BRUSHLESS COOLING FAN PROJECTS for Volvos |
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UPDATED: September 20, 2024 CONTACT |
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WATTS TO AMPS CALCULATOR If you know the Watt rating of a fan, you can use that to calculate Amperage. https://www.inchcalculator.com/watts-to-amps-calculator/ |
In 2023 I began looking closer at brushless fans after I saw some videos and test data which suggested some BRUSHLESS fans
can significantly out-perform old-school BRUSHED fans, offering higher speeds, more airflow, and all while using LESS AMPERAGE. My 240 has a high-performance alternator powering very cold 32ºF AC
that works awesome even in 100ºF plus temps. And it has a big custom
radiator, which can handle all that in any climate, even going up
endless grades. My previous fan was a monster Lincoln Mark VIII. It was
fine with all this, but I soon discovered that BRUSHLESS fans can be
even BETTER. I'll get to some performance test data further down, but there's one very interesting thing I have found during testing that I wasn't aware of (since I wasn't experienced with these). These fans often become MORE efficient at HIGHER voltage levels. I began testing brushless fans at 12.7v static battery levels and then later at 14.5v with the engine running. In many tests I found a brushless fan spins faster and pushes more airflow with LESS AMPERAGE DRAW when used at HIGHER voltage levels. -- NOTABLE BRUSHLESS FANS -- I'm interested in learning about any other brushless fans that you may have found useful for projects, especially if they can be made to work in an our OLDER VOLVOS. For convenience sake, I would also like to identify fans which can be made to fit a 240 or 740 radiator width without a lot of trouble. If you come across any useful fans and can offer useful info, please let me know. CONTACT DELTA PAG BRUSHLESS FANS If you happen to notice that DELTA PAG is the FIRST FAN listed in this page, it's not a coincidence. After you read more, I think you'll agree that these should be at the top. There are a few videos showing Delta PAG fans performing very well. In 2015 Delta PAG https://deltapag.com introduced a 16 inch brushless fan which is shown in the first video below.
Delta PAG rates their 16 inch fan at 3200 CFM at 13 volts, using about 22 amps. Maximum RPM is about 2900. They've stated their ratings are made using a radiator in front of the fan. Putting a radiator in front of a fan reduces air flow. If you instead did a free-air test (nothing in front of the fan), the CFM results would be much higher than this, although not as realistic. Delta PAG also states that they're able to achieve 25% more airflow than other brushless fans because of their motor design (and smaller center hub size). With that smaller center hub, an impressive improvement is made in air flow. Pretty much all other brushless fan motors have huge center hubs in comparison, because other fans contain speed control electronics inside the hub. Delta PAG has made their speed control modules a separate part, which is mounted nearby and away from the airflow. It seems logical that this can offer a significant improvement to airflow. I've seen comments from Derale (they sell fans too) that you can generally expect about 100 CFM for each amp that a high output fan uses. If that's accurate, then the people at Delta PAG didn't listen. They've achieved a far greater airflow to amps ratio than that. Do the math: This fan makes 3200 CFM from 22 amps? Pretty damned good. A mechanical drawing of their 16 inch fan is shown in their web site. The 16 inch measurement refers to the overall width of the fan assembly at the outside (16.00 inches). So this means the fan blade diameter is actually a bit smaller, closer to about 15 inches. This type of advertised measurement seems to be fairly common with most fan manufacturers, so keep this in mind when considering the fan size you want. Delta PAG also offers a digital controller with digital displays for programming the temp-speeds. 18 inch Delta PAG Fan The larger Delta PAG 18 inch fan was introduced more recently. It's rated by Delta PAG at 4100 CFM at 13 volts, using only 26 amps. Another awesome airflow achievement using minimal current. Maximum RPM is about 2900. Again their CFM rating is assuming there's a radiator installed in front on the fan. Some manufacturers don't rate their fans that way. Putting a radiator (and maybe a condensor and intercooler) in front of a fan creates an air restriction and REDUCES flow. This reduction is much more than I would have expected before I did some testing for myself. Any fan will be affected, but a very strong fan like this one will do a better job of overcoming a restriction than a weak fan.
