get into the motor. And hopefully you'll be riding the bow wave such that the engine wont be bothered much by water ingress. The troubles start if you stop in deep water for any reason, in which case the fan is probably least of your concerns.

I've found 2nd gear and low box best for wading in deep water. If your against a current or going much over the bonnet, possibly 1st gear. You don't want to stall.
Click to expand...

I have been running a 200tdi, 110 with a Kenlowe electric fan for two years now. The reason I went electric was here in France it gets cold in the winter and with the Visco fan the engine would take too long to warm up. I fitted the 14 inch Kenlowe fan which was the one recommended by Kenlowe when I gave them a call. During the two years I have been running the electric fan I have only heard it come on twice. I have run it in 35|C degree plus towing a Caravan and never had any problems. I also use my Defender for off roading and collecting wood from the forest where it is often well over loaded pulling a farm tractor trailer full of tree truncks. I have used it wading across rivers on many occasions again with no problems. I have mine set up so it comes on automatically when needed. If I bought another Defender I would throw the Visco out and fit another Kenlowe fan. I did look at cheaper electric fans which were about half the price but I decided to go for the Kenlowe. I am glad I did as it has been trouble free. I have forgotten its there.
 
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