Ebay Fan Mod
#1
Boost Czar
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Ebay Fan Mod
I came into possession of two 10" ebay fans and figured I'd give them a go. It was apparent when I bench tested each (oem and ebay) that the ebay fans, even at only 10" in diameter, pulled more CFM due to design and rpms.
So then as I was overthinking all my options, I decided the best way to ensure it pulls air out of the rad was to shroud it, since it's much smaller than the face it needs to pull from. So, as usual, I came up with something brilliant. I decided to gut the stock fan shroud and put in place, my ebay guts.
It took me exactly 45mins from start to finish. this included walking up 3 flights of stairs a few times and waiting for a soldering iron to heat up, and playing with different combos of motors and blades.
Simply, unbolt the blades and motor. Then I had to make two holes and screw in the ebay and attached the blade. The end. Soldered the oem connector in place and presto.
It does looks silly being so small and all, but when I jump the fans, this little guy spins much faster and pulls tons more CFM. Eventually I'll grab a cheap 12" and throw those blades on it.
So then as I was overthinking all my options, I decided the best way to ensure it pulls air out of the rad was to shroud it, since it's much smaller than the face it needs to pull from. So, as usual, I came up with something brilliant. I decided to gut the stock fan shroud and put in place, my ebay guts.
It took me exactly 45mins from start to finish. this included walking up 3 flights of stairs a few times and waiting for a soldering iron to heat up, and playing with different combos of motors and blades.
Simply, unbolt the blades and motor. Then I had to make two holes and screw in the ebay and attached the blade. The end. Soldered the oem connector in place and presto.
It does looks silly being so small and all, but when I jump the fans, this little guy spins much faster and pulls tons more CFM. Eventually I'll grab a cheap 12" and throw those blades on it.
#4
Nice work. Let us know if you see any difference in your CLT.
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#10
Fair enough. I just see a lot of people jumping on these slim fans and I wonder why. With the godspeed rad I was able to get the OE fans to fit with minor (needed) modification to the rad. I've got the big RB swaybar and there is still a (very) little bit of clearance.
Carry on.
Carry on.
#11
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really, it's a lot easier to zip tie two $20 fans onto the new rad then to bother with the stock ones. The fact that you should never even need fans from the enormous size of the godspeed coupled with cheap *** high power fans, you can rest assure that your cooling system is more than "up-to-snuff"
I plan on tracking my car so heat management is a must for me. If a $20 fan works better than the oem one when i'm +130mph WOT on the front straight, surely I'm going to invest the $20.
I got these for free (plus shipping) and i wanted to try my idea out. I don't think the 10" fan in this shroud is ideal, but i like it better than being mounted directly onto the face of the rad. This give it room to pull from the entire shrouded area. Likewise, when I put a 12" blade on there it should work great. Like I said, I don't want to mount them directly onto the rad, there is plenty of surface area that would not get covered this way. And I dont want to use the plexi-glass sheet method as it blocks airflow from exiting the rad all together. and I dont think stepping it off an inch would help, or be as easy as this method.
I actually tried mounting the new motor with the stock blade, but the overall weight of the stock blades caused the motor to bog down and spin slower. I couldnt tell a difference with the ebay blades on the stock motor, so i used the ebay motor.
but with very little time/money invested, I know that I can go pick up a good 12" blade and have an easy functional shroud setup for it.
I plan on tracking my car so heat management is a must for me. If a $20 fan works better than the oem one when i'm +130mph WOT on the front straight, surely I'm going to invest the $20.
I got these for free (plus shipping) and i wanted to try my idea out. I don't think the 10" fan in this shroud is ideal, but i like it better than being mounted directly onto the face of the rad. This give it room to pull from the entire shrouded area. Likewise, when I put a 12" blade on there it should work great. Like I said, I don't want to mount them directly onto the rad, there is plenty of surface area that would not get covered this way. And I dont want to use the plexi-glass sheet method as it blocks airflow from exiting the rad all together. and I dont think stepping it off an inch would help, or be as easy as this method.
I actually tried mounting the new motor with the stock blade, but the overall weight of the stock blades caused the motor to bog down and spin slower. I couldnt tell a difference with the ebay blades on the stock motor, so i used the ebay motor.
but with very little time/money invested, I know that I can go pick up a good 12" blade and have an easy functional shroud setup for it.
#13
Doesnt a good amount of effectiveness of the fans come from its fit inside the shroud? I would think your orginial thought of the ebay fan being too small would be correct and that putting inside a larger shroud would do nothing. Maybe even make it less effective. Its not going to pull air from the area between the ends of the blades and the shoud.