I'm always curious as to what calculations some people are using in their anemometer tests. I was curious about that 5100 CFM test in the above Delta PAG video. Delta PAG rates this fan at 4100 CFM with the restriction of a radiator. So it appears we need to accept that a radiator restriction can reduce air flow by 20% or more (5100 to 4100 CFM in this case). When I first saw this, it seemed like a lot of airflow drop to me. Later (tests are further below) I was able to do some of my own FREE AIR testing and INSTALLED testing. I did this with my old brushed Mark VIII fan and also with a big Jeep JK brushless fan. I discovered that a big drop in airflow is definite going to happen when things are in front of the fan. It's not insignificant! -- DIMENSIONS -- I will also point out this 18 inch Delta-PAG fan (ABOVE IMAGE) doesn't actually have 18 inch fan blades (I added the red dimension to this image). This fan measures 18.11 inches at the outside of the shroud assembly. So the actual fan blade diameter is around 17 inches. I'm not saying this fan might disappoint you. This fan actually out-performs many larger fans from other manufacturers. I point out the actual blade size because I don't think enough people pay attention to this when comparing fans. Also I don't think many other people I've seen on the internet are correctly considering the ACTUAL FAN BLADE SIZE when showing their own CFM tests. Accuracy matters. Accurate anemometer tests require accurate fan area measurements to be used. I've seen at least one other person test THIS SAME 18 inch fan above using an anemometer where the tester ignorantly used the fan area for an 18 inch fan (instead of the correct 17 inches) and then he ALSO failed to deduct the area of the center hub. Then he announced a finding of 3900-4000 CFM. A test like this cannot be taken as accurate. Entering an exaggerated cubic foot value into an anemometer always results in an exaggerated CFM reading. Ultimately, I think you can use anemometer CFM tests as an estimation tool, but true comparisons are probably not possible unless the fans are tested with the same anemometer or same method, and of course a must is having consistent fan area calculations. HOW FAR OFF COULD SOME CFM TESTS BE? Using the above example, if someone uses the area calculation for an 18 inch fan when they actually have a 17 inch fan, it can result in an exaggeration of about 6%, or about 250 CFM. And if that person fails to deduct the area for the center hub, this will result in error too. Delta-PAG fans have a really small center hub, so it would be a smaller error in this case. About 3% or about 120 CFM. This kind of error with other brushless fans with much larger center hubs can result in errors of 6% to 8%. Are there any draw-backs to a Delta PAG fan? I have not found any draw-backs with these fans (although I don't own one). I certainly would consider owning one. I think these are really great fans. When I first began looking at these fans, their digital speed controller was able to trigger a separate fan speed for AC ON, but it could only offer full-speed for that option. As of December 2023 this has changed. Their controllers now offer the ability to control AUX SPEED, so you now have some variable speed options for when AC is ON. This is a nice option if AC is important to you. I'm one who likes to choose a middle speed (around 50%) for when the AC is on. Full speed is rarely needed for that if you have a powerful fan. If you're interested in a LOT more information about these particular fans (which is NOT posted in their page), there's a long-winded technical discussion at this link below in a Corvette C7 forum. This link below takes you to page 3, where the serious discussion begins. Some good info. tbssowners.com/threads/c7-pwm-brushless/page-3 USING A DELTA PAG FAN IN A VOLVO This is absolutely possible, however I know that most old Volvo owners are more inclined to look for the CHEAP solution. This is not the CHEAP solution. But it is an elegant one. Certainly the 16 inch or 18 inch fan shown above can be used with a stock size Volvo 240 radiator or a large custom one. You would need to come up with a fan shroud (or have Delta Pag make one to your specs. They will if you ask). Or I think one of these fans may just fit in a Volvo mechanical fan shroud. The 740 Turbo fan shroud would probably work considering the overall dimensions of the Delta PAG fans. If you decide to pursue something like this, please let me know how it goes. I'd like to post more info about these fans. SPAL BRUSHLESS FANS Spal Plus 16 shown below. The Spal USA site https://www.spalusa.com has some catalog info showing BRUSHED fans, but the USA site does not show a listing of their brushless fans. You can see BRUSHLESS fans in the Italian page: https://www.spalautomotive.it/brushless There is also a brushless catalog PDF at: https://www.spalautomotive.com/documents/20182/94723/brushless_catalogue.pdf/ I believe Spal first introduced their line of aftermarket brushless fans in 2014 with sizes up to 16 inches. These were called the "NUOVA" series. An announcement believed to have been dated 2014 is below:
