installed my taurus fan and DC Controller. Pics

cenok is family · Jul 11, 2010

finally got around to installing my taurus fan and DC controller. pretty straight forward, the install went smoothly.

here's the controller...ignore the license plate ...it's temporary until i get some sheet metal to fab up a cover for the airbox hole.

please excuse the dirtiness and all the wiring, i plan on putting loom on the wires going up to the controller and the loose red wire on the driver's side i plan on hiding in the fender with the rest of the wires already hidden...just gotta find time to pull the fender to do it.

let me know what you guys think.

thanks!

NIKwoaC · Jul 11, 2010

How does the controller work? Where does it take a temp reading from?

I'm curious because my Flex-a-Lite just has a thermocouple that sticks into the radiator.

cenok is family · Jul 11, 2010

NikwoaC said:
How does the controller work? Where does it take a temp reading from?

I'm curious because my Flex-a-Lite just has a thermocouple that sticks into the radiator.

it has a probe that you stick into the radiator as well. if you look at the last pic, you can see a black wire going into the radiator...that's the probe.

as far as how it works, it comes on at 185* but is adjustable via a potentiometer. it has hook ups to work 2 speed fans, but i don't have a/c, so i just have the high speed connection hooked up.

Cobra912 · Jul 11, 2010

that metal straping gonna hold it when it kicks on? that's pretty weak stuff

cenok is family · Jul 12, 2010

Cobra912 said:
that metal straping gonna hold it when it kicks on? that's pretty weak stuff

yeah it seems to be okay so far. i plan on moving the fan up on the radiator which will make the straps shorter/more sturdy so the strapping should be okay.

HISSIN50 · Jul 12, 2010

Looks good man.

Do you not want the temp probe near the radiator outlet (bottom, driver's side)? The older units were calibrated for this location to be used.

I agree with using heavier metal for the straps. Muffler strap is ok for mock-up/templating, but you'll want more. That strap breaks apart pretty easy (repeated flexing causes it to break). And as noted, the motor creates a lot of rotational torque. If you have a vice and a hammer, you can bend some aluminum brackets up pretty easy in a minute or two. The muffler strap templates will make it real easy to do.

cenok is family · Jul 12, 2010

HISSIN50 said:
Looks good man.

Do you not want the temp probe near the radiator outlet (bottom, driver's side)? The older units were calibrated for this location to be used.

I agree with using heavier metal for the straps. Muffler strap is ok for mock-up/templating, but you'll want more. That strap breaks apart pretty easy (repeated flexing causes it to break). And as noted, the motor creates a lot of rotational torque. If you have a vice and a hammer, you can bend some aluminum brackets up pretty easy in a minute or two. The muffler strap templates will make it real easy to do.

i'm not sure where the best place for the probe is. i just went by the install instructions DC gave me. it says (not verbatim) "on a cross flow radiator (where the tanks are on the sides) place the probe on the upper hose side, about half way between the top and bottom."

i'll take your guys' word for it and change out the strapping for sturdier braces. i drove my car across town today and the fan never turned on, so i haven't seen how the strapping holds up to the fan's torque yet. im 99% sure i have it wired up correctly, wiring isn't complicated, but i need to double check over everything. like a 'tard, i turned the potentiometer knob when i first got the controller in, just cause i wanted to fidget with it, so i don't know if i messed up the setting. i'll have to tinker with it sometime in the next few days when it's not pouring rain.

thanks for the advise!

fiveohwblow · Jul 12, 2010

There are these awesome straps at autozone that are like an oversized zip tie. They work perfectly for holding a fan on and it's like 8 bucks. I'd go that route... Wait I did!

cenok is family · Jul 12, 2010

fiveohwblow said:
There are these awesome straps at autozone that are like an oversized zip tie. They work perfectly for holding a fan on and it's like 8 bucks. I'd go that route... Wait I did!

cool, i'll look into them. are you talking about the metal zip ties? when i worked there, i saw them and thought they'd be useful for something, but didn't have anything i needed them for at the time.

HISSIN50 · Jul 12, 2010

I'm pretty sure he still has the probe at the radiator outlet. I just looked up the instructions for a FK50 and that's where he has it (as it was on the FK35). The unit is calibrated for the temp drop across the coil (after after the area the fan has cooled).

