Who's Using A Lincoln Mark Viii Fan?

[stangboy]

Hey guys. I'm having some issues with my fan controller and I was wondering if maybe the fan is why the controller isn't working right. I have a Lincoln Mark VIII fan, Derale controller, and Leash single 70Amp relay board.

The issue I'm having is the controller won't turn the fan off when its supposed to. It turns it on but not off which, in turn, blows the fuse on the relay board because it gets too hot. Could this be because of the amp draw of that fan? I've been dealing with this issue for about a month now and can figure out why it's not acting right. I emailed Derale but I'm waiting for a reply.

Any Ideas?? I'm stumped and aggravated.

 

[imp]

Vehicle year, model, engine, and type? No control system for an electric fan should blow a fuse because the fan ran too long, or failed to turn off. Something is going on with the controller which will have to be figured out. This Derale controller which I know nothing at all about, would seem to be at the crux of the trouble, IMO. imp

 

[stangboy]

Vehicle year, model, engine, and type? No control system for an electric fan should blow a fuse because the fan ran too long, or failed to turn off. Something is going on with the controller which will have to be figured out. This Derale controller which I know nothing at all about, would seem to be at the crux of the trouble, IMO. imp

All my vehicle info is in my signature.

 

[RaggedGT]

How do you have the controller wired?

 

[Mustang5L5]

What size wiring are you using to power the fan through the relay?

Which model Derale controller?

 

[General karthief]

What kind of beverage do you prefer?
Not relevant I know

 

[stangboy]

How do you have the controller wired?

Battery power going to the controller, power from the controller to the relay board, from the relay board to the fan.

 

[stangboy]

What size wiring are you using to power the fan through the relay?

Which model Derale controller?

12 gauge. Controller is p/n 16779.

 

[jrichker]

12 gauge. Controller is p/n 16779.

!2 gauge wire is only good for 20 amps.

Wire size current table:

18 gauge wire = 5-8 amps
16 gauge wire = 10-12 amps
14 gauge wire = 15-17 amps
12 gauge wire = 20-25 amps
10 gauge wire = 30-40 amps
8 gauge wire = 50-60 amps.

 

[stangboy]

I don't remember what the constant amp draw is on this fan but I know initial startup amp draw is around 70 amps. Should I use wiring according to that or the constant amp draw? @jrichker could that be what's causing the controller to not cut the fan off?

 

[jrichker]

The high startup current could damage the relay contacts, casing them to stick. A visual examination of the contact surfaces would show evidence of damage or metal transfer from one contact to the other,

 

[stangboy]

I'm beginning to think this fan wasn't worth the headache its causing me. What other aftermarket electric fans move enough air to keep a poked and stroked motor cool on the street in New Orleans extremely hot and humid climate in the summer? We never really get real winter weather here so keeping things cool in warm humid air is a year-round thing.

 

[mikestang63]

contour dual fans

 

[stangboy]

contour dual fans

Yeah, but isn't the amp draw on those almost as bad or the same as this fan?

 

[mikestang63]

Yeah, but isn't the amp draw on those almost as bad or the same as this fan?

no

 

[Sparky714]

I'm beginning to think this fan wasn't worth the headache its causing me. What other aftermarket electric fans move enough air to keep a poked and stroked motor cool on the street in New Orleans extremely hot and humid climate in the summer? We never really get real winter weather here so keeping things cool in warm humid air is a year-round thing.

Get a soft start fan controller and you don't have to worry about the relays or high inrush current.
I have one of these for my contour fans and it works great. http://www.dccontrol.com/constant_temperature_controllers.htm. It does take awhile to get and his customer service sucks though. I read somewhere that Derale bought his patent and their PWM controllers are based off his design.

 

[Boostedpimp]

contour or dodge stratus fans fit and work really well

 

[Mustang5L5]

I use an SN95 fan on my car, with 10g wiring.

I think the m8 fan is fine to run, you just need to increase your wire size to 10g or 8g wire instead.

Also, mine is wired differently with my controller activating a bosch 75a relay rather than feeding the high current through the controller. Basically I go starter solenoid, slow-blo fuse, Bosch 75a relay and then to the fan. The relay activation wire comes from the controller, so no heavy current to controller.

The 16779 is rated for 35A, which might not be enough if it's wired with 12g wire

 

[stangboy]

So if I was to just use a toggle switch what size wire should I use? 10g? Should I use a 50amp toggle switch? I'm tired of going thru all these controllers. I'll be on the lookout for some contour fans. But for now I'll just manually control the fan with a toggle switch. I just want to drive my car without worrying about if the fan is gonna continue working or not. I've been building this thing for 5 years and I want to start enjoying it.

 

[stangboy]

What years contours should I look for for the fans or are they all the same?