joe1972

joe1972

Well-Known Member
Bit of an extension to the "preparing a V8 for successful wading" thread really...
I know Sam already said he'd removed the viscous fan and fitted a electric one in it's place, main reason I guess that it can be switched off to reduce the amount of splash on the engine through the wade.
This is probably gonna be a sensible way to go for me to, after further testing, and no doubt some more splashing about next weekend at Tong...

So, I'm thinking I remove the fan, and fit the leccy one to the rear of the radiator (a pull fan rather than push?)
Thinking of wiring up to a 'chicken switch' on the dash.

There's loads of them on ebay.... anyone any recommendations as to make n model, and installation tips?
 
Kenlow - TWIN.12.S.12V depend which radiator you are running but if it's standard V8 these have given me very good service on my Etype Jag and fit the V8 easily. The problem may be getting enough room to mount them between the rad and the engine. If you need to mount them infront then they are 12.B. Expensive but very good.
 
I have twin kenlows on my 90 4l v8. They work well but use alot of juice from the battery so I have added a split charge and run 2x optima batteries. They also work off a switch on the dash for wading. They fit really nice in the space I have, plenty of room between the fans and the pulleys.

I'll be putting them on ebay soon due to changing to a alloy rad and a different fan set up that's been kicking about in me garage.

Good luck with it.
 
yep twin 12 inch

i had originally fans off ebay that were 25 quid each, they lasted a few months

now i have fans off ebay, again spurious unbranded that were 50 pound each, and theyre superb, no problems in 6 months+ and the bearings are still sweet too :)

kenlowe are the ones if you can afford them, otherwise as much as you can afford!
 
I got my two off a Nissan diesel in the scrapyard £20, then got a temp sensor off ebay.
Total cost was about £30-35 and it been on for 8mth and 8000 miles, they work a treat.
 
Quite Funny!...I didn't bother in the end, HOWEVER,

The engine swap I'm in the middle of now has kinda brought this back into the fray...The newer engine going in is from a 95 Disco with serpentine belt, and as I've discovered today, more than just a few bits have changed with the 3.9EFi when compared to the earlier 90 RRC engine thats come out, one being the viscous fan fitting...The thread on this Disco V8 is larger than the thread on the RRC engine, both L/H, but it does mean either I'll be buying a viscous fan to suit, or more likely, I'll finally get round to fitting a leccy one..
Hense my stumbling across this old thread whilst doin a search for leccy fan conversions!!
...oh well, better late than never! lol
 
lol , Id just get a new viscous one from padwanks and the like.

I m not sure on the leccy ones unless you have both as the leccy ones only cut in after a certain point and that gives a temp spike even if you dont see it on the super inaccurate 3.9 temp guage (after the heater matrix burst in mine I drove home 3 miles with no water in the engine and it didnt move)

and with it being a 3.9 and if its a serpentine one it will have had cats and lambdas so its just wating for a slipped liner :doh:
 
fett said:
lol , Id just get a new viscous one from padwanks and the like.

I m not sure on the leccy ones unless you have both as the leccy ones only cut in after a certain point and that gives a temp spike even if you dont see it on the super inaccurate 3.9 temp guage (after the heater matrix burst in mine I drove home 3 miles with no water in the engine and it didnt move)

and with it being a 3.9 and if its a serpentine one it will have had cats and lambdas so its just wating for a slipped liner :doh:
Click to expand...

I didn't expect that reply from ya Fett?! Thought you were all for the leccy ones.
Fair do's. Must admit, it seems its a more popular option for the Tdi boys n gals.
Engine seems a good un 48tho, but I wont know first hand until I got it in and running!
 
yeah I was untill I read an article on that, I think if you have both its good but the varied rate of on demand cooling from the viscous is kinder to the metal.

if your engines been on cats hopefully it will be ok now and off cats with you it should last. its the switching from the lambdas constanly leaning it off that makes it run hot and slip its liners apparently
 
If its running smooth when it came out the donar car that'll do for me, atleast I stand a reasonable chance of gettin it running smooth in the bobtail ! (in theory)

Its a bit of messin about mudding for weekends, and with a bit of luck, thrashing the nutts out of it...then if this 'third' engine this car has had goes bang, then, oh well, they'll be a 'fourth' going in! ;)
 
Last edited:
I'm going to swap back to viscous also.

I've been thinking about it for a while and it gets highlighted over the summer months, but recently it has been hard to keep her cool.

Today for instance I have opened the bonnet whenever we stopped in between lanes.

It has not helped that I have recently had to change to thermo switch as the other one packed up. I use an OEM aircon fan switch fitted into the thermo housing cap in the OEM position, but the one I have got this time comes in at a different temperature to the old one, and now it is too hot by the time the fans come in for them to be able to cool it down again, whereas before they were able to keep on top of it.

Also one of my fans has just popped a bearing! :D

Seeing as I don't wade like crazy anymore (novelty worn off) id rather have the viscous for better reliability and cooling.

Will stick it back on and give it a tester anyway.

Cheers! :D
 
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