Electric Fan Conversion

[iHateVolvoPeople]

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[will740turbo]

I've got an 89 GLE and want to do an E-fan conversion. I've got to assemble the engine and install it. While prepping, I am seeing that the radiator is 18" wide and obviously more "square" than the 24" version.

I wasn't set on doing the e-fan mod, but I plan to buy a new radiator just for reliability. Since I'm buying one anyway, what size should I get to use the stock Volvo e-fan? I think I may have an ECU from the year that had e-fans stock.

 

[Acke]

The stock e-fan comes with the 24" radiator at least on 940. It can be fitted to the 18" as well, but you have to fit it in the viscous fan housing and the clearence to the waterpump on turbo models is <0,5" because of the intercooler. The wider radiator sits further in the front, you can use the original e-fan housing and you have far greater clearence to the waterpump.
I'm running the stock e-fan with the 18" radiator, controlled by the ecu. I also added a switch for control, since the ECU starts the fan a bit late IMO.

 

[will740turbo]

The stock e-fan comes with the 24" radiator at least on 940. It can be fitted to the 18" as well, but you have to fit it in the viscous fan housing and the clearence to the waterpump on turbo models is <0,5" because of the intercooler. The wider radiator sits further in the front, you can use the original e-fan housing and you have far greater clearence to the waterpump.
I'm running the stock e-fan with the 18" radiator, controlled by the ecu. I also added a switch for control, since the ECU starts the fan a bit late IMO.

Awesome info! Let me read it back and see if this is right...

18" rad with e-fan has less clearance than the 24" with e-fan between fan and water pump

Is the difference in the radiator design or the chassis/mounting brackets?

Looking at this set of mounting brackets, it has a 3rd unused slot for the lower rubber cushion.

 

[Acke]

18" rad with e-fan has less clearance than the 24" with e-fan between fan and water pump -> If you put an e-fan on a non-AC turbo car and compare it to a AC turbo car, yes. Swapping to a AC model radiator, intercooler and pipes as well woud give more clearance.

The radiator thickness seems to be about the same, but there's difference in the brackets: NA non-AC, NA AC and turbos with AC use short brackets for the radiator, while non-AC turbos use long brackets (for both the IC and radiator). I'm not sure if the short turbo rad brackets are the same as the NA ones since I haven't had a turbo car with AC. Pictures of older 740s seem to indicate there might be some differences in the lock plates as well.

Here's a couple of pics from do88s site to demonstrate the difference:

vs

 

[will740turbo]

I was just thinking about it - Did the 960s have Oil coolers in the same spot that 740Ts did? I wonder if a wider radiator would interfere with mounting the 740 turbo oil cooler. I didn't see any mention of it in this thread.

 

[KwikBrik245]

I have been using the Derale Pulse Width Modulation fan controller for over a year now on my daily 245. I highly recommend it. only issue was it came with the old style probe that you push through the fins in your rad, but after a phone call they overnighted me the updated stick-on version. Believe me, I was concerned. But the thing works great and my temps stay within 5-10* on my autometer gauge. The charging system loves the soft fan starts that roll in from 0% all the way up

 

[will740turbo]

I went to buy one of the thread-in sensors, and found out that my link was long dead. I think all the links in the thread are dead.

So... here is the thread size M22 x 1.5

And here are 4 part numbers and manufacturers.
BECK/ARNLEY 2011612
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS TS280
FOUR SEASONS 20036
WVE 1S4488

Basically any of the sensors that fit an 85-91 VW Eurovan will thread into the Nissens radiator. Some of them have different on/off points. I'm liking the Beck/Arnley and WVE for the low temps.

 

[KwikBrik245]

I went to buy one of the thread-in sensors, and found out that my link was long dead. I think all the links in the thread are dead.

So... here is the thread size M22 x 1.5

And here are 4 part numbers and manufacturers.
BECK/ARNLEY 2011612
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS TS280
FOUR SEASONS 20036
WVE 1S4488

Basically any of the sensors that fit an 85-91 VW Eurovan will thread into the Nissens radiator. Some of them have different on/off points. I'm liking the Beck/Arnley and WVE for the low temps.

Gonna run a one speed wonder, eh?

 

[will740turbo]

Gonna run a one speed wonder, eh?

Not at all.

These switches all have a high and low switch. They're shared ground 3-pin switches.

I got a 940 shroud, fan, and controller. If I didn't have one, some heavy-duty relays wired up so the high-speed switch disconnects the low-speed circuit would work too.

You would need a 5-pin relay with NC and NO outputs 87 and 87a. Run power to actuate the low-speed fan relay on the NC pin 87a, then 87 goes to the high-speed circuit until the high-temp switch opens. I should draw a diagram.

 

[lookforjoe]

this is nice.
what male connector fits?

867-972-525-B. 893-906-231 + regular crimp on 6.3mm spade terminals

Thread revival

Looking through this - I didn't find any clear pics of using the late wider rad (and IC) in a 740

I have a later rad - not sure which model it's form -it has angled I/O ports which I am unfamiliar with (fan shroud I took from 960, not the rad). I have a same size unit with straight I/O but the bottom of one side where it sits down in the cross rail has been tweaked. Anything can be made to fit - the question would be whether it's worth the effort

any pointers here?