SPAL THEN INVERTED THE PWM SIGNAL RAMPS ON THEIR AFTERMARKET FANS I don't know what year this change was made. I have been told by others that Spal discovered that they were selling lots of their "smart" sensors needed to run these new fans, but instead of selling a lot of new (expensive) aftermarket fans, they discovered people were using the sensors for less expensive OEM fans from C7 Corvettes (2014+) and Gen6 Camaros (2016+), which were all made by Spal for GM. So then Spal decided to discontinue the "smart" sensors which worked with Corvette and Camaro fans and they created a new line of sensors which CHANGED the PWM duty cycle ramps. And then they changed all their new aftermarket fans to match the new "smart" sensors. I know this may be confusing. The new aftermarket fan series was then called the "PLUS" series and the old NUOVA series was then eliminated. From that point forward all new Spal "smart" sensors would only work with their second generation PLUS series fans, and OEM (Spal) Corvette and Camaro fan users were mostly tossed out in the cold (for a little while). SPAL "SMART" SENSORS 3/8 NPT threaded end. 4-pole electrical connector: Deutsch DT04-4P Receptacle (female). Mating plug you'll need may be 4-pole connector: Deutsch DT06-4S Plug (male) or Amphenol AT06-4S Plug (male). More more information about these Deutsch or Amphenol connectors, go here: https://www.240turbo.com/crimps.html#deutsch PWM duty cycle ramp is set for LOW speed = 85%. HIGH speed = 15% (Negative polarity). SBL-TS01: Turn on 140F - Max at 165F. SBL-TS02: Turn on 165F - Max at 185F. SBL-TS03: Turn on 190F - Max at 215F. If you still need one of these, CLICK HERE for Vintage Air sensors. SUMMARY of the CHANGE from 1st Gen to 2nd Gen: Spal NUOVA series (first generation aftermarket): Fan speed decreases as PWM duty cycle signal increases. This is an INVERTED ramp. OEM C7 Corvette and Gen6 Camaro brushless (Spal) fans also use this type of PWM signal. Spal PLUS series (second generation aftermarket): Fan speed INCREASES as PWM duty cycle signal increases (OEM fans all retained the old PWM ramps). SECOND GENERATION "SMART" SENSORS (for PLUS series fans) PWM duty cycle ramp is set for LOW speed = 15%. HIGH speed = 85% (Positive polarity). SBL-TS-165P: Turn on 140F - Max at 165F. SBL-TS-185P: Turn on 165F - Max at 185F. SBL-TS-195P: Turn on 175F - Max at 195F. SBL-TS-215P: Turn on 190F - Max at 215F. (Note: Multiple fans can be run using ONE sensor) NOTE: SPAL FANS REQUIRE A 100 Hz PWM FREQUENCY. The connectors on these Spal fans are this Yazaki 4-pole MALE plug above. The matching FEMALE connector BELOW can be found here: Spal PN 30130628 in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTDGNGT. FYI, this is the same mating plug needed for the Camaro fan and also the Jeep fan further below in this page. This kit comes with several different sizes of terminals for wire size up to 8 gauge. Can Spal "Smart" Sensors be used for OTHER Brushless Fans? Yes, for some. Spal fans require a controller (or sensor) which uses a 100 Hz PWM frequency. Some other fans use that same frequency. If you find a fan which uses 100 Hz, that fan must also use a PWM duty cycle ramp like that used by the Spal Plus series, one that powers the fan at low speed when the PWM duty cycle is low (Positive polarity). There are work-arounds if you need to adapt a fan that doesn't match. You can use a device which can invert or even completely change a PWM frequency (shown further down in this page). Keep in mind that some fans from different manufactures may share the same frequency, but the duty cycle ramp may be INVERTED. For more information on how this can affect PWM signals or how PWM signals work, CLICK HERE for PWM Info section. If you have a need to INVERT the polarity of a PWM signal or alter the frequency, it can be done EASILY. There are some devices SHOWN HERE which can do this for you. WIRING A SPAL FAN SENSOR Here's a Spal diagram below showing how one of the above Spal sensors is wired to a Spal Plus aftermarket brushless fan. While these sensors will work, there are plenty of other options to control a Spal fan if you decide you want something better. Note that when wiring a brushless fan this like, it always has both power and ground going to the battery (or the ground may go to a good chassis ground). The fan speed/temperature control for this type of fan is regulated through the PWM signal wire. Here are my personal feelings about using a "smart" sensor like this to regulate temp/speed: I don't really care for it. If forces you to choose one temperature range and live with it. It allows no custom adjustments, so hopefully it's just right for your car. Changing sensors is really expensive. Check the prices of those. A Spal sensor can cost several hundred dollars. Also if you have AC and if you want the fan to come on at a higher speed with the AC, your only choice is to wire it so the AC triggers the FULL SPEED override. Maybe some people are OK with the fan running full speed when your AC is on. That won't be too be bad if the fan is smaller, but when using a big, high-output fan, I prefer to be able to choose a custom speed for the AC (such as 50%, 70%, etc). Ok, I know you can't ALWAYS have everything you want, but going brushless is more expensive, so I would like to get more satisfaction for my money if I can. Keep in mind that full speed with a high-output brushless fan can move a LOT MORE AIR. It might be more than you need and it might use more amps than you want. Should a RELAY be used with a Brushless Fan? According to Spal: “Relays are used with brushed fans, and NOT used with brushless fans. As brushless fans are growing in popularity, we have had a few customers try to add a relay to a brushless system when a relay isn’t required. We don’t need a relay with brushless fans because they always do a soft start. In a brushless fan system, the fan is connected to constant power – directly to the battery. When the brushless fan receives the command signal to run, it makes a connection internal to the motor and runs. When the command signal goes away, the brushless fans enter quiescent current (sleep) mode.” SOURCE: https://www.streetmusclemag.com/tech-stories/fuel-cooling-ignition-tech/the-7-best-practices-for-wiring-automotive-fans-with-spal-usa/. Spal catalog info sometimes makes references