viscous fan removal - can you advise? update 23/07/08

[bambamjj]

Hello all

Looking at removing viscous fan unit from 300TDi to try and improve economy etc.

Been told car performs slightly better too?????

at the moment i dont mind fitting an electric fan with manual switch inside until i can aford a proper Kenlowe jobbie.

Any suggetsions on type or make i should be looking for from scrappies, can it be zip tied to radiator etc. etc.

Any advice gratefully appreciated.

[beast5680]

peugeot 405 one is good i believe, ffriend of mine was going to fit electric but never done it yet after he removed the viscous, its still running round without a fan now

[bambamjj]

MMMM! have heard this before, mine normally runs, in hot weather queing traffic into gosport for about 30-45mins and does not move just below half way....

[90Mike]

Hi mate took mine off last friday and haven't had any problems yet even did a bit of laning on sunday  :)

[bambamjj]

have you all found you have slightly more power/economy
 
Thanks for help guys

[Mash]

Hi not sure about the 300TDi but I've been running my 200 defender without a fan for well over a year now..Only time she gets hot is prolonged slow speeds (2nd gear low box) and high revving such as recovering something..

[lee celtic]

Hi
I ran mine without a fan for 2 years only refitting it for laning .

However I have just fitted an aircon push fan in front of the rad on a switch and a pull fan behind the rad on another switch both taken from a vectra 130sri both are slimline and are two speed :D and as they are plastic and worth nothing the scrap guy gave them to me foc... :D :D

I don't know about mpg but the pickup is much better  :twisted:

[bambamjj]

Well removed the fan, or should i say it fell off......

Went for quick run tonight and no apparent problems, biggest test will be tomorrow queing in to Gosport for 45 mins.

Fingers crossed

[bambamjj]

Also took of the fan cowling off, now here is a question for you....

Would the cowling restrict the amont of air flow through the radiator and intercooler, almost acting as a damper...... i know the fan draws air through the radiator but surely this arrangement must be restrictive to air flow.

Any thoughts.  Mine seems to run more freely but it maybe just me wishing it runs freely.....

[fish]

I was thinking about removing the standard fan, but not sure if the gain in power form removing it would be offset by the loss of intercooler efficiency at lower speeds.  I suppose the best solution would be to have an electric fan on the intercooler running all the time with one on the rad with a manual switch.

[lee celtic]

I think with the old fan the cowl helps to suck air through the intercooler as well as the rad, the electric fans only pull air through the rad because they are not wide enough to cover the back of the intercooler as well.. Unless you fit two ;)

And yes I think by taking the old fan off the engine revs out faster and picks up faster (mine does anyway ,I know as the first time out without the old fan the wheels span comming of a rounderbout when I pressed the loud peddle a bit too quick) :twisted:

I was thinking of adding a fan off a motorcycle rad about 6" wide just for the intercooler :-k but that would make three :shock:

[crazymac]

I've ran mine for three years with no viscous fan with no problems.

There was factory fitted aircon which I stripped out but left the aircon fans in fron of the rad.

I have noticed when greenlaning (and therefore going slow) the aircon fans occasionally kick in and reduce the temp.

Regarding increased power or anything else, I would have to say I notice no difference.

[SteveGoodz]

Also took of the fan cowling off, now here is a question for you....

Would the cowling restrict the amont of air flow through the radiator and intercooler, almost acting as a damper...... i know the fan draws air through the radiator but surely this arrangement must be restrictive to air flow.

Any thoughts.  Mine seems to run more freely but it maybe just me wishing it runs freely.....

The cowl helps the fan to draw air through all of the radiator evenly, so you don't get hot spots. If you remove the fan (as I always do on Tdi's) then the cowl doesn't serve any real purpose and I remove that too.

[LeanneNCharlie]

hi. i removed my viscous fan off the 300 back in january this year. i had no problems up to towing another disco on a trailer up windy hill on the M62. it took less than a minute to change from "just below half" to "OH MY GOD ITS PASSED RED!" it cooled down quick enough when we were over the top and i did nothing more with it. however, when we were at the national, (again without a fan) driving through the woods on a humid day with no breeze and in low box it proved too much for the cooling system. we managed to get out of the woods as it hit 3/4 on the gauge. popped the bonnet and the water was boiling out of the header bottle. i was then told that we were not allowed back on the off road course by various marshalls until a suitable cooling appliance was fitted which i didn't, and still don't disagree with.

i now have a manual switched electric fan fitted which hasn't been on since i fitted it but its there for the safety factor.

i have noticed better right foot responce on set off, and now, with added tweek on the pump and turbo can (if not careful) spin 33" tyres on roundabouts.