Ford Contur Dual Radiator Fan?

[rover67]

my motor has a 180 thermostat and the radiator keeps it there........

 

[Elbert]

new cooling

See the new radiator assembly mocked up with the fans. I saw another guy who set his fans up using 1 inch square tubing so I may change this prior to actual install. Will use the SPAL controller I allrady have installed along with another relay harness to power the 2nd fan.

Radiator is from man-a-fre...

 

[Elbert]

Ok,

Don't know right off hand if I have a wiring issue or not. I have dual fans plus new radiator installed. I have the drivers side fan wired to the old fan wiring that I used for the SPAL fan. I bought the pigtails too so I have them installed too. My 30 amp fuse is blowing right off the bat when the fan should come on.

I've wired the passenger side fan independelty with another 30 AMP fuse and SPAL fan harness I allready had. The extra SPAL harness connects to the SPAL controller by a single gray wire that controls it by on an off.

I suspect that the fans are drawing a low of amperage right off the bat or I've done something wrong. I'll try and verfity the fan wiring but I'm fairly sure its correct according to the directions....

Anyone know if 30 amp fuses are enough for each fan (one each)? It would seem that if the controller could operate the single large 16 inch SPAL fan it would operate at the dual fans....unless these things are really power hungrey at inital turn on.

Maybe its a wiring thing I'll go look. Right now the primary fan (drivers side) is blowing a 30 amp fuse, the passenger side is not blowing a fuse... but at the same time neither fan turns on. I hot wired both fans prior to wiring to make sure they work...both did.

I can't find any amperage documentation on the SPAL stuff, but it comes with 30amp fuse holders sow that may be its max capacity...

 

[Moby]

I don't know about the SPAL rating however prior to getting my Delta Current Control controller I ran both fans through a single 75amp Bosch relay with a 14 ga fusible link and 10ga wiring. Never had a problem with that setup but I didn't use it for very long.

 

[Elbert]

Ok...

I think the controller is fried. As soon as I reach the set temp for the controller to power up the primary fan it blows a 30 Amp fuse. I hot wired the primary fan to test it with light gauge wire and the fan powered right up and ran for 10+ min fine. I then tested the realy setup on the passenger side fan and it fired right up when I grounded the control wire (like its suppose to). I may take apart the SPAL contoller to see what's inside and let the smoke out. I double checked the wiring and its wired correctly .

THinking of going with a simple two relay setup using one of the SPAL on/off sensors if I can acquire one tomorrow as a temp solution. I like the idea of a controller so that the fans have variable speed but in the interest of getting it driving now...the simple relay setup looks good.

To answer my own question looks like a 30 amp fuse is fine for each single fan. Don't know the issue with the SPAL controller, but its not working... as soon as you get to the appropriate temp it blows the 30 amp fuse. I"ve checked the wiring a couple of times to make sure its correct and that I had no "shorts to ground".. I read somewhere that the SPAL controller is gettting redesigned.

 

[Moby]

That sucks. I hope they refund your money, I know that those suckers aren't cheap.

 

[Bret]

I may have missed something in the posts but if that fan pulls like the MKVIII's the surge current is quite a bit higher than the running current. the surge is close to 70A, it doesn't last very long but it may be enough to pop the fuse if it isn't a slow blow.

If it is in the controller you might be able to disconnect the fan and swap in a 12V light bulb for a load to troubleshoot it.

 

[Spook50]

To keep this thread going: I just got my DC Control box yesterday (damn this thing is small) and am going to get as much set up as I can here before taking out my clutch fan and installing the Contour fan.

I'll be wiring the controller to a 40A NC relay that'll be controlled by a guarded switch on my dash. I'm using an NC relay so that it will only be "on" when I want the fan killed and won't have to be under a constant duty cycle.

I have yet to find out how much this will pull when it spins up. I guess I'll find out when I kick on my A/C to test it's spool-up to 50% and see if the 30A fuse pops or not...

 

[Moby]

To keep this thread going: I just got my DC Control box yesterday (damn this thing is small) and am going to get as much set up as I can here before taking out my clutch fan and installing the Contour fan.

I'll be wiring the controller to a 40A NC relay that'll be controlled by a guarded switch on my dash. I'm using an NC relay so that it will only be "on" when I want the fan killed and won't have to be under a constant duty cycle.

I have yet to find out how much this will pull when it spins up. I guess I'll find out when I kick on my A/C to test it's spool-up to 50% and see if the 30A fuse pops or not...

You shouldn't have to run the power for a DCC controller through a relay to enable on demand shutdown of the fans. Just wire the 18 or 20 ga yellow input wire through your switch and the switch to >6 volt power source. This can be powered either by constant or ignition hot depending on whether or not you want the fans to shut down immediately when the ignition is turned off; mine is constant and the fans slowly turn off about 10-15 seconds after shutdown. If you open the switch (the yellow wire isn't seeing >6 volts) the controller will shut down.

Then run the 10 ga fan power to the battery with a fusible link (supplied in the kit).

 

[Elbert]

Fixed my problem..

Since I had a SPAL relay harness already I used that for one fan and found another in my storage (car project stuff), of course you can make your own harness if you care too... but the SPAL relay harnesses are well made and run something like 12 or 10 guage wire on the main power wire and power supply.

So anyway I S*it-canned the SPAL controller, installed two relays with 30 amp in-line fuses on the power side (1 each), and also installed the SPAL 195 fan swtich (screws in the cylinder head or intake) basically it grounds at 195... and I think the cutoff is 175.