to a fan being a puller or pusher. As you'll see in the below image for some Spal 16 inch "PULLER" fans, the airflow is pulled from the side with the fan blade center hub through to the side where the motor is. This type of fan is made to be inserted and mounted into a shroud using the outer flange on the fan grill edges and with the fan motor facing to the REAR and the fan center hub facing the front, or the rear of the radiator. From info I found in the Spal fan engineering catalog, the faster 2430 CFM fan above (which uses a 500 watt motor) will use about 30-33 amps at full speed. The slower 2053 CFM fan (with a 300 watt motor) will used about 20 amps. These results are probably better than the performance numbers for the similar Spal brushed fans. Note about PUSHER or PULLER fan designations. Most fans are designed to run only ONE DIRECTION. Many are designated as either pushers or pullers. Most fan blades (especially curved ones) are designed to be most efficient in only one direction. In most cases a PUSHER fan will be on the FRONT of a radiator (sometimes as a condenser fan). In most cases a PULLER fan will be BEHIND a radiator. The most efficient way to move air through a radiator is by using a PULLER fan with a fan shroud. SOME 12 VOLT SPAL BRUSHLESS FAN INFO LISTED BELOW
SPAL big 18 inch fan. Spal shows a couple 18 inch 12v brushless fans in their catalog info: https://www.spalautomotive.it/brushless. It seems to be hard to find these large fans for sale. The motor on this fan is believed to be 800 watts. It may be the same motor used in the 18 inch Camaro SS fan. AIRFLOW DIRECTION: Air will flow from the side with the center fan hub to the side with the fan motor. So looking at the images above left, which show a view of the fan motor, this side will face AWAY from the back of the radiator. The images above right showing the center fan hub will face the radiator. Spal catalog info sometimes makes reference to a fan being a puller or pusher, but not always. Even airflow direction is not always shown in the fan descriptions. As you'll see in the below image for this big Spal 18 inch fan, the airflow is pulled in from the side where fan blade center hub is, and it exits past he fan motor. This is a PULLER. The above drawing of the 18 inch fan PN VA164-ABL806HT/R-116A comes from a Spal catalog found at: https://www.spalautomotive.com/documents/20182/94723/brushless_catalogue.pdf/ VOLVO 18.25" XC90 Brushless Fan (2003-2014) I'm pretty sure that not all Volvos during these years got BRUSHLESS fans, but it certainly appears most or all XC90s did. These Volvo fans are made by BOSCH. There is more than one part number out there. Here we have PN 31111543 and PN 30749761. -- DIMENSIONS -- As mentioned in the title, this fan is often described as a "19 inch" fan, although the actual FAN BLADE diameter is 18.25 inches. The internet exaggerates, although 18 plus inches is certainly a pretty big fan too. This fan REPORTEDLY has an inverted PWM duty cycle ramp (Negative PWM polarity), meaning the fan will run slower when up near 90% duty cycle and it'll run full speed when down near 10%. I have not actually tested this fan. I have seen references to people using 128 Hz frequency for this fan, but it seems that Volvo brushless fans will reportedly work between 100 and 315 Hz. This plug has 3 wires. 1. Large BLACK wire (ground). 2. Large RED wire (+12v). 3. not used. 4. Small VIOLET wire (PWM signal). I'm not yet familiar with this type or make of connector or a source for finding a mating plug, other than in another Volvo. I'm hoping that a "middle" fan can be found between this 15.25" and the above 18.25". If you find such a fan, please share that with me. VOLVO 15.25" S60, V70, XC70 Brushless Fan (2004-2009?) A fan like this may be a good choice to trim and fit into a fan shroud that fits a stock size Volvo radiator. Since I no longer use a stock size radiator in my Volvo, I'm relying on others who might share some info if they try fitting a fan like this. This fan pictured is Volvo PN 8616762 and reportedly came in the following Volvos: 2004-07 S60, V70 2.5T, R T5; 2005-09 S60 2.5T; 2005-06 S80 2.5T; 2005-07 - XC70 Base and Ocean Race. Scott A. wrote and provided the above dimensions for this fan and some test info below. This fan responds to PWM signals as follows: 1. OFF PWM Signal: 92% to 100%. Sometimes coming UP from 91%, (thru 92,93,94,95, etc) fan will stay on at MIN speed, but MOSTLY turns off. 100% is always off. Going DOWN from 100% (99,98,97,...,93,92) fan will always be OFF. 2. ON PWM Signal: 91% (runs at MINIMUM speed) and then it increases speed as duty cycle % increases up to "NORMAL MAX" at 10%. 3. HyperMax PWM Signal: 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9% fan stays on "HYPER MAX" for any and all of these values. 4. OFF PWM Signal: 0% to 4%. OFF for these values (possibly these values are used for some kind of diagnostic mode). I have seen references to people using 128 Hz frequency for this fan, but it seems that Volvo brushless fans will reportedly work between 100 and 315 Hz. WATTS MEASUREMENTS (not Amps) At MINIMUM the fan uses about 29 watts. At NORMAL MAX the fan uses about 428 watts. At HYPER MAX the fan uses about 510 watts. It's suspected the fan is equipped with a 600 watt motor. Highest amperage recorded: 45 Amps (about 42.5 Amps continuous). With fan connected to running alternator at 14.01V, NORMAL MAX reduce voltage to 12.84V, and HYPER MAX to 12.65V. This plug has 3 wires. 1. Large BLACK wire (ground). 2. Large RED wire (+12v). 