Thermal switch for radiator fan

Can anyone help,
I'm looking into fitting an electric cooling fan to my 2000 and would like to know if the S4 spider (the last version of the nord engine) has an electric fan and if so, a themal switch for its fan?
If it does, then where is said switch mounted?
In the rad or in a casting on the engine?
This may seem a little strange , but my line of thought is that if its a switch that is mounted on a part of the engine that i could bolt onto my earlier version of the same engine then it would have that kinda "as if it grew there" look about it once installed

The S4 has twin fans to cool the rad. The thermal switch is mounted in the side of the rad. If you are experiencing cooling problems check out the rad before adding fans. You may also find this site of interest KENLOWE

Thanks.
Just to clarify, there's no fan at all at the mo'. I'm looking to add an electric fan instead of the original fixed fan that was mounted on the water pump in the name of better warm up time, and an already noticable free'er revving smoother/quieter engine.
Kenlowe is one of the options I've considered for a fan, I was just exploring switching devices and where to fit them. Kenlowe and others do an add-on thermal switch kit but they always look very obviously add-on/aftermarket.

OK I am with you on that. As far as switching devices go Kenlowe seem to work on an easy install. That is a sensor which is slipped under the top hose and (I think) the switching device is all part of the fan assembly. Depending on the size of fan you select, once fitted it can look quite good. Unfortunately it will look aftermarket and I am afraid there is no getting away from that. Don't bother trying to adapt the S4 fans...although they do the job you can hear them a mile away!

I've done something similar on my 1750 and used one of these as I have a huge dislike of the Kenlowe PermoLeak system.
Revotec Adjustable Switch.

It looks quite neat when installed. I just put the relay by the coil, but you could hide it away better if you wanted to...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/DSC00294.jpg

What's interesting is that the fan rarely comes on unless you are stuck in very heavy traffic. In normal use it never comes on at all so it shows how much of a waste it is driving the old fixed one all the time.


If you don't want an adjustable controller you can get machined inserts to go in the top hose to take an thermostatic switch. e.g.
Revotec

Originally Posted by RicksAlfas

I've done something similar on my 1750 and used one of these as I have a huge dislike of the Kenlowe PermoLeak system.
Revotec Adjustable Switch.

It looks quite neat when installed. I just put the relay by the coil, but you could hide it away better if you wanted to...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/DSC00294.jpg

What's interesting is that the fan rarely comes on unless you are stuck in very heavy traffic. In normal use it never comes on at all so it shows how much of a waste it is driving the old fixed one all the time.


If you don't want an adjustable controller you can get machined inserts to go in the top hose to take an thermostatic switch. e.g.
Revotec

Cheers Rick, thats one design I hadn't found, i'll look into it. I'm with you on the fan rarely coming on thing too, i've been running mine for about 12 months now with no fan at all, just being very careful when stuck in traffic and had no boil-overs or over heating probs at all.
I dunno if its psychological but it seems a little smoother, quieter and free to rev without the fixed plastic fan wirring around unnecessarily all the time.
Thanks for the pics BTW

Originally Posted by renone

OK I am with you on that. As far as switching devices go Kenlowe seem to work on an easy install. That is a sensor which is slipped under the top hose and (I think) the switching device is all part of the fan assembly. Depending on the size of fan you select, once fitted it can look quite good. Unfortunately it will look aftermarket and I am afraid there is no getting away from that. Don't bother trying to adapt the S4 fans...although they do the job you can hear them a mile away!

Thanks Renone , I don't think the S4 fans will fit anyway, i'm looking at a blower on the front of the rad so its hidden/less obvious rather than a sucker on the engine side of the rad where space is limited due to the closeness of the water pump pulley to the rad .

Originally Posted by Green Berlina

Cheers Rick, thats one design I hadn't found, i'll look into it. I'm with you on the fan rarely coming on thing too, i've been running mine for about 12 months now with no fan at all, just being very careful when stuck in traffic and had no boil-overs or over heating probs at all.
I dunno if its psychological but it seems a little smoother, quieter and free to rev without the fixed plastic fan wirring around unnecessarily all the time.
Thanks for the pics BTW

I agree it seems to run better without the fixed fan, but so it should! One book claims the big 1750/2000 fan saps 5bhp at high revs. I put my fan on the back of the rad, slightly offset to clear the waterpump. There isn't much room in front of mine and I walso didn't want to block the natural flow of air into the rad. My fan is all black anyway so it's fairly low key...
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...s/DSC00290.jpg
I think it's 12" diameter and it doesn't half shift some air!

Have been reading comments with interest.

Many years ago I fitted a Kenlowe electric fan to my 2000GTV and it worked very well,
and yes, a LARGE 2000 fan will take around 4 horse power to turn at high revs.

The easiest way to get two of the horses back is to fit a 1600 SMALL fan instead of the large one (if you can get hold of one). It’s a straight swap, quieter and will still keep you cool especially if we have a summer like last year.

This is getting very interesting - I hadn't given much thought to power loss with running the fan all the time, but 5bhp is worth thinking about, especially on my US spec car (which is probably already strangled to about 40bhp!)

Fiat/Lancia cars always used electric fans, so maybe one of those could be adapted to look more of an original fit than a Kenlowe.

Interesting to hear that you've run your car for a year without a fan at all. Is this occasional leisure use or have you tried the morning rush hour around Walsall? If it's the latter, I don't think I'll even bother fitting the radiator next time!

For those of you reading this who have Alfas with electric fans, it might pay just to check that they are wired correctly. My brother had a few issues with his GTV6 and found that one fan was working backwards! The connectors are polarised and the wiring didn't look messed with, so it could have been like it since new.......

Filbyman, I got ya on the smaller fan thing but i'm pretty struck on electrification now. Good idea tho'.

AndyT, It has, to be fair, only had light domestic/pleasure use . But having said that, getting stuck in a jam in Leicester on one of the few days it was hot last year did make it go a little on the high side of half way up the temp guage, so i just turned off each time we couldn't move. The temp. soon dropped once we got some speed back up in order to get the air moving thru' the rad again.

You may be sorted now, and I have seen your other thread on the thread (as is were!), but there is a very smart Series 3 Spider on Ebay as I write this, and I notice it has twin electric fans. See item number 140217114955. It may give you some encouragement....

Just got back from a week away, no change in progress, but thanks for thinking of my on-going budget fan project when you saw the spider fan pictures.