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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
May 2002
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Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 03:04
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Just wondering if anyone has any good ideas or opinions about thermofan set-ups for an RA28 (3TGTE) - there's a fair bit of room to play with but mostly I was curious about good brands (Davies Craig, etc.)
Also what do you need in terms of a switch to activate them? Engine is still running stock ecu (for now)
Cheers.
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Location:
Terrigal
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 03:35
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I have a craig davies 14" fan in my RA28/3TGTE Celica. It does the job.
I got a thermo fan switch I think from some Mitsubishi. Originally I had it tapped into the radiator but then found a sensor in the original 3tgte coolant tract around the thermostat that wasn't being used. It fitted here perfectly.
Cheers
Joel
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 03:56
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I'd recommend staying with the stock clutch fan if at all possible. Cheaper, neater and in most cases far more effective (if used with the proper shrouding).
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 04:43
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good point norbie. I agree if hes gonna be mainly using the car on cruises/ track work etc. But if its gonna be subject to the odd traffic jam etc, i think thermos are the way to go.
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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 04:50
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Cool, cheers. The main reason I wanted to change is to try to get the engine to heat up a bit more quickly, cooling has never been a problem as the radiator is huge (ex-holden 308 radiator) - it rarely goes above the bottom line of the gauge. That's assuming it will cool less in the warm-up stage with the fan not running. Got about 7 inches of depth to play with and the entire width of the radiator setting of the ra28, this will also put it just behind my intercooler and drag a bit more air through there the rest of the time.
One concern I have is that the fan will be trying to push air through the radiator rather than pull it through and may not be as effective (I'm not sure), but I believe it's capable enough to cope with that.
Could you tell me more about that sensor you used Joel? I think I may be using all of them at the moment with the stock ecu but I'll have a good look over it in the next few days.
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 04:57
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does it have a thermostat? If it does it should get warm straight away (ie it wont let any water into the motor until its hot) But if it doesnt have one obviously its gonna take a while to heat up.
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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 05:07
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It does yeah. I replaced it recently in case that was part of the problem - still takes ages to heat up. Not heaps sure of the quality of the thermostat though, it may be leaking before it reaches temp. Any recommendations of a good thermostat brand?
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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
June 2003
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 05:55
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use a tridon one out of like a late model falcon or something. It was a bit hot opening for my v8, but itd probly suit your 3TGTE down to the ground.
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Location:
Perth
Registered:
July 2003
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 12:53
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AU Falcon twin thermofans move a truckload of air.
That said they also consume lots of power - 15 amps per fan when running. Only consider them if you have an 80+ amp alternator.
The shroud works very well and they are quite thin (about 90mm).
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Location:
On your mum!
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 13:35
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What temp was the thermostat that you recently placed on your engine (it might be time to try a warmer one).
The way the thermo is mounted, whether in front of the radiator or behind, will need to have the fan and the polarity oriented correctly (the fan usually has an arrow marked on it) so as to draw (or push) air from the grille toward the engine bay.
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Location:
Canberra
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Thu, 19 May 2005 23:07
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Yeah I was thinking of trying the 90 degree one, at the moment it's 82. I was reading something about being able to reverse the fan to change the direction of the flow, good to know. Cheers mate.
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Location:
On your mum!
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: Thermofans
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Fri, 20 May 2005 00:01
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Try an 86 or an 88 maybe. I originally ran an 88 now it is something ridiculous, so I am planning trying to get an 86 today.
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