3. not used. 4. Small VIOLET wire (PWM signal). I'm not yet familiar with this type or brand of connector or a source for finding a mating plug, other than in another Volvo. CAMARO 18 inch Brushless Fan (2016+ SS or ZL1) This fan is original to the Gen 6 Camaro SS and ZL1 versions. This appears to be the car that got the biggest brushless fan in the GM car line-up. I believe a similar fan may also used in some later Cadillac CT and CTS supercharged V8 models. These Camaro fans were made by Spal for GM. The internet refers to this fan as having an 850 watt motor. That might be true, but it appears Spal may not actually make motors in 50 watt increments, so it may be 800 watts, which is also used in one of their 18 inch aftermarket fans. I bought a used 2019 Camaro SS fan on eBay with the intention of installing it in my car. The fan I bought turned out to have some collision damage, so it got returned. Before I sent it back I did some measuring and testing. Those results are here below. This is NOT really a 19 inch fan as some people think or claim. See more below. The fan pictured is GM PN 23332215. I believe some other GM part numbers for this fan will be 23455465 and 84100128. -- DIMENSIONS -- This fan will be called a "19 inch fan" by many people all over the internet. It's NOT REALLY a 19 inch fan. The actual fan blade diameter is 18 inches. The outer ring on the fan blade is 19 inches, but that ring does nothing to push air. So it's more technically accurate to call this an 18 inch fan, but if you like calling it a 19 inch, fine. The connector on this fan is this 4-pole MALE plug below LEFT. This fan uses 3 wires, so only three poles are used on this plug. I found this matching FEMALE connector kit after searching for Spal PN 30130628 in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTDGNGT. This is the same plug used for the Spal aftermarket fans and the Jeep JK fan in this page. This fan has some fascinating performance. From internet info, I expected this fan would have a standard PWM duty cycle ramp because there are sources on the internet which say that. The OPPOSITE is true. During my testing, I found this fan has an INVERTED PWM ramp (Negative polarity). So keep in mind the internet can be a liar. Negative polarity means LOW speed begins when duty cycle is near or below 85-90%. HIGH speed maximum is at 10% duty cycle. THIS FAN REQUIRES A 100 Hz PWM FREQUENCY. Camaro SS Brushless Fan Testing (2023) I bought and tested one of these, but this fan never got installed by me, so I don't have "installed/loaded" tests here. I do have some info about this fan in the Dewitts section below showing this fan can pull 4188 CFM installed with a radiator in front. I put together these tests below in FREE AIR. Free air means there are no obstructions. If this fan were to be *installed* with a radiator, intercooler and AC condenser in front of the fan, the CFM results would be lower. I didn't get the chance to install this fan because it got returned. Test voltage: 12.7v (static): 10% duty cycle; 5300 CFM (2600 RPM). 50 amps. 12.7v (static): 20% duty cycle; 5200 CFM. 45 amps. 12.7v (static): 25% duty cycle; 5000 CFM. 38 amps. 12.7v (static): 30% duty cycle; 4600 CFM. 32 amps. 12.7v (static): 35% duty cycle; 4400 CFM. 27 amps. 12.7v (static): 40% duty cycle; 4000 CFM. 23 amps. 12.7v (static): 45% duty cycle; 3800 CFM. 18 amps. See video below for 50% duty cycle test. 12.7v (static): 60% duty cycle; 3000 CFM. 11 amps. 12.7v (static): 65% duty cycle; 2600 CFM. 9 amps. 12.7v (static): 75% duty cycle; 2000 CFM. 6 amps. 12.7v (static): 85% duty cycle; 1360 CFM. 4 amps. A few tests were done with engine running for full voltage (14.5v). These tests were in FREE AIR. 14.5v: 50% duty cycle. 3300-3400 CFM. Using 13.6-13.9 amps. 14.5v: 10% duty cycle (full speed) 5690 CFM (at 2800 RPM). Using 50-53 amps. Yes, 50 amps is a LOT, but I can't think of many reasons why you would need this fan to run at full speed very much or for very long. However if you do, I strongly recommend a super high output alternator with dual V-belts or a very good serpentine belt system with a lot of belt wrap around the alternator pulley. These last two tests above are shown in the below video (except for RPM speed). The low amp draw at 50% (3400 CFM free air) is very impressive. The full power test with engine idling pulled the battery voltage down from 14.4v at (50% speed) to 13.7v (at full power). In my opinion, you really SHOULD NOT NEED TO RUN THIS FAN AT FULL POWER, except maybe for a trip to the sun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ9Vi3JUjsA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KEYcQFQwd4 Aiomest AN-846A anemometer purchased from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088QZ3689. You can see more about this tool and others in the Testing Tools section. The below video made in 2024 offers some information on using this Camaro fan for performance use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5KACPyNOzU VINTAGE AIR CUSTOM FANS Here are some interesting custom fan assemblies that Vintage Air is offering. These all appear to have the big Spal brushless fans mounted in custom, compact shrouds. These are not cheap, but it's a very nice effort by them and it gives you some very nice ready-made choices if any of these will fit your radiator. The reason I've placed these items in my page is to show more possibilities for these fans if you need something with a more compact shroud. The main Vintage Air web site does not appear to have easy-to-find links to these fans, but the links below should show you a full menu of all of them. vintageair.com/builder-series/CoolingFans vintageair.com/brushless-cooling-fans-and-shrouds Jon S. bought one of these Vintage Air fan/shroud combinations (PN 280478 found HERE) and did some testing. He sent me the below info. These tests below were with the fan installed, pulling air through the radiator, transmission cooler and intercooler.
