H.p. Effort
- Thread starter GOW
- Start date
Hotrodster
Member
Your theory is good, but finding a 6V fan might be tough, and then you open up a whole new can of worms by needing alot better charging system. This is exactly why new cars have 100 Amp and even 120 Amp alternators.
Charlie Stephens
Well-known member
The energy to turn the fan must now come from the charging system. After you consider the loss in the charging system you will have an increase in the overall amount of energy to turn the fan.
Charlie Stephens
Charlie Stephens
Special Coupe Frank
Well-known member
But fan usually only runs when the car is not moving, so it wouldn't be a constant drain, would it ?
The application of an electric fan is a good option, used today on most all cars and light trucks. The thermostat control will apply electrical power as needed not on a constant basis. However it's use in a Model A is questionable as previously mentioned there is the voltage problem as a 6 volt unit that could possibly provide enough pressure, most likely does not exist. And as already pointed out, adequate power even with a 12 volt system would require a greatly modified on board electrical system.
I looked into this concept 1 1/2 years ago, having employed electric cooling fans in older vehicles however not vintage. I was unable to find room to install one in a Model A, the water pump is in the way. Modifing the pump would mean relocating the generator (alternator) and crank pulley further to the rear. This would require major re-engineering, maybe even major rework of the front cross member. There is room in front of the radiator for a pusher fan, but you would have to diguise it, at Christmas you could use a wreath!
I looked into this concept 1 1/2 years ago, having employed electric cooling fans in older vehicles however not vintage. I was unable to find room to install one in a Model A, the water pump is in the way. Modifing the pump would mean relocating the generator (alternator) and crank pulley further to the rear. This would require major re-engineering, maybe even major rework of the front cross member. There is room in front of the radiator for a pusher fan, but you would have to diguise it, at Christmas you could use a wreath!
Frank Miller
Well-known member
As long as you do not do any parades or excessive idling just cut the blades off and go with it. Actually, I do not think it takes 3 hp to run the fan and at speed even less as there is there is air coming through the radiator to assist it.
just plain bill
Senior Member
There was an article a few years ago where 2" was cut from the outer edges of the fan with no apparent or serious cooling problems. I tried this and my motometer never got out of the "summer" range. The author of the article stated that the modification was not noticed by judges. I'm not recommending this but it is something to consider.
I do have a very slim 12v 14" fan on a car with a highly modified "A" engine that doesn't have room for a stock pump or fan. Car doesn't get hot at moderate speeds but does at slow or idle speed. Early hot rodders often ran without fans but were seriously hurting in slow traffic.
Vic in E-TN
Well-known member
There are "Fan Laws" and "Pump Laws" that govern the pressure output, flow and energy requirement for fans and centrifugal pumps. The pressure output is a square function of the impeller speed. The horsepower requirement is the cube function of the speed. The faster you go the higher the HP required for the water pump to pump the water and move the air. Go slower and save gas.
In the 60's we had fans with viscous couplings. I recall that these fans also had stainless steel blades that flattened out at speed. If we found some of these that fit our hubs we could get the benefit of reducing the HP requirement when we need it most.
Comments appreciated.
Vic
In the 60's we had fans with viscous couplings. I recall that these fans also had stainless steel blades that flattened out at speed. If we found some of these that fit our hubs we could get the benefit of reducing the HP requirement when we need it most.
Comments appreciated.
Vic
Jon
Senior Member
I drove a Chevy II for a year and a half with no fan. Had a good temp. gauge to keep an eye on it and only had a problem once when I got caught in traffic after running for 4 hours on the freeway. The short times you are stopped for lights or traffic don't cause temp. to raise that much or that quickly.
Keith True
Well-known member
I lost half a blade on an aluminum fan years ago,I broke off the other blade and kept going.I ran it for a long time with just the pulley.I never get into traffic where I am,so overheating was never a problem.I never bothered to fix it until I redid the truck years later.It was funny to watch people look at the engine,you could tell the exact moment their eyes registered the jagged edges on the fan hub.It didn't faze some of the old boys at all.I heard a lot of,yup,done that a few times,never bothered to fix it either.
Jerry Parr WI
Well-known member
Thought the argument for aluminum fans was that they never broke.
Keith True
Well-known member
That's what they tell me,but I have two broken ones here.One that the blade snapped off of,and another that the hub/pulley grenaded.Both have casting voids,air holes in the castings.I bought them in the 80's.One was mine,another was a customers car.Any fan can break,working on equipment all my life I have seen them fail on Caterpillar,Mack,Cummins,IHC,Detroits,Perkins,Buda,any machines that shake a lot.