I installed an electric fan purchased from Pep Boys into my 1964 TR4. It
attached to the front of the radiator with some interesting yet easy to use
fastening devices. They work on a principle similar to that of plastic pull
ties. Now I have two fans in the car. It was a very easy job even for a
bone headed mechanic like me. It gives me incredible peace of mind while I
am idling in So. Cal traffic and it was a lot easier than coring the
radiator, which I will eventually do. As for your thermostat. The
instructions with my fan show it being wired directly into the electrical
system so that it is on constantly. I bought a cool toggle switch from Radio
Shack and have that to fiddle and amaze my passengers with will I am
driving. You need to have an air of utmost seriousness as you monitor the
temperature and flip the switch on and off. This will impress your naive
modern car owners to no end. I mounted the switch for the fan under the
glove box so that the passengers can't help but notice my heroic attempts to
maintain proper engine running temperatures. When I am by myself I just live
the fan on all the time.
Rodney
At 02:00 PM 7/4/97 +1000, you wrote:
>I intend to install an electric fan on my 74 TR6 and I would be grateful
>for any comments or advice from the list. The fan is sitting idle in the
>garage (from a previous vehicle) and I would like to make use of it on the
>TR if possible.
>
>Moss make stainless steel bottom radiator pipes for the TR2-6 complete with
>a threaded fitting for a thermoswitch. The thermoswitches come in four
>different temperature combinations: 86/81, 88/79, 92/87, and 86/76. It
>looks like a very tidy arrangement. Better than the copper tube inserted
>into the pipe/radiator joint which I have seen leaking on several vehicles.
>
>1. How do you choose between these thermoswitches? What is a good
>mid-point temperature and what effect does a wide or narrow temperature
>range have on performance?
>
>2. Most electric fans that I have seen have the thermal switch in the upper
>radiator hose. Which is the better place, upper or lower, does it matter?
>What temperature difference exists between the upper and lower ends of the
>radiator under normal operation?
>
>3. Is it even wise to replace the engine fan with an electric fan (TRs have
>been known to overheat)?
>
>4. Is it worth installing a manual override switch?
>
>5. How should the thermostat temperature relate to the fan's thermal switch
>temperature, or should I remove the thermostat <g>?
>
>I live in a fairly mild climate: 0 to 40C max and 10 to 30C most of the
>time, with mid to low humidity.
>
>Trevor Jordan
>
>74 TR6 CF29281V
>
>
>
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