More info can be found in a PDF for the above fan at https://vintageair.com/content/280480.pdf Below image is from this PDF. Some of the other Vintage Air fans available shown, which all use the big Spal fans. Fan PN 371252 Fan PN 371253 Fan PN 280479 Fan PN 280483 Here's a video showing one of these Vintage Air fans being installed in a classic truck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m19BKpd1KEg Vintage Air is also offering "Smart" sensors for use with the above Camaro fans. Since Spal no longer offers sensors like these that can work for a Camaro fan, I can only guess that either Spal has provided custom sensors for Vintage Air or Vintage Air has created their own sensors. Fan Sensor for 160 F thermostat. PN 113019: vintageair.com/custom/pn=113019 Fan Sensor for 180 F thermostat. PN 113021: vintageair.com/custom/pn=113021 Fan Sensor for 195 F thermostat. PN 113018: vintageair.com/custom/pn=113018 DeWitts Custom 18" Brushless Fan and Shroud This is a fan and shroud combination designed and assembled by DeWitts (a performance radiator builder) to fit a 2014-19 C7 Corvette. The fan is a Spal 18 inch taken from the late model Camaro SS (same as this one). The shroud is a custom aluminum part they have created. This package is very nice and quite expensive. This item can be found here: dewitts.com/c7-corvette-19-electric-fan Note that they keep calling this a 19 inch fan. It's an 18 inch fan. See my explanation in the Camaro fan section above. This fan has reportedly been tested installed behind a radiator pulling 4188 CFM. Source: corvetteforum.com/forums/4314951-dewitts-19-fan The reason I have placed this item in my page is to show more possibilities for this Camaro fan if you need one with a shroud that's smaller than the factory Camaro shroud. This compact fan-shroud combo *could* also be re-created by you if you have some fabrication skills. Also it could be turned 90 degrees and it just might be a decent fit for a factory sized Volvo 240 or 740 radiator. -- DIMENSIONS -- The connector on this fan is this 4-pole MALE plug. This fan uses 3 wires, so only three poles are used on that plug. I found the matching FEMALE connector kit after searching for Spal PN 30130628 in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTDGNGT. This is the same plug used for the Spal aftermarket fans and the Jeep JK fan in this page. 2014-2019 Corvette C7 14 inch Brushless Fan These fans were made by Spal for GM. It uses a 600 watt motor. It's more compact than all other high-flow brushless fans here. A 14 inch fan may seem small, but when used with a strong 600 watt motor, it's likely this fan will pull plenty of air. GM part numbers 84486697, GM3115306. This fan is also available as an aftermarket part made by TYC (China). TYC PN 624320. This fan has reportedly been tested installed behind a radiator pulling 2916 CFM. Source: corvetteforum.com/forums/4314951-dewitts-19-fan This link below doesn't have any Volvo content, but if you would like to see how this fan was fitted to a Honda S2000 radiator, see here: s2ki.com/forums/corvette-brushless-fan -- DIMENSIONS -- The connector on this fan is this 4-pole MALE plug. This fan uses 3 wires, so only three poles are used on that plug. I found the matching FEMALE connector kit after searching for Spal PN 30130628 in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTDGNGT. This is the same plug used for the Spal aftermarket fans and for my Jeep JK fan installation project in this page below. JEEP JK "19 inch" (nope, 18 inch) Brushless Fan Plus installation in my 240 is shown below. This fan is found on 2012-2018 Jeep JK Wrangler vehicles with a 3.6 liter engine. I bought a new aftermarket version of this one and installed it in my car. This fan is sometimes called the "Pentastar" fan on the internet. Some original factory fan labels are shown above. I believe the Mopar PN is 68143894AB, which I have not seen on any actual fan label. These labels above show the manufacturer as Johnson Electric and "Made in Italy." The original labels also show a date of manufacture, which will probably be sometime between 2011 and 2017 if you buy a used factory fan. AFTERMARKET VERSIONS of this fan are also available: Dorman 621-601 is available. Also I have seen at least one other aftermarket manufacturer (unknown who), which seem to be common on eBay. I bought, tested and used this Dorman fan. -- DIMENSIONS -- This fan will commonly be called a "19 inch Pentastar" by lots of people on the internet. The actual fan blade diameter is 18 inches. The outer ring on the fan blade is larger (19 inches across), but that outer ring does nothing to push air. NOTE ABOUT DIFFERENT BLADE COUNTS: The above images (which I stole from the internet) show a 9 blade fan. I bought a Dorman aftermarket fan. It has 7 blades. So I took a closer look at a number of used original Mopar fans on eBay and every one I found had 7 blades. So I'm not sure where the 9 blade fan is from. And I have no idea if 7 blades or 9 blades makes any difference in performance for this fan. I suspect not. CONNECTOR The connector on this fan is this 4-pole MALE plug below left. This fan has 3 wires, so only three poles on the plug are used. The matching FEMALE connector kit may be found by searching for Spal PN 30130628 in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTDGNGT. This is the same plug used for the Spal aftermarket fans and the Camaro fan in this page. The above kit came with several sets of terminals, which were made for different sized cable. I used the largest ones with 10 gauge wire. They appeared large enough for 8 gauge if you want to go bigger. The below video from 2016 discusses this brushless Jeep fan and compares it to the previous 17 inch brushed fan that this fan replaced in Jeeps beginning in 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2so93C02W9Q
