Mounting slimline fans, FAIL and WIN methods
 

So, I am on to my second radiator as I have a leak due the way I mounted the fans.

This is what I have, just some 12" eBay fans:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Oml-XV4A08o/SM...8%28005%29.jpg

During the rebuild in fall 2008, the fans were mounted using these PACET zip ties:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Oml-XV4A08o/SM...0/29082008.jpg

Over time, these zip ties loosen up a little giving the fans a little 'wiggle room'. Many track days later they have eaten through one of the water channels of the radiator...

So on to the new mounting method:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5941621_n.jpg

Single Alu strip on the bottom, 4 smaller strips on the top and weather sealer between radiator and rad to protect all sharp edges.

This better work.

no shrouds?

cool story bro?

All the shrouding I need is in the nose, in front of the radiator. These fans are just for idling in the pit lane. They may do something at speed, I don't know - but they don't need shrouding in my car.

I'm sure it will, however on a very hot track day I had seemingly no cooling aid coming from the fans zip tied to the radiator. I needed the shroud, bad. It was an interesting mix. My car was over heating because I was racing, however I couldn't stop racing or it would over heat.

I ended up putting my stock fans back in, one of which was replaced with the ebay fan/motor to keep some of the slimness.

I don't get why your car would over heat without the fan shrouding. I have the same fans mounted the same way and my car can idle all day in this south Florida heat and never over heat.
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http://www.boundaryengineering.com/p...shimotofan.png

WIN.

Don't give a flying shit about your South Florida heat. it was 105* and I was racing. No way could the fans compete. I just highly believe that with a cool down lap and the fans on the entire time, it should cool off enough for the fans to keep the car from over heating when I come into the pit lane and idle while they drag some sorry ass 323 off the course. Only lasted a couple seconds before the needle started rising.

Edit: Ignore me, I just looked at pictures and was reminded I only had one mounted at the time.:bang:

On the street, YES. On the track, NO.

Was is that bad for the track ?

not as much air flows through at speed.

Ahhh Okay

Water inlet neck is in the way of the cold side piping, so another money bleed into this project is about to happen.

That can be fixed somewhat with one-way flaps.

Nothing after around 25mph, unless you have some 5000cfm fans. C5's shut the fans off after around 35mph IIRC (its been awhile since I've tuned a stock one)

Panties to tight?
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All done. Fan mount is very sturdy.

I had the radiator inlet moved and still it was a total bitch to get the inlet plumbed. With the inlet in the default location there was no way it would ever work.

Looks pretty neat in the picture, but it took me 2hrs to find the right bends etc.

GF thought it'd be manly to try it. I didn't think so, but will also try anything once. Oh well, lesson learned, panties are meant for girls.

Spookyfish: That BEGI inlet pipe makes anything but the stock radiator hose near impossible once you've upgraded to a thicker radiator. I've seen it done though.

Link for the fans?

http://bit.ly/9jMdWB

Seller I got it from still sells these:
http://item.ebay.com/360266221399

I know i could have googled it...but i bought slim fans last year and the little plastic pieces that clip on to fan and the bolts go through broke off within 2 months and i didnt want to buy the same junk.

My Spal fans and shroud
2x12" high flow THICKline 3200 cfm with built in 1-way flaps.

http://www.jaycorptech.com/images/PRODUCT/large/62.jpg

http://www.jaycorptech.com/pc-62-14-...th-shroud.aspx

ZOMG Jason! Is your alternator stock?

According to the spec sheet that thing slorps down 40-46 amps with both fans running.

Massive fan overkill galore! Nice but my $40 eBay fans work too.

Heh, my fans never turn on :p. Giant over kill radiator v-mounted ftw :P

But I am going to check that my ziptie install like the OP hasn't hurt the radiator at all.

I've had these bad boys for about 6 years now. I use a 1" coolradiator rad.

Yes my alternator is stock. They only draw about 42A and the alternator can just keep up with the a/c and lights running. If I turn on the rear defroster the battery voltage drops.

Let's see your ebay fans do the 8 quarter airflow test:

https://www.miataturbo.net/showthrea...&highlight=TDR

holy expensive batman

That looks great, but I've been eyeballing this one:

http://www.flyinmiata.com/Store/images/09-56200.jpg

http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?...umber=09-56210

Miata-fitment and flows 50% more--at about the same cost. Just waiting for the upcoming NB version release.

Big oops, I didn't realize Spal now has an 11" dual shrouded fan and a 12" dual shrouded fan. What I linked above is the 12" setup, I have the 11" below, which is a lot cheaper:
http://www.jaycorptech.com/pc-57-14-...th-shroud.aspx

http://www.jaycorptech.com/images/PRODUCT/large/57.jpg

It seems to me the description FM has of their Stage 2 (thicker and stronger motor) of "4730 cfm" is a typo - that should probably read "4730 m^3/hr". The latter number is close to the spec, 4610 m^3/hr, of my twin 11" thick hi-perf fans:
http://www.spalusa.com/pdf/30102052_SPEC.PDF#view=FitH

Ergo my fans and those FM fans are the same - except that I had to trim my shroud to fit. But yes I would have bought the NB FM stage 2 fans if it were available 5 years ago when I bought the Spals. (Or, I would have bought the 12" dual Spals then if they were available and if they fit - they have 14% more flow than the FM Stage 2 or my dual 11's).

To get 4730 cfm for a pair - that's 2365 cfm each - you have to go to 16" fans - and 2 x 16" fans will NOT fit. Here is the 16" fan that has that flow:
http://www.jaycorptech.com/pc-74-14-...-pull-fan.aspx

Interesting that big fans with no shroud have about the same performance as stock fans as per FM's testing:
http://www.flyinmiata.com/tech/fans.php
I never liked the idea of unshrouded fans!

I've been saying this for over 3 years now.... In fact, FM used one of my shrouds/fan units in their rig during testing of their upcoming crossflow radiators. This is where they made this discovery.

Thanks for the clarifications Jason. Care to share some pics of how you got the 11's mounted?

I'll have to dig for the pix. Basically it was minor trimming of the shrouding, and the mechanical mounting was with small bolts and fender washers.

I’m running one 13” and one 12” slim Spal fans mounted on my own shroud. Together they put out a rated 3070 CFM.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/737924/7

No way thick fans would fit in my car. I currently have about 1/8” clearance between the slim fans and my ISC sway bar which has about ¼” clearance to the ATI damper. The mounting brackets on my Thick dual row Godspeed radiator have been modified to move the bottom of the radiator forward already to get things to fit.

I will say my cooling has been very rock steady reliable for a car that turns laps as fast as any modified street miata. The vented hood helps a bunch.

Bob