Intercooler fan install July 14, 2005, 11:02:17 AM I wasn't sure if this was an engine tech thread, or electrical, but since it isn't about repairing stock electrical, and is for performance, I put it here.I've had these two 12v fans for a couple of years, but never got around to mounting them. Well, that time has come. I do 90% of my driving on city streets, and it makes me crazy to know I'm boosting heated air all the time, because of the i/c location.Attention Carmen, since you're the electrical guru on here, I thought you could help me out with something. The fans have what appears to be a temperature sensor on the bottom side, and some tech info written. It is 12V DC and 0.9amp. Judging by the guage of wire alone, I assume this can't go on any main power supply lines without frying the fans on my first try. Am I supposed to use something that regulates the amount of juice going to the fan? And if so, what should I be looking for, and where?I'm using thin strips of plastic to mount the fans. I have two larger pieces that I will be splitting at least in half. The less area they take up, the better, so when I'm at speed, there is as little air restriction as possible between the air dam and the i/c. You can see how I plan to mount them, although the strips are far too big right now. There will be two per fan. Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #1 – July 14, 2005, 11:14:06 AM It's a thermostatically controlled PC case fan. It SHOULD be fine on a car's 12v system.. but I don't know for sure. (I've never run one in the 13-14v range) They're often run successfully UNDER 12v, but I haven't heard much (nothing I remember, anyway) about over-volting them. I have lots of those fans sitting around here from my PC modding days. Not sure how under-hood temperature will affect that sensor.. but I'm guessing it'll have those fans running full speed most of the time.One other note: One of those wires is for an RPM signal. I THINK it's the yellow wire, but you'll probably want to double-check.I suppose I could always (possibly) sacrifice one of my old case fans by touching the leads to one of my car batteries, and see what happens. Just not this 120mm/139 CFM monster I'm messing around with right now. :D Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #2 – July 14, 2005, 12:03:24 PM Thanks, man. It would have to be the yellow one. The sticker says red+ black-. So, there's something I'm supposed to use that controls the fans RPM? Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #3 – July 14, 2005, 12:10:16 PM No, it's just a passive output. It's meant for all newer PC motherboards that monitor things like fan RPM, so you can set up an alarm if it goes under a certain speed. (they also use temperature sensors like that one on many motherboards for case temperature readings) You could just cut that wire and not worry about it.. or leave it there if you don't care. Hell, if you were feeling REALLY bored, you could even try to rig up some kind of readout for it. Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #4 – July 14, 2005, 01:51:52 PM Looks like too much of a restriction to me... Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #5 – July 14, 2005, 01:56:24 PM Not to steal this thread but I have a couple of fans like those but was not sure if they would melt been put under the intercooler will the hold up? thanks lmk Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #6 – July 14, 2005, 02:17:26 PM How much air is expected to move through that 'cooler, anyway? I have this big monster of a 120mm fan, and it only puts out 139 CFM. I'm guessing those are in the 80-120 CFM range, just for a number off the top of my head. I was hoping to use a fan like this for the ventilation project I mentioned way back when, but I don't know if even two of them would move the kind of air you're looking for.What about one of those aux. electric fans? Like 8-10" or so, (these 120mm fans are almost 5") and a lot more CFM output? Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #7 – July 14, 2005, 03:43:48 PM Quote from: Chuck WLooks like too much of a restriction to me...It does, for highway driving. But there's no air moving at all when you're on city streets. I'm planning to make this into a removable piece that somehow snaps onto the intercooler, wired in with an old Ford speaker connector, so I can pull it off when I'm going out of city limits. Like I said, the plastic strips will be much thinner when done. Likely around 3/4" wide, so the fans themselves will be the biggest restriction.Another option is to mount them up in the air dam itself, so there is nothing directly on the i/c itself, though I doubt would get any air passing through the cooler if the fans were three or four inches off the surface.I'd probably be farther ahead just getting a heat wrap for the exhaust and turbo, then mounting them on the bottom, permanently. Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #8 – July 14, 2005, 08:53:24 PM A couple of things...First, here is the closest thing I could find as a spec sheet. (1)The operating voltage is 6-13.8V. I run about 14.5V. I'm not sure how much the over-voltage will affect the fan's life. 10%-50%?, no clue.Second, the operating temperature is 14F-158F. I think you'll easily exceed that on a hot day. Third, the fan isn't made to run in wet environments.Fourth, running the fans in a pusher mode reduces their CFM rating by ~20%. Giving them an air gap before the intercooler reduces their rating further too.You can hook up the fans to your main harness without any worry. The small wires only carry about 10W of power. Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #9 – July 15, 2005, 10:29:47 AM So, I'd be better off mounting a small rad fan on the bottom from a VW or something? I wouldn't do any of this without wrapping the turbo and manifold, though. Rad fans can take heat, but I don't thing they can handle that much.Now I need to figure out what I'm going to use these fans for.Thanks for the input, guys. I knew you were good for something. :p Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #10 – July 15, 2005, 11:16:07 AM What are the actual dimenions of the intercooler core? How much room is there to mount something on the bottom? Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #11 – July 15, 2005, 12:18:08 PM Almost posted this yesterday, but I think I closed the browser window and lost the post.http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2DG4910&N=4294924500+4294838842&autoview=skuhttp://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=TCI%2D827000&N=4294924500+4294838842&Nao=100&autoview=skuhttp://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?sub=1&part=SUM%2DG4901&N=4294924500+4294838842&rsview=skuDimensions for quick comparison: The 120mm fan I have sitting here is 4 11/16" x 4 11/16" x 1 1/2". Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #12 – July 15, 2005, 12:59:02 PM I'm not sure what kind of clearance there is, but I know there is some. There was a guy on NATO who converted to air/water, and had a fan not only mounted beneath, but molded into the i/c.I like this one, bird351. 1250cfm and it's only 2 1/2" tall, and 13" X 10". $80 US isn't exactly cheap, though, when you have to pay for ridiculous shipping too. Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #13 – July 16, 2005, 02:54:26 PM How does an intercooler mount on a tc? Is it horizontal at the hood scoops, or does it stand up, or is it on the under side/front of the car? Quote Selected
Re: Intercooler fan install Reply #14 – July 16, 2005, 03:10:36 PM hhah....no to be a dick or some thing, but those fans only push out a max of 100 cfm's you'd be slowing down the air flow, unless you were stoped, The three wires on the fan are yellow black and red i'm assuming, obvously one is ground(black) and one is positive) red and the other wire ( yellow) is a rpm send unit, tells the mother board how fast, not contorls the speed,EDIT PS. the fans will work fine under 11-15 V's Quote Selected
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