I would be careful with the pull-through ties for mouning a fan to a radiator. The fan creates a lot of torque and can tear a nice hole in the radiator. Mounting brackets are better IMHO.

NIKwoaC · Jul 12, 2010

cenok is family said:
like a 'tard, i turned the potentiometer knob when i first got the controller in, just cause i wanted to fidget with it, so i don't know if i messed up the setting. i'll have to tinker with it sometime in the next few days when it's not pouring rain.

If it's anything like my Flex-a-Lite controller, all you do is turn the knob to maximum, run the car sitting still at idle until the engine gets up to the temp that you want the fan to run at, then slowly crank the knob back until the fan kicks on. Then that is where you leave it. Easy.

Cobra912 · Jul 12, 2010

buy yourself some thicker 1" wide or similar aluminum strips from Lowes or Home Depot. Easy to bend with a vise and simple to drill. Might cost you 10-15 bucks but will look nicer than strapping

fiveohwblow · Jul 12, 2010

cenok is family said:
cool, i'll look into them. are you talking about the metal zip ties? when i worked there, i saw them and thought they'd be useful for something, but didn't have anything i needed them for at the time.

No they are not metal, they are actually plastic. They have a round stop on one end that is the size in between a quarter and half dollar. There is NO WAY an electric fan will produce enough torque to pull that through your radiator. I would venture to say no one could pull that through with their own strength if they really wanted to. Great solution, not ugly at all. In fact, almost impossible to see so it looks really clean. I have been running them for years. Best solution IMO.

HISSIN50 · Jul 12, 2010

The problem isn't them pulling through the radiator. The repeated on/off torque from the fan can allow them to hog a hole (radially) through the radiator.

fiveohwblow · Jul 12, 2010

HISSIN50 said:
The problem isn't them pulling through the radiator. The repeated on/off torque from the fan can allow them to hog a hole (radially) through the radiator.

Fair enough. I would assume tightening them enough would eradicate this issue from occurring... at least I know it has for me.

cenok is family · Jul 12, 2010

well i took her out and actually let her warm up and the fan/controller works perfectly. i have it adjusted to come on at about 180-185 ish, i didn't have an infrared thermometer handy.

as far as the straps, the fan didn't move a wink when it turned on. the DC controller slowly ramps up the fan's speed so it doesn't hit with a bunch of torque. i'm still probably going to change them out though, something that looks better at least.

HISSIN50 · Jul 12, 2010

You'll want the fan's target temp 7-10* above the temp at which the t-stat opens fully. Otherwise you end up running the fan unnecessarily.

There are times your fan will ramp up to 100% immediately. One instance is if you're running around while it's hot out and stop to go into a store. When you come out the temps will have creeped up and the fan will start out at 100% as soon as you start the car.

cenok is family · Jul 13, 2010

HISSIN50 said:
You'll want the fan's target temp 7-10* above the temp at which the t-stat opens fully. Otherwise you end up running the fan unnecessarily.

There are times your fan will ramp up to 100% immediately. One instance is if you're running around while it's hot out and stop to go into a store. When you come out the temps will have creeped up and the fan will start out at 100% as soon as you start the car.

yeah that's true, i have a 180 t-stat, i'll turn it up a bit.

i understand what you're saying about the fan spiking power, but DC control has a safety feature built in where it doesn't do that upon start up. this is quoted from his website:

"While the short term peak current of a fan is typically three times the running current and lasts between one and five seconds subsequent to turning on the fan byway of a relay, the Delta controller slowly ramps up the voltage to a fan so that this peak current does not occur."

one of the perks of this controller

HISSIN50 · Jul 13, 2010

If your coolant is hotter than the target temp (in the grocery store scenario), as soon as you turn the key on, the fan will ramp up quickly. It starts fast enough to create a good bit of torque.

The ramp-up feature applies more when you approach the target temp from a lower temperature. It's very gradual as it approaches the target. If you're already above the target temp, the controller will go to 100 % DC pretty quickly.

JH96GT · Jul 13, 2010

Baskin makes good stuff. I love mine, and even have fun watching the LED indicator change colors. It lets me know how hard the fan is running.

Yes, I'm easily amused.......

installed my taurus fan and DC Controller. Pics

cenok is family

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