I don't know what the WATT RATING is for the Dorman motor on this fan, but it appears not quite as powerful as the Camaro fan. If I had to guess, I would say around 600w. This fan also ramps up a bit slower from zero than the Camaro fan. My initial plan was to install a Camaro fan, then I changed to this one. Please don't think I'm disappointed. I'm not. My previous fan was the Lincoln Mark VIII brushed fan and this Jeep fan surpasses the performance of the Lincoln while using less current. This fan has a STANDARD PWM ramp (Positive Polarity), which is opposite of the Camaro fan. This means LOW speed begins when duty cycle is at 10% or higher. HIGH speed maximum is achieved at 85% or higher duty cycle. THIS FAN REQUIRES A 10 Hz PWM FREQUENCY. I've been told a 10 Hz frequency is also used by Mercedes. Jeep JK Brushless Fan Testing (2023) I figured since I was installing this fan I'd do some extra testing. A bunch of speed and CFM tests were done at two different voltage levels (12.7 volts on battery only and 14.5 volts with engine running and charging). They were also done with the fan in FREE AIR and also INSTALLED/LOADED (installed results are in BOLD). Free air means there are no obstructions (this fan pulled 5000 CFM). Installed/loaded means there's a radiator, intercooler and AC condenser in front of the fan. This makes a big difference in airflow due to the restriction of the radiator, AC condenser and intercooler. Also of note, the lower 4 inches of the INSTALLED fan has a barrier that might have some minor obstructing affect. That barrier can be seen in the below installation photos.
https://youtu.be/ZOdyyxAyGgw
Some installation photos for my Volvo. Since this fan is taller than my 17 inch tall radiator, several inches of the shroud will hang below the radiator. So that portion must be sealed off on the radiator side with a barrier wall at the bottom. I began with a piece of aluminum angle bar stock to give the barrier stability. It looks like it's really close to the blades in the above photo, but it's actually more than 1/2 inch. Some thin aluminum sheeting was fitted to close the bottom. Edges sealed with duct tape. And some useless holes in the shroud were covered with some pieces of the ABS plastic (with epoxy). View of the bottom from the back-side of the fan. Electrical connection. I used 10 gauge cable on the left side of this plug for wires going to the battery. Top brackets made with some aluminum straps. Lots of EXTRA room between the fan and engine. There's even more room now, compared to the Mark VIII fan I used to have in there. This fan has been used in my car for about 3000 miles of cross-country driving in a variety of hot summer weather. Verdict: IT'S AWESOME. It needs very little power to keep things nice and cool. Further installation info for this fan (and controller) can be found further below in the Fan Controller Section HERE. If you're curious about my radiator, I had a new custom one made by Griffin Radiator in 2022. Dual 12 inch Chevy Volt Brushless Fans This fan assembly is found in a 2011-15 Chevy Volt. These fans were made by Spal for GM, so an original Chevy Volt fan assembly will have a Spal label like these. Original PN: GM3115258. Spal rates their 12 inch aftermarket brushless fans (PN VA89-ABL320P/N-94A) at 1800 CFM (at 13v) per fan, using about 23-27 amps at full speed (per fan). So I would expect this dual fan to pull up to about 3600 cfm. There are also AFTERMARKET Chevy Volt fan assemblies that are made by Four Seasons or TYC. TYC PN 623170: www.amazon.com/TYC-623170. This fan assembly is too wide for most Volvo 240s, unless you have a much wider radiator than stock. Since this fan is popular among hot-rodders, the info is a good addition here. The connectors on this are a 4-pole MALE plug. These fans have 3 wires each, so only three poles are used. The matching FEMALE connector may be found by searching for Spal PN 30130628 in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CTDGNGT. Here's one of these fans being used for a project. s10forum.com/threads/brushless-spal-upgrade This installer used a Widget Man controller. Like other Spal OEM fans, THESE REQUIRE A 100 Hz PWM FREQUENCY and have Negative polarity. Here's a video of these fans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYu5jVBvKA Activating a Brushless Fan You got to see a preview of one way a brushless fan can be activated in the Spal section above. This section below will go into much more detail. SIMPLIFIED BRUSHLESS FAN DIAGRAM Keep in mind that there are a number of PWM fan speed controllers available now, however many are specifically made for DC BRUSHED FANS. Those controllers are not designed for use with a brushless fan, because the way they connect to a fan is very different. Brushed fans are not controlled the same as brushless fans. If a brushed fan controller manufacturer claims theirs will work for both brushed and brushless motors, that should be questioned and verified. This question is discussed more in a section below. Feel free to ask me for clarification or if you have a comment, please email: CONTACT. A BRUSHLESS DC motor has at least three wires. 1. Power to Battery Positive 2. Ground to Battery Negative or chassis ground. 