I don't think the turn on AMP draw is that bad, because I used some 16 or 14 guage jumpers to hot wire the fans for testing and had no problems. Fans come on and seem to cool a little better. I have a 195 thermostat, truck runs about 200 or so in town (mechanical guage in the dirver side cylinder head) ran about 202 going down the interstate this evening. Real test will be tomorrow when its hot.

Just got it setup enough to test drive this evening and so have not tested in during ambient 90+ degree weather just yet. Initial impression is that is a pretty good setup, the fans are not too loud, and cover the entire surface area of the radiator, seem to perform well. I'll drive it around tomorrow to see what it does in the heat.

Now I've got to get the A/C cooking !

I like the SPAL relay harnesses.... I've looked at some of the others and they seem to run very light wiring. Of course you can make your own stuff cheaper if you want to take the time. Once I make sure I don't have any problems I'll clean up the wiring and make it look better. With the relays...the fans just turn on and turn off...there is no varialbe speed. So far no problems with the relay setup.

 

[Spook50]

You shouldn't have to run the power for a DCC controller through a relay to enable on demand shutdown of the fans. Just wire the 18 or 20 ga yellow input wire through your switch and the switch to >6 volt power source. This can be powered either by constant or ignition hot depending on whether or not you want the fans to shut down immediately when the ignition is turned off; mine is constant and the fans slowly turn off about 10-15 seconds after shutdown. If you open the switch (the yellow wire isn't seeing >6 volts) the controller will shut down.

Then run the 10 ga fan power to the battery with a fusible link (supplied in the kit).

I thought of doing that, but I'd like to have a warning lamp in place that'll come on when I have the fan killed.

Granted, if seeing a bigass red switch guard open isn't enough of an attention-getter, I need to have my eyes checked again...

 

[Elbert]

Having just seen the DCC controller on the web site....how do you connect the fans...it looked to me that it just hase one connection point. DO you wire both fans to the same connection point on the DCC controller? I don't recall seeing any really good pictures or instructions on the web site about dual fans?

 

[Moby]

Having just seen the DCC controller on the web site....how do you connect the fans...it looked to me that it just hase one connection point. DO you wire both fans to the same connection point on the DCC controller? I don't recall seeing any really good pictures or instructions on the web site about dual fans?

Yes, you wire both fans to the single output stud on the controller. It runs both at 0-100% based on radiator temp. You also need the filtered surge protector (1.5 KS on the accessories page).

 

[akarilo]

Good to hear from you Marco.. I've got my 5.7 vortec running and trying to prep for getting the A/C setup.

I have a spal controller which as I understand will control two fans with the addition of another relay setup. It can vary the speed of one fan 1 and can turn fan 2 off and on, as I recall.

Rright now I'm running about 203F or so in town and about 210F on the hwy. Truck will cool down to around 200F at extended idle. Aftermarket 4 core raidiator and one 16 inch SPAL fan with a "custom" shroud. THe fan is offset to the drivers side of the radiator to clear the water pump. I've debated on trying to install a couple of "flapper valves" in the shroud to allow better air flow on the hwy but I don't know anyplace that sells them. I have the A/C condensor installed but have not finished the setup for the GM/ Toyota hybrid A/C yet.

Can someone post their temps.... with ambient weather in the 80's or hotter. Don't know where the temps are going when the A/C starts to work... I assume they will increase.

Don't know if I can get better cooling than the setup I have now? See attached pics.

Anybody have any info on "Flapper Valves"? I've been considering somthing similar.

 

[Elbert]

I was never able to find anything on the web. I suspect that some of the hot-rod fabrication shops either make these things in house or know of a source. I never came across any good information. I've seen pictures, but so far I've not gotten beyond that. I think some of the OEM fan shrouds of various mfg have these things made into them.

 

[akarilo]

I was never able to find anything on the web. I suspect that some of the hot-rod fabrication shops either make these things in house or know of a source. I never came across any cood information. I've seen pictures, but so far I've not gotten beyond that. I think some of the OEM fan shrouds of various mfg have these things made into them.

Post a "flapper" pic if you can find one.

Thanks.

 

[Spook50]

Yes, you wire both fans to the single output stud on the controller. It runs both at 0-100% based on radiator temp. You also need the filtered surge protector (1.5 KS on the accessories page).

Is your filter connected to the ground and the output studs? That's how mine was secured to the controller when I got it.

 

[Elbert]

Ok got my conteur fans working good. I have a 99 5.7 Vortec with the aluminum radiator sold by Man-a-fre...along with new conteur dual fan setup, SPAL relays, and SPAL on-off switch mounted in the passenger side cylinder head. I have a thermostat made for a 95 Z28 that's 180 degrees. Previously I had the stock 195 thermostat. And it appears that the electric fan controller was cooling off the engine but would hit the 195 thermostat temp and therefore not cool off any further but the fans would run all the time. THe SPAL controller I'm using is simple a sensor that screws into the cylinder head temp port and turns the fans on at like 195 and off at 175 (as I recall). Its a simply an on-off switch and not a controller that has variable speed (my former SPAL controller bit the dust).

So now I have the 180 thermostat, the fans cycle on and off as they should (They run at 100%) the truck will run just above 180 or so in 5th going down the hiway and a little hotter in stop and go. No working A/C yet and ambient temps or cool.

Next step is to get the A/C functional and and see how it does come this summer.

 

[mookie]

those of you who have made the electric fan mod on a 2F, is there any noticeable difference in power or fuel mileage?

 

[Elbert]

I would not do the mod for engine power or fuel milage, since think it would have minimal impact on either one.