Opinion wanted: eBay or Kenlowe fan?

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
GingerPuss

GingerPuss

Active Member
Posts
232
Location
Southport
Hi All,

I have seen the many threads debating whether to fit a leccy fan or not...and I do want to now.

I notice on Paddocks that the Kenlowe fan kit is £115 (12HPBS | Kenlowe 12in Electric Fan Kit. 12v.) It doesn't say...but I assume it comes with fitting kit and thermostat.

Thing is.... if you look at eBay, there are loads of electric cooling fan kits with thermostat. For example (14" Electric Radiator 12v Cooling Fan With Thermostat For CLASSIC CAR / KIT CAR | eBay) which costs just £34.95 including delivery or this one that also includes the fitting kit (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AccuSpark-Electric-car-radiator-cooling-fan-Universal-14-fitting-Thermostat-/181169608811?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a2e8cd86b) which costs £39.95.

The old saying is you get what you pay for....but sometimes you end up paying for a name. Anyone got any experiences (good or bad) with these eBay type fans? ....or should I pay for a known good brand ???? I am a Yorkshireman..so I don't like ****ing money away.
 
Last edited:
I bought a pair of fans from a mondeao off ebay. They are a set of two, mounted on a frame, and cost about £20. Work perfectly, only one needed, so I have a spare. I used the X fan switch, but there are probably others available.
 
flatlander said:
I bought a pair of fans from a mondeao off ebay. They are a set of two, mounted on a frame, and cost about £20. Work perfectly, only one needed, so I have a spare. I used the X fan switch, but there are probably others available.
Click to expand...

Cheers...but I meant a brand new fan that fits straight on rather than a second-hand one from another vehicle. I have seen fans for jaguar/ford/BMW etc on eBay - but they would need cutting down and fettling to fit (most seem to have the plastic surround designed for a particular car)...and there is no guarantee of how old it is from the donor car. The question is really if the new ones are Chinese crap (no offense to any Chinese people here) - or likely to last a good few years.
 
Most vehicle electric fans rarely run so used one has had limited hours of running in UK , bought a second hand one and fitted to mine with an ex eng hose adapter to get switch in . runs very rarely .
 
That kit looks ok - indeed the thermostat looks better with a graduated knob. I bought a kenlowe and though it all works fine was a bit disappointed with the scant instructions.

The "mounting kit" you get with the kenlowe are just some zip-tie things you poke through your radiator and a few rubber pads. I'd be interested to see what the cheapo version is like, probably the same.

Setting up the temperature with the kenlowe is a bit hit and miss too. one tiny trimmer poking out of the relay unit and no real indication of temperature except for a very odd table of letters and numbers. I ended up binning that and using an infra re thermometer to set it up....then binning that and just messing about with it until I was happy.

Having had a whinge though it seems to work well enough!
 
I went for the cheap option and wired it to a switch on the dash for manual operation. I only use it when idling, just keep an eye on the temp gauge other than that it cools itself, usually about 85 degrees. It also came with a two year warranty, 6 months in and no trouble.
Cheers
Kevin
 
Thanks for the advice. It is worth a punt at under 40 quid....and I want to get some heat in the cab over winter. I reckon the idea of using the IR thermometer to help calibrate it is best.

Cheers
 
I have to add that a leccy fan is great. I couldn't tell you if its altered the mpg by much but the engine warms up in about half the time when driving or you can leave it idling for a few minutes, before it would just not warm up unless driven.

I still cary the fan blades round with me though, just in case!
 
Why does an electric fan help the engine warm up faster? Surely as the stat doesn't open till the engine is warm a viscous fan doesn't actually do anything till then. It might be pulling air through the rad but the water isn't circulating anyway. This is one thing I've never understood...
 
The series diesel will handle the normal UK summer without fan , not 100% sure on the petrol version but no need to spend a fortune on lecky fan fit a 12 or 14 fan and cowl of something and just wire a switch up to start with . When you see how much you need it on , if at all you can sort out a switching system later . Just make sure you fit fan to right side of fan for suck or blow :confused::D
 
I've got a cheapo, been on for 9 months now and still fine- running through a switch and a relay

UNIVERSAL 12V 120W 16" ELECTRIC COOLING RADIATOR FAN | eBay

it's mounted in front of the rad - cunningly using mending plates to fasten it to the rad frame, rather than the push-through-the-rad kit fasteners, so no chance of damage - sold as reversible, but that just means change the wiring round to get the airflow going the way you want....

I don't have a sensor, just a big red switch on the dash and my paranoia keeping an eye on the temp gauge :D

only really use it in traffic though -seems fine on the move without (though not uphill in this heat!) - 2.6 petrol/lpg 6 pot

the motor does warm up a lot quicker too, which is a bonus, especially in winter

cheers
 
dont know about the series vehicles (if they have a fan cowl or not), but if you can, mount it to the cowl, a fan straight on the rad will only cool the area it covers, attached to a cowl will cool the whole rad evenly,
 
There is a cowl but it points in toward the engine and it would be a struggle to mount the fan to it without if fouling all the pulleys on the engine.

I stuck mine on backwards pushing from the front. There's loads of space between the grill and rad...

I'd get the one you posted with the sensor looks like a bargain to me...if it works.

Having just spent half an hour in a jam I'd say the sensor is a good idea....I'd no doubt have forgotten to switch it on and looked like a right plum with steam pouring out...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Electric fan wiring
Replies
5
Views
467
dag019
dag019
T
Series 3 Overheat after motorway run
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
Turboman
Turboman
enjoi
P38A Going through radiators- not overheating
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
4K
enjoi
enjoi
S
Lucas Starter Motor on Freelander 1
Replies
11
Views
638
Andy Warren
Andy Warren
S
Ran 300TDi low on coolant ~1300km
Replies
15
Views
2K
currymunster
currymunster
Back
Top