#14
Do the fans have any effect on cooling at +130mph WOT? How many CFM are flowing through the rad at speed? More than what a couple of 12" fans can hope to achieve I'd guess. I'm sure they are the bomb in +30C stop and go traffic.
Do what you want, I just think you are fixing something that isn't broken. IMHO
Do what you want, I just think you are fixing something that isn't broken. IMHO
#15
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The 10" fan itself is tiny as hell in relation to the rad surface area. the shroud attached to the fan, is more of a cage, preventing you from slicing off your finger tips.. thus is why I want a 12" blade.
Even so, put your hand between the fan blade edge and the shroud and tell me it's no pulling air through there as well. Maybe not as well as if a 12" blade, but it still has a "sealed" area to create a vacuum for. Once mounted, as is, this fan is creating a small windstorm inside the engine bay. the stock fan; a light breeze. I'm positive it's doing a better job than simply flush mounted to the surface.
With that said, expect to see a 12" blade on there fairly soon.
Even so, put your hand between the fan blade edge and the shroud and tell me it's no pulling air through there as well. Maybe not as well as if a 12" blade, but it still has a "sealed" area to create a vacuum for. Once mounted, as is, this fan is creating a small windstorm inside the engine bay. the stock fan; a light breeze. I'm positive it's doing a better job than simply flush mounted to the surface.
With that said, expect to see a 12" blade on there fairly soon.
#16
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possibly yes. Does it hurt anything to have a more efficient cooling fan? no. My a/c will work better and the temps will drop quicker if said fan turns on.
My stock fans have work fine for me for 13 years. I never really had plans to upgrade, however I've had overheating issues on the track at 120mph before. If I had simply strapped the fan to the face of the rad and posted, hey "I got a new fan" would you have bothered posting?
I thought I came up with a creative method of mounting the fan while retaining some sort of shrouding and thought I'd share.
#17
possibly yes. Does it hurt anything to have a more efficient cooling fan? no. My a/c will work better and the temps will drop quicker if said fan turns on.
My stock fans have work fine for me for 13 years. I never really had plans to upgrade, however I've had overheating issues on the track at 120mph before. If I had simply strapped the fan to the face of the rad and posted, hey "I got a new fan" would you have bothered posting?
I thought I came up with a creative method of mounting the fan while retaining some sort of shrouding and thought I'd share.
My stock fans have work fine for me for 13 years. I never really had plans to upgrade, however I've had overheating issues on the track at 120mph before. If I had simply strapped the fan to the face of the rad and posted, hey "I got a new fan" would you have bothered posting?
I thought I came up with a creative method of mounting the fan while retaining some sort of shrouding and thought I'd share.
You are absolutely correct, having a more efficient fan is better. I just don't think that your overheating problem at 120mph will be fixed with a new fan.
I'll agree, your method of mounting is a good one, I'm surprise no one thought of it before.
Would I have posted if you had said "I got a new fan" absolutely. This isn't the first time I've asked someone to justify changing out a perfectly good OE fan for a $20 ebay unit.
Ironically a couple of years ago I bought an a/c fan from you Installed, but still not wired!
#19
I used to think this way too until I saw this:
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_9...ta_P_demo_.htm
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_9...lta_P_demo.htm
It's not super scientific but you get the idea. Bottom line, you want shroud with fans unless your radiator is the first heat exchanger and the bumper is not blocking the airflow.
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_9...ta_P_demo_.htm
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_9...lta_P_demo.htm
It's not super scientific but you get the idea. Bottom line, you want shroud with fans unless your radiator is the first heat exchanger and the bumper is not blocking the airflow.
Do the fans have any effect on cooling at +130mph WOT? How many CFM are flowing through the rad at speed? More than what a couple of 12" fans can hope to achieve I'd guess. I'm sure they are the bomb in +30C stop and go traffic.
Do what you want, I just think you are fixing something that isn't broken. IMHO
Do what you want, I just think you are fixing something that isn't broken. IMHO
#20
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what i dont like about that shroud is that it's only stepped out 1/2" from the face of the rad. utilizing the stock one, tapers the air from the edges inward...should work better (with a 12" blade
but like his video shows....having an IC, A/C, and Rad....airflow is next to none without fans....that's why I stated my 130mph statement, Jay.
but like his video shows....having an IC, A/C, and Rad....airflow is next to none without fans....that's why I stated my 130mph statement, Jay.