P38A You wouldn't believe it....now with necrophilia? What the...

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
Could it be a head off a non rangerover M51? Stil strange though. Maybe email JE engineering out of curiosity? I'd expect paper trail, blanked off head or rogue wires atleast :confused:

I take it you need the sensor for the de-viscous mod? Could you not wire into EDC temp sender instead, basically signal from temperature you need?

The aircon fan sensor is a switch (On or off). The other sensors are variable resistance sensors. So no you cannot wire into those. Mine is a 1999 registered car but it does not have the black sensor. Only MY (manufacturing year) 1999 cars and on have the sensor.
 
It's a last resort for an impending overheat, only ever likely to operate when the viscous fan fails which I suppose is quite often.

You do seem to have a downer on viscous fans. They are fitted on most longitudinal engines and are very reliable. Electric fans are used mostly on transverse engines. They to can fail for various reasons, mainly the sensor going tits up.
 
It's a last resort for an impending overheat, only ever likely to operate when the viscous fan fails which I suppose is quite often.
I like the idea of your mod, especially if you needed to switch fan off for deep water. I am however pro viscous at heart :) Enough electrickery on a P38 as standard. even with a lo-line becm they are electron thirsty, though nothing compared to the newer ones
 
I like the idea of your mod, especially if you needed to switch fan off for deep water. I am however pro viscous at heart :) Enough electrickery on a P38 as standard. even with a lo-line becm they are electron thirsty, though nothing compared to the newer ones
You do seem to have a downer on viscous fans. They are fitted on most longitudinal engines and are very reliable. Electric fans are used mostly on transverse engines. They to can fail for various reasons, mainly the sensor going tits up.
You only have to look at the number of people on this site that report overheats that come down to viscous fan failure.
As for longtitudinal engines, I seem to remember even my Porsche had an electric fan.
True electric fans can fail, but there are two fans on the P38, it's unlikely that both fan motors would fail at the same time and as for sensor failure, I have an override switch to take care of that.
 
You only have to look at the number of people on this site that report overheats that come down to viscous fan failure.
As for longtitudinal engines, I seem to remember even my Porsche had an electric fan.
True electric fans can fail, but there are two fans on the P38, it's unlikely that both fan motors would fail at the same time and as for sensor failure, I have an override switch to take care of that.

My Porsche doesn't. There will always be exceptions. But viscous fans are very reliable. But they are so reliable no one ever checks them, they are taken for granted. Nothing lasts for ever.
 
You are right there are more things on elec to go wrong, and are less likely to all go wrong at once. If the viscous goes, that's it then your stuck and they aren't cheap. I think the one off my 95 was original. 23yrs isn't bad life for a viscous, although the A/C fans are probly original too and still work but don't do anything nearly all year. I don't trust myself with electrics tho, in your position I may feel different.
 
The viscous fan is designed to remove latent heat from the cooling system at slow speeds in traffic or at idle after a run at speed. Whilst driving normally at speed it is NOT engaged. Cooling is achieved by ram air. At idle speed after a run the water pump does not circulate coolant as efficiently therefore the viscous fan engages to create air flow through the radiator until latent heat is dispersed. It then disengages partially then fully when cooling ram air becomes present. The water pump at idle spins at 1.75 times or so the speed of the crank. So at 750 rpm the water pump will be doing 1300 rpm or so. An engaged viscous fan under normal conditions will be doing around 80% of the speed of the water pump. If the viscous fan was locked for some reason due to a fail at 4000 rpm it would be spinning at 7000 rpm. And people wonder why badly maintained units explode. Come on get real.
 
Last edited:
we may have the same set up then Tony. I was wondering if mine was a 98' registered later on in 99', that would explain the lack of sensor?:confused:

It would indeed. Made in 1998 before the cut point for MY 1999 production start, sat in a showroom for a few months then sold and registered in 1999. Exactly like mine was.
 
1051486.jpg

Spec for STC2254
 

Attachments

  • 1051486.jpg
    1051486.jpg
    26.9 KB · Views: 74
Nothing to add today.. no more pics at the moment either... I'll update when I get some new parts to replace the duff bits I found and thankfully earlier rather than later at the expense of a cylinder head..;)
 
Try Marked Piercy, you had a lucky escape there mate.

Ah, the wanderer returns. Welcome back.

@Mark Piercy: you can see the manufacture year in the BECM using Nanocom.

Land Rover rad core is thicker than Nissens and I would have thought, superior. Nissens has been fine in mine though, even towing, although temp climbs when going up 1 in 3 with 2 tons in the trailer and foot to the floor.
 
Back
Top