I finally got around to installing the new fan. That was after I put in the new radiator because I punched a hole in the old one. I'll still try and get the old one fixed though.
Installing the fan was pretty easy once I got going. I installed a thermostat control so that it comes on when the radiator is hot. I also wired it to the ignition side of the fuse box so that it will go off when the engine is turned off. Finally I included a bypass switch that is mounted on the dash (in place of the dimmer which I plan to bypass as it is useless). The bypass switch allows me to turn on the fan even if the thermostat hasn't kicked in. Basically an override. I even found a switch at advance auto that has a little red LED in it that comes on when the fan is on. Cool.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Ignition relay
I installed an ignition relay last week. Its pretty easy really, basically you are using the power from the ignition switch (white wire) to turn on the relay and let power from the battery flow to the fuse box and the starter and coil. The advantage of this is that all that power no longer flows through the ignition switch.
The process is pretty straightforward. Incidentally, later model cars came with an ignition relay. My car had had it removed at some point! But adding a relay to an older car makes sense to.
The process is pretty straightforward. Incidentally, later model cars came with an ignition relay. My car had had it removed at some point! But adding a relay to an older car makes sense to.
Aftermarket cooling fans
I am in the process of installing an aftermarket electrical cooling fan. This basically involves wiring up the fan that will sit in front of the radiator. Once this is installed and running, I will remove the belt driven fan.
Why?
Because: the belt fan draws constant HP. It runs whether I need it or not. For example, you don't need a cooling fan at 50mph. It also runs when I don't want the engine to be cooled - for example, when I start the car in the morning and its cold. The cooling fan is also quite noisy.
The later Bs came with twin electrical fans as standard, but my car had it removed at some point, so I am basically returning it to its earlier state.
OK - the point of the post...Be very careful installing the fan - they come with plastic wires that are supposed to be threaded through the radiator. I did this and punctured the radiator - DISASTER. So now I either get a new rad, or get this one fixed. A better solution is to build a mounting bracket for the fan. I'll post more details on my solution later.
Apparently, from others on MGExp forum, this is not a unique problem - other folks have inadvertently damaged their radiators installing these fans. So you have been warned.
Why?
Because: the belt fan draws constant HP. It runs whether I need it or not. For example, you don't need a cooling fan at 50mph. It also runs when I don't want the engine to be cooled - for example, when I start the car in the morning and its cold. The cooling fan is also quite noisy.
The later Bs came with twin electrical fans as standard, but my car had it removed at some point, so I am basically returning it to its earlier state.
OK - the point of the post...Be very careful installing the fan - they come with plastic wires that are supposed to be threaded through the radiator. I did this and punctured the radiator - DISASTER. So now I either get a new rad, or get this one fixed. A better solution is to build a mounting bracket for the fan. I'll post more details on my solution later.
Apparently, from others on MGExp forum, this is not a unique problem - other folks have inadvertently damaged their radiators installing these fans. So you have been warned.
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