Genius or Moronic cooling idea.

The Fox · Jun 30, 2005

Put an electric fan on either side of the radiator. It's like having AWD because it's pushing air AND pulling air.

Here's why I would do it...

I don't run any extras to drain electricity. A/C, sound system, heat, etc. So draining voltage, ampereage whatever isn't an issue. Especially with an optima battery and 140amp alternator.

Here's why I would NOT do it.

Might be hard to fit without moving the radiator closer to the engine for headlight clearance. If nobody does it there is probably a reason. I don't have a second electric fan.

ANYWAY, unless somebody is experienced in this kinda thing, then I will be experimenting in the near future. I'll let you guys know what does or doesn't happen.

Anthony

nito88stang · Jun 30, 2005

It would hinder your cooling more than help. With two fans, they would block the air more than move air once you get moving at anything above 30mph.

HISSIN50 · Jun 30, 2005

nito88stang said:
It would hinder your cooling more than help. With two fans, they would block the air more than move air once you get moving at anything above 30mph.

This is why I would not do it.
You could create some interesting turbulence with fans of different ratings too (some kind of vortex thing).

Mainly the pusher is an impediment.

vristang · Jun 30, 2005

Yeah...due to the increase in turbulence there would probably be a decrease in airflow.

More is not always better.

As an aside, I just realized that I have never seen a pusher fan on a radiator. Any thoughts as to why? Maybe it's easier to get airflow over the entire radiator when pulling and using a cowl around the fan, as opposed to pushing through a cowl and then through the radiator. Maybe just to protect the fan from debris?

HISSIN50 · Jun 30, 2005

vristang said:
As an aside, I just realized that I have never seen a pusher fan on a radiator. Any thoughts as to why? Maybe it's easier to get airflow over the entire radiator when pulling and using a cowl around the fan, as opposed to pushing through a cowl and then through the radiator. Maybe just to protect the fan from debris?

You answered your own question.

Having the pusher mounted up there is not unlike a country thermostat (putting cardboard in front of the radiator during the winter). So it effectively lessens the surface area which is exposed to air. Plus some shrouds actually can have a venturi sort of effect, where they help to funnel air through the coil.

rd · Jun 30, 2005

At least on the surface, I would not think this to be a very effective method.

Most common auto cooling fans will move enough air or move their rated quantity of air with enough velocity to allow sufficient contact time with the fins to cool the fins/tubes.

Simply putting another fan downstream of the pusher might increase the velocity, but perhaps to no gain in cooling.

What would be more effective is to cover as much of the radiator area as possible with air from the fan, push or pull.

I added a pusher fan on my 82 Bronco as part of the change to 134 in the ac system. It moved enough air to make it cool at idle and keep head pressure down to reasonable levels. Before the aux fan, it blew two clutches out. After, it cooled at 99 deg, in traffic in Selma, AL, in July.

darthcual · Jun 30, 2005

Perhaps a small condensor electric fan on the bottom of the radiator to pull air down and away? That way their is no blocking of moving air when driving down the road. Just a thought.

The Fox · Jun 30, 2005

thanks guys, knew there had to be a reason for nobody doing it. Guess I'll stick to just a giant one in front of the radiator.

TheUser · Jun 30, 2005

unless you do a lot of stop and go city driving and currently have cooling problems, I wouldn't even think about it since on the highway, the fans aren't all that useful. Even still, the first fan would probably be more of an obstruction than a benefit, as the other guys stated above.

marine_2003 · Jun 30, 2005

Dual cooling fans like that is a bad idea, my mustang was set up like that and i kept overheating because there wasnt enough air flow through the radiator. I have a buddy at American Motorsports in Orlando Fl 407-290-6565 Tim that sells a 3300 cfm cooling fan with a temperature regulator.

vristang · Jul 1, 2005

HISSIN50 said:
You answered your own question.

Damn... I'm good

darthcual
Can you explain this idea a little better? I'm confused/distracted easily.

Oooh look, a shiny thing.

darthcual · Jul 5, 2005

vristang said:
Damn... I'm good

darthcual
Can you explain this idea a little better? I'm confused/distracted easily.

Oooh look, a shiny thing.

I saw that shiny thing too. Then went outside to honk me horn. I dunno just mount a smaller tranny fan on the bottom some how to pull heat outta the engine bay from around the radiator and force it to the ground under the car. To really dissapate extra heat tho try going to a fiberglass hood with a bit bigger cowl on it.Fiberglass does not absorb heat like my old steal hood.

vristang · Jul 5, 2005

Random Thoughts on Lunch Break

darthcual said:
I saw that shiny thing too. Then went outside to honk me horn. I dunno just mount a smaller tranny fan on the bottom some how to pull heat outta the engine bay from around the radiator and force it to the ground under the car. To really dissapate extra heat tho try going to a fiberglass hood with a bit bigger cowl on it.Fiberglass does not absorb heat like my old steal hood.

Interesting idea. Generally adding airflow under the car is avoided though due to an increase in aerodynamic drag, and a negative effect on downforce at higher speeds. Maybe the heat from the engine bay could be routed to the cowl? There it could add velocity to the high pressure (drag) point just in front of the windshield?

Daniel50 · Jul 5, 2005

yeah its a good thought. cooler motor would make more power. but like stated before there are a lot of other problems in this design. most obvious would be drag and turbulence

darthcual · Jul 8, 2005

vristang said:
Interesting idea. Generally adding airflow under the car is avoided though due to an increase in aerodynamic drag, and a negative effect on downforce at higher speeds. Maybe the heat from the engine bay could be routed to the cowl? There it could add velocity to the high pressure (drag) point just in front of the windshield?

Not to argue but isnt this what the cowl does already. Or are you saying at low to zero speed having it draw out of the cowl? Ok i gots it. Put a frozen pig fetus on the manny and strap it down with a bungie cord. Then after done at the track you got pork rinds and the most tender pork ribs ever!

sgarlic · Jul 8, 2005

vristang said:
Yeah...due to the increase in turbulence there would probably be a decrease in airflow.

More is not always better.

As an aside, I just realized that I have never seen a pusher fan on a radiator. Any thoughts as to why? Maybe it's easier to get airflow over the entire radiator when pulling and using a cowl around the fan, as opposed to pushing through a cowl and then through the radiator. Maybe just to protect the fan from debris?

The new nissan pickup trucks (titan?) have pusher fans mounted on the front side of the rad. And Kia's SUV's from the last 4-5 years also have pusher fans on the front side.

On an interesting, highly curious note, my '95 Jeep Cherokee had a mechanical fan, and an electric pusher fan.. mounted on the BACK of the radiator (the same side the mechanical fan is mounted on..) which makes NO sense.. trying to push the air through the radiator when air is flowing in from the forward movement of the vehicle. Wow.

mustangman1974 · Jul 8, 2005

If both fans are rotating oppsite of each other, but moving the air in the same direction. ie through the radiator. It creates negative preasure on teh pusher making it more efficient. Both will increase in CFMs therefore move more air. I have a similar setup on my mustang. However, many are right it causes the engine to run hotter at freeway speeds unless the fans are constantly on. I nt he winter its no problem in the summer you have to count on having both on all the time.

vristang · Jul 12, 2005

darthcual said:
Not to argue but isnt this what the cowl does already. Or are you saying at low to zero speed having it draw out of the cowl? Ok i gots it. Put a frozen pig fetus on the manny and strap it down with a bungie cord. Then after done at the track you got pork rinds and the most tender pork ribs ever!

Underhood barbeques are great. Add some tranny fluid to your hickory chips, and you've got some great smoked salmon.

I think the cowl offers a path for air to travel down, into the car. I was thinking of using the hot exhaust air to help accelerate airflow over the top of the car. This would probably only be beneficial if the hot exhaust air had a fair amount of velocity coming out of the engine bay, and the velocity needed would vary with vehicle speed. This is getting too complicated.

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