SPAL Fan

[pgermond]

I received the SPAL 16" fan I ordered and plan to install it tomorrow. Does anyone care to offer any tips or not-to-do's prior to tomorrow? Looks simple to me.... my only hesitation is with the mounting pins that were supplied - do these hold up to the viberation of the car okay?

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[excelguru]

I love mine. Mine mounted up just fine and has never given me a problem. The only suggestion I would make would be to replace the fuse in the fusebox. If memory serves, the normal fuse is a 15-Amp and needs to be replaced with a 20-Amp. My numbers may be wrong, but the fuse should be stepped up one level regardless. That fan will move a TREMENDOUS amount of air. Your smaller fuse will last for about 0.00217 seconds. You may also be surprised at just how LOUD the fan is (I can actually hear the fan over the motor at idle). This concerned me for a moment, but it protects the engine so who cares?

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[Tony Radford]

Phil, are you also installing a thermostat? I would highly recommend it. I put all three fans (two pushers + Spal) on a common circuit, routed them through a dash toggle switch and through a thermostat. Since they collectively draw a fair amount of current, I figured it was a good idea to be able to kill them during starting on a hot day, but I've never needed to kill them. The thermostat allows the fans to keep running for few seconds after I kill the engine, which helps pull some of the hot air out of the engine compartment.

427SC, Torch Red / white stripes
427 Windsor Stroker from Southern Automotive
Delicious example of Beauty + Power.

[GeorgiaSnake]

Phil which fan did you get? I have been going back and forth on the regular 16" and the high flow 16". Are you going to use the pins that go through the radiator? Alan told me he has seen those things wear holes in the tubes. Check with him for the particulars. I will make a custom bracket to do mine.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[pgermond]

Randy,

I have been concerned about the nails for mounting, so I'll give Alan a call. Here's the link to the fan I bought. I choose this one due to the depth ("2.05") http://www.jaycorptech.com/showproduct.aspx?Productid=27&categoryid=2


Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[Mike Geddes]

Alan must have been keeping that little gem of information about the pins wearing holes in the tubes to himself all this time.
The fan with the 4 pins was standard issue when I got my kit in 1991.
Since then,the fan has been moved several times...front to back of the radiator...and back again... even left off for periods of time.
I have used the original pins and clips every time and it still holds
in place extremely well.The only problem I had with the fan mounted on the back was the interference with the sway bar...it squished the fan towards the rad. and the blades rubbed a bit....but..10 minutes of running the fan wore down the interference fit and all was well.
Mike

Mike Geddes

[GeorgiaSnake]

This may not be an issue with the standard 16" fan as it only weighs 2.9 # the high performance (2360 cfm) weighs 5.2 #. I haven't checked but think the high performance fan will fit (3.39" thick) if mounted above the centerline.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver

[WBofTN]

My fan (mounted with the clips through the radiator) fell last summer and was barely hanging on when I arrived at the local cruise in. Luckly there was no damage. Instead of fabricating a bracket, I fed nylon wire ties thru the radiator and secured them to the 4 fan tabs. Sorta a jerry-rig approach, just a notch better than using duct tape.
WB

'93 Unique 427/351W/4sp

[Tony Radford]

Randy, you'd better check on the fan clearance of 3.35". I bought the 2" slim 16" Spal and I had to squeeze it between the sway bar and radiator. There is very little clearance (basically none) between the fan motor and bar. And if you're installing it with the radiator already in the car, it's a bit scairy while it's scraping the radiator surface. Maybe the FIA car is different, but the 427 car is really tight. As for the through pins, I had a much heaver 12" fan in mine for about a year and there was no problem. I think that if you install it right and cinch it up tight, it shouldn't move enough to be a problem. May be worth a poll on CC to see if there are any horror stories.

427SC, Torch Red / white stripes
427 Windsor Stroker from Southern Automotive
Delicious example of Beauty + Power.

[weaver]

Mounting the fan with pins wasn't much of a problem untill we switched to aluminum radiators, I would recommend fabricating some type of bracket to keep the fan from touching the radiator.

Alan

[Homewrecker]

This is what my plan was for the puller fans. The new owner of my car didn't want them for some reason. I never mounted them to try them but they pull a ton of air. They are 8" Perma Cool fans. I set up the brackets to mount in the channels at the top & bottom of the radiator. The top & bottom pieces are made or UHMW plastic that won't wear out the radiator. The bottom piece is the correct size so that the fans cannot move from side to side. The aluminum angles are the correct length to keep the fans from moving up & down. The fans split the front sway bar & are located at top & bottom of the radiator where the twin pusher fans have no effect.
BTW, I have no use for these anymore, so if someone wants to buy them, please email me with a reasonable offer at:
d.brouwer@comcast.net
I have $160 in the fans alone but I can't use them on my GT-1 race Corvette.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/homewrecker/Fan1.jpg

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/homewrecker/Fan2.jpg

Dave Brouwer
Sold the Unique for a GT1 race car.

[pgermond]

Well, I worried that to death. It's all mounted, wired, and cooling. Combined with the pushers, it actually will blow your hair back. I went against the directions supplied by SPAL and the advice of Alan and mounted it up against the radiator with the pins. I put some heat-shrink over the pins + it will only be used with a manual switch in traffic, so it should be okay.... I hope.

http://www.uniquecobra.com/uploaded/pgermond/17 SPAL fan mounted.JPG

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[weaver]

Well thats the last time I will give you any advice! Just kidding, I would check from time to time and make sure they stay tight.

Alan

[clayfoushee]

Phil or anyone,

I saw the current draw on the SPAL was 7-8amps. Anyone, know the draw on the pusher fans? Also, I haven't checked, but I'm assuming the fan is installed on it's own fuse without anything else. Mine is also manually switched w/ no thermo.

I guess I'm about the take the plunge with the SPAL, even though I've haven't had any heating problems yet. Then again, I haven't driven it in the 90+ degree heat of summer in stop and go traffic.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[excelguru]

It must've been 5-Amp vs 10-Amp (it's been so long). I'm pretty sure it has it's own dedicated fuse. Not sure about the pushers. There might be a label on the motor. Look for the "FLA" value (full load amps).

Keith :)
Unique Motorcars (http://www.uniquecobrareplicas.com)
Southern Automotive (http://www.southernautomotiveengines.com)
Bruce Bunn (the painter) (http://www.jodecoautobody.com)

My Photo Album (http://members5.clubphoto.com/keith355593/owner-429c-1.phtml)

[pgermond]

The fan wire (I think it is #44) is on its own dedicated 15 amp fuse (fuse #7). I replaced that with a 20 amp and it works fine. I don't know what the total draw is with the combination, but it sure makes the ammeter guage move when that toggle is thrown at an idle.

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[clayfoushee]

Thanks Keith and Phil.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD