Mystery radiator!

[foggyjames]

Someone with a big brain...help me ID the eBay special bargain radiator I bought (for Nessy). VADIS has minimal pics, so is no help.

It's the right size for a later 340 (same size as 360, but single core), and has all the right pipe connections...but...the temperature sensor hole for the electric fan is in the wrong place. It's not on the same face as the O/S pipe connections...it's in the end, like the air-con (engine overheat) cut-out temp sensors.

My thought is that it's for a mid-life 340 B14 with AC, which had the main fan switch in the top hose (IIRC), but the overheat AC cut-out switch in the radiator.

It's at almost exactly the same height as the stock switch bung, so if I'm really lucky and the threads match, it'll make no difference!

cheers

James

[pettaw]

All later 340 rads were dual core, AFAIK. Are you sure its not a 360A/C rad? What part number have you got?

[foggyjames]

It's a Unipart one, so no Volvo PN. They always seem thinner to me, but I guess they might be two thinner cores. I could also be imagining it! Good point, it could well be a 360 one!

cheers

James

[MJ]

So do no 360's have electric fans? Would there be an easy way to convert one to electric, or would a 340 rad have to be made to fit so the temp sensor could be used?

Sorry for the thread jack, but just wonderin

[foggyjames]

No 360s had e-fans except the smaller aux fan for AC cars.

Fitting a temp sensor is the easy part....finding a fan which fits is the hard part - it's pretty tight up front. I think I've found a Kenlowe unit which is thin enough to fit, and which will provide sufficient cooling for my plans.

cheers

James

[mac]

Completely off topic I know - but,

Foggy - if you're after a fairly thin compact fan I have this brand new Spal unit which might suit.




(It's a Rover air-con condenser fan).

Mac.

[foggyjames]

Hi Mac,

Sucker or blower? (Cue Redline with 'ooh err' comment...)

The problem the Kenlowe man highlighted is that I'll need something which can flow some serious 'cubes' if I'm going to keep a radiator/condensor/intercooler combo cool, especially given that the standard 360 AC combo will do a pretty good job of trying to make the car overheat. The unit he suggested was rated at over 20A, IIRC.

Any further specs on this fan?

cheers

James

[redline]

no your safe James,
] I have had my medication and horlicks for the night ,
also Iam very chilled after my 10 day break from the madness which is V3M

[jtbo]

I think that fan looks bit small, maybe two of those would do the job?

[mac]

Hi Foggy,

Spal Low profile,
Model VA11-AP7/C-29S,
10"
Pusher (in front of rad),
130W,
8.7A (running)
10.9A (max draw)
1250 cubic mt/h, (736cfm).

You're welcome to try it if you think it might be of any use.

Mac.

[foggyjames]

Hi Mac,

Thanks for the further info. Sadly I need every mm I can get in front of the radiator for the condensor and intercooler, so the fan will have to go behind. Having said that, it's a nice spec (and higher flow than I expected) as either an aux fan for a 360 with AC (hint hint Andy!), or as a main fan if you could find a second one (or even on its own, to be fair).

cheers

James

[redline]

dont know if this would work but couldent you wire it up the wrong way round so the fan blades turn the wrong way then you can mount it on the engine side and it will pull the cold air through the radiator instead of pushing the air through from the outside

[mac]

Hi there redline, Yes you can reverse the polarity and hence direction of flow - BUT each blade of a well designed fan is in effect a little 'aircraft wing' which produces 'lift' as it passes through the air. As the fan is 'fixed' along the axis of movement the air has to move (hence the fan blows air). Reversing blade direction changes the aerofoil shape that is presented to the air (it would be like trying to fly an aircraft backwards) You will get flow ('lift') but much less efficiently (probably less than 50%).
Whilst the fan motor is quite happy to accept a reversed polarity, the blades are designed to turn in a specific direction.

(apologies if I'm 'teaching grandma to suck eggs')

All the best - Mac.

[redline]

I did think that may be the case when I looked at the fan blades in the picture but wasn't sure if the blades and hub could be reversed ( I think they could on the old kenlowes iirc )

[Nick C]

You could also fabricate new mounts so that the fan could be mounted behind the rad, but still pointing the right way?