Author Topic: WTB: 1991 318i electric fan swap (Read 7730 times)

Haraise · « **on:** October 10, 2010, 11:53:12 PM »

Is anyone selling a setup that I can bolt onto my 318i? Need to get rid of the mechanical fan and can't go out to do this myself.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2010, 02:20:27 PM »

I'll see what the local pick-n-pull has...I was planning on doing this myself, I'll just pick up two sets while I'm there.

Haraise · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2010, 11:02:58 PM »

Awesome, maybe you could start selling them regularly.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2010, 08:37:18 PM »

Not enough demand for it to take space in my basement. More importantly, the wife would have a cow. :rolleyes: Marital bliss is well worth a few less parts...

Besides, there are so many different ways to accomplish this job.

Haraise · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2010, 06:50:05 PM »

So, any word on this?

DesktopDave · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2010, 07:44:24 PM »

No, the wife put her foot down. "No new parts" is the battle cry.

I'll see if I can sneak out sometime soon though.

Haraise · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2010, 12:17:41 AM »

Lol, let me know if you really can or not, so far you're the only person online who seems like they might sell one...

vpilarry · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2010, 12:15:33 PM »

An electric puller fan with its shroud from the later E36 318i/is/ti is a direct bolt-up. I got one from a partout on another BMW forum. I also removed my aux pusher fan. Then I made a harness to run the new fan power from the aux fan plug behind the driver's side headlight to the fan (its plug is on the shroud). Cools fine and the AC still works fine although a mod'ed the wiring under the fuse panel so that the fan goes to high speed whenever I turn the AC on.

Haraise · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2010, 01:31:53 PM »

Quote from: vpilarry;97766

An electric puller fan with its shroud from the later E36 318i/is/ti is a direct bolt-up. I got one from a partout on another BMW forum. I also removed my aux pusher fan. Then I made a harness to run the new fan power from the aux fan plug behind the driver's side headlight to the fan (its plug is on the shroud). Cools fine and the AC still works fine although a mod'ed the wiring under the fuse panel so that the fan goes to high speed whenever I turn the AC on.

Huh, so just get any E36 318 efan/shroud and it'll just bolt up? What kind of wiring is needed? I'm terrible at keeping the magic smoke in the wires...

vpilarry · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2010, 08:23:22 PM »

The puller (suction) fans were available on some of the 318 E36 and Z3. It mounts to your 318is radiator just like your OEM fan shroud but you need the whole E36 fan and shroud. You will need to make a harness that goes from your aux fan plug behind the driver's headlight to the fan plug attached the new shroud. This assumes to will also be removing (or at least disconnecting) your aux fan. Look at Post #91 here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1336732&page=4
The silver cylindrical part at about 7 o'clock in the 2nd picture is the fan resisitor that give you 2 speeds just like your regular aux fan. You don't need Item 7 in the link: http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/E36/Sedan/USA/318i-M44/1996/browse/heater_and_air_conditioning/suction_fan_and_mounting_parts/

Haraise · « **Reply #10 on:** October 22, 2010, 12:06:28 PM »

Why do you have to remove the aux fan?

vpilarry · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2010, 03:22:27 PM »

Well you don't have to remove it. The aux fan is really there to help the AC although it should come on if the engine gets hot but that's ussually pretty rare if everythings working OK and its not super hot outside. You basically have 3 options:
1) Leave the aux fan completely alone and wire in your new electric fan on a seperate circuit. If you try to wire it into the aux fan circuit you'll blow a fuse and posibbly melt some wiring (these thing pull a lot of current)
2) Disconnect the aux fan but leave it in-place. Then you can wire your new fan to the aux fan circuit as I desribed in my previous posting.
3) Disconnect the aux fan and remove it fom the car. Wire the new fan as in #2. This will also remove the airflow restriction that the now disconnected aux fan will impose on your system and you can sell it to offset your expenses.

Haraise · « **Reply #12 on:** October 24, 2010, 09:19:20 PM »

I didn't find any how to's on how to wire up a fan, you wouldn't happen to know where a link is for that, would you?

I live in Phoenix, AZ, where hot is 120... so I'd like to keep both fans.

dbgrubbs · « **Reply #13 on:** October 25, 2010, 10:17:12 AM »

I've got the whole assembly from a Volvo which is a popular swap. Bought it from a Volvo friend but I'll never get around to installing it. Interested?

Haraise · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2010, 11:23:20 AM »

Quote from: dbgrubbs;97902

I've got the whole assembly from a Volvo which is a popular swap. Bought it from a Volvo friend but I'll never get around to installing it. Interested?

Whole assembly from a volvo? What all would need to be done to use it?