M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: Wizard on May 30, 2009, 10:48:58 AM
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I finally did my Volvo fan conversion after my clutch fan took a crap...I did use my original shroud instead of the Volvo one that people usually use..Had to fab up 3 "L" brackets to bolt the fan to the shroud...
(http://webgraphx.com/m42/fan1.jpg)
I also used the Volvo relays and just hard wired to a voltage source (aux fuse panel), and the 318ti temp switch.
(http://webgraphx.com/m42/fan2.jpg)
Fan automatically comes on ( low speed) when the temp needle is a tick over 1/2 way. Never have had the high side kick in yet...
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Nice, so far I've considered mine a worthwhile swap. I used the Volvo shroud since it gave a little more room in the engine bay. My fan also barely ever needs to come on, but when it does the temp is at slightly over half. Take any pictures?
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I was considering this. What's the temp range & part number on the 318ti switch?
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80°/88° Dual Temp Switch: 61-31-8-361-787
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Whats the pro's and con's to this? I have a 94 318is with a cai and about to do the exhaust. Will replacing the factory fan with an electric free up any hp that the car is using to spin the blet drivin fan?
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Probably no advantage except cost....Will not really gain much in HP department (Maybe 2)...Junkyard fans are cheap....Replacing the clutch fan is not...Fan clutch is around $70-$80...I think my total setup was less then $40 with new sender...
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Nice. Did you remove the Aux fan yet?
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Nice. Did you remove the Aux fan yet?
not yet....I actually have the aux fan hotwired to my A/C circuit...
The setup above is totally independent..
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Just be careful to avoid situation both the AUX and volvo fan are running at high speed at the same time. Together they can draw over 50A and I think our alternator is 70A. Doesn't leave much for the rest of the car. Once you're totaly confidence in the puller fan setup I would at least disable the aux fan for the good of the alternator. The AUX fan is a bitch to remove without disassembling the bumper or radiator. I used the power wires going to the aux fan as triggers for the volvo fan which worked out nicely.
good luck
Justin
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Just to let you know that a 1987 volvo has a alternator that put's out 90 amps(same set-up) as far as bolt line up.
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Changing your alternator is unnecessary. The single volvo fan will pull enough air, so no need to run 2 fans.
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Looks great, I need to do this badly. Maybe I will swing by the junkyard tomorrow and try to get something rolling. Eric you game for helping me wire it?
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Looks alot like my setup, but I wired mine like TJTS1... using the aux fan circuit. Only problem I'm having is that my fan doesn't kick on until just before the 3/4 mark. Not a big deal really, only time it comes into play is in traffic. And even then it's before the 3/4 mark so no overheating.
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Looks alot like my setup, but I wired mine like TJTS1... using the aux fan circuit. Only problem I'm having is that my fan doesn't kick on until just before the 3/4 mark. Not a big deal really, only time it comes into play is in traffic. And even then it's before the 3/4 mark so no overheating.
Were you having an issue with the temperature switch or did you replace it with the 318ti one? Mine turns on somewhere between 1/2-3/4 but it seems to work just fine. like that.
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What about just wiring it to a in cabin on/off switch? How hard would it be to just flip the switch when you see the temp hit halfway? I'd *much* prefer this so I have total control. Besides, it would give me something to do. ;)
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Looks great, I need to do this badly. Maybe I will swing by the junkyard tomorrow and try to get something rolling. Eric you game for helping me wire it?
Yeah, I'm game, I think one good arm and one bum arm can do it
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What about just wiring it to a in cabin on/off switch? How hard would it be to just flip the switch when you see the temp hit halfway? I'd *much* prefer this so I have total control. Besides, it would give me something to do. ;)
You only need to forget once to have a really bad day. I can switch on my cooling fan manually by hitting the AC button. I usually end up switching on the AC before the engine needs the extra air flow of the fan. But once in a while the temp switch kicks in the fan without me noticing.
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^Good point.
I check my temp guage constantly though, impossible for me to forget as my peripheral vision would catch the temp rise. Living in Hawaii, where it's 85 everyday I tend to pay attention to the guage more than most.
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an a side note... an alternator from an E36 will fit and gives out 105A. ( don't remember year though)
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I changed to the 80/88C temp switch, added two bottles of water wetter, and just yanked the whole clutch fan. I'm running only the stock aux fan. It kicks on when the temp gets a tad above 1/2. Even in stop and go with the A/C on full, it has never been up to 3/4 on the temp gauge.
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I'm tempted to do the water wetter too. I did that on my e34m20 and it's worked like a charm. The temperature on the m42 isn't stable like the m20 though, maybe a leak or two that I have to cure before I go all fan delete-delete.
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Were you having an issue with the temperature switch or did you replace it with the 318ti one? Mine turns on somewhere between 1/2-3/4 but it seems to work just fine. like that.
Nope nothing was ever wrong with that switch... I just never let it get high enough to have it switch on by itself. It switches on just before the 3/4 mark which seems fine to me. And we have 100 degree days almost every day now.
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can anyone explain to me how the wiring is on this set-up?
thanks
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can anyone explain to me how the wiring is on this set-up?
thanks
You talking about my set-up?
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^Yup. I always wanted to do this, but the wiring always scared me..
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^Yup. I always wanted to do this, but the wiring always scared me..
I wired up mine differently than Wizard and it was not scary.
http://www.m42club.com/forums/showpost.php?p=73440&postcount=2
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I have to go to New York for a few days, but will do a write-up when I get back...Wiring is fairly straight forward though..
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I wired up mine differently than Wizard and it was not scary.
http://www.m42club.com/forums/showpost.php?p=73440&postcount=2
Hey, thanks for this! I'm still confused about using the volvo relay.(sorry, I am very bad with wiring):D
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btw, can I use a aftermarket pusher fan instead(summit)?
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You can but you already have a pusher fan in the car.
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any updates on this? I would really like to wire my fan up this way with the advantage of it being independent of the aux fan.
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(http://webgraphx.com/m42/fan1.jpg)
(http://webgraphx.com/m42/fan2.jpg)
okay, using wizard's pic.
Just want to run this by you guys to see what you think.
I plan to splice the yellow wires into the rad temp sensor, hi to hi, low to low, then simply run the last red wire to the battery with a inline fuse. Sound good? Should be able to keep the aux fan independent correct? If it overloads the alt, I'll simply disable the aux fan.
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I think you may be over complicating this installation. If you search for Justin's threads, he has a detailed description of how to disable the aux fan and install an electric fan with a 2-speed motor. It's really, quite simple.
Along with this, you retain the system built into the car to start the fan when the conditions are properly met. Adding extra circuits and extra fuses is completely unnecessary.
Using Justin's write up, I am happy to say that I have had this conversion for the past year in Hawaii without a hickup. Granted, I put in a lower temp fan switch, but the fan comes on its self just after the 1/2 way mark - every time, using the wires and relays that are already built into the car.