3. PWM signal wire. 4. A 4th wire may be present on some brushless fans (Spal aftermarket for example). It will probably be an "Analog" signal wire used for other options. Controlled by a PWM SIGNAL A PWM signal (Pulse Width Modulation) is used to communicate with a brushless fan. It uses a Frequency Speed combined with a Duty Cycle to activate and regulate fan speed. A PWM signal is generated at a specific frequency, which is measured in Hertz (Hz). A Hertz frequency will be measured by the number of cycles in one second. The above example is 10 cycles in a second, so this would be a frequency of 10 Hz. A 10 Hz frequency is used by the Jeep JK brushless fan and also by Mercedes Benz. A 100 Hz frequency is used by Spal and Volvo fans (and some others). A simple explanation of a duty cycle is to think of it this way. (ABOVE IMAGE): A 25% duty cycle can be viewed as a voltage signal that quickly pulses 25% ON and then 75% OFF. The fan speed is changed or regulated by the duty cycle varying the ON-OFF relationship. It can be changed to vary between ZERO% and 100% ON. AN EXCEPTION: Some brushless fans (so far only Spal aftermarket that I know of) can be connected to run WITHOUT any controller or any PWM signal. In these cases the fan will just run at full speed. For all other brushless fans a controller with a PWM signal is needed to activate it or regulate speed. POLARITY: Some brushless fans are designed to accept a POSITIVE polarity duty cycle signal. Some are designed to use a NEGATIVE polarity duty cycle signal. If you see a fan which speeds up as the duty cycle is increased, then that fan has POSITIVE POLARITY. This type of fan reads and responds to the voltage "ON" portion of the signal at the TOP of the duty cycle. Some fans have NEGATIVE POLARITY. This type of fan will slow down as the duty cycle is increased. This type of fan reads and responds to the voltage "OFF" portion of the signal at the BOTTOM of the duty cycle. -------------------------- Can a NEGATIVE Polarity Fan be used with a POSITIVE Polarity PWM signal? No, it should not be used that way, however there are ways to convert it. It's possible to INVERT the polarity of a PWM signal. There are some devices in this page SHOWN HERE which can do this. In the below video, an inexpensive PWM signal generator is used to test and run a 2010-2012 Ford Fusion brushless fan. The user has the frequency set for 100 Hz. Then he activates and varies the fan speed by reducing or increasing the duty cycle to different percent levels. As mentioned previously, some fans use an INVERTED PWM signal (Negative Polarity). This one in the video is a good example of that. This fan comes on at 85 or 90% (slow speed) and then speeds up as the duty cycle is reduced, with full speed at or near 10% duty cycle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMEXpVuxNhk
Activating a BRUSHLESS Fan using a BRUSHED Fan Controller??? Can you activate a BRUSHLESS fan using a controller designed for a BRUSHED fan? I don't know for sure YET, but my first thought was probably NOT. Am i WRONG? I began using an AutoCoolGuy controller for my Mark VIII brushed fan in 2018. More about that is in the Cooling Fan Project Page 1 HERE. If you look at the Autocoolguy site, he claims (ABOVE) his controllers can control BRUSHED or BRUSHLESS fans. Since I don't know, I began asking questions. Darryl at Autocoolguy told me that if you have a brushless fan, which can be made to run at full-speed (like a normal fan) by connecting certain wires to power and ground, then the fan speed can be controlled using an Autocoolguy controller. From my research so far, the only BRUSHLESS fans that can be made to run at full-speed this way are those with FOUR WIRES (such as Spal aftermarket). A 4-wire fan has two smaller wires; a PWM wire and an Analog wire. If you review the below linked document for Spal Drive Control Modes, it will explain how a Spal aftermarket brushless fan (which has 4 wires) may be connected without a controller or sensor in a number of specific ways. Some of these connections will force the fan to run at full-speed (similar to any normal DC brushed fan). spalautomotive.it/DRIVE+CONTROL+MODES.pdf Two such listed "Drive Modes" (Interface Mode 1 and Interface Mode 2) are activated by connecting the power and ground cables normally, then the Analog wire is connected to the power cable and the PWM wire is connected to the ground cable. When I sent a follow-up email to Darryl at Autocoolguy and asked him if he could provide any more specific information on how his controllers will connect to and regulate brushless speed in this situation, he stopped responding to me. So my only guess is he means for his controller to be connected to the fan MAYBE in the same manner as a brushed fan, using the ground cable to the fan as the PWM speed regulator???. Hopefully a brushless fan will respond to this as he thinks it will? It would be a shame if this caused problems or damage to a brushless fan. Also the question of polarity comes to mind. I would love to offer a better explanation here, but he's no longer responds to my emails. THE CORRECT ANSWER IS STILL NOT KNOWN. If anyone knows more, please email me: CONTACT. BRUSHLESS FAN CONTROLLERS There are a number of aftermarket modern engine management systems that will offer programmed (or programmable) PWM signal outputs for activating a brushless fan. Some of them can be fully customized. Also some OEM engine management systems will offer this, such as GM LS engine systems. I will not be going into detail on these, since there's a lot of info and each system is different.
DELTA-PAG I've listed detailed information about the Delta-PAG brushless controller in the above Delta-PAG section. I have not personally tried one of these fans or controllers. I would welcome your comments if you have any to offer. SPAL I have already discussed the Spal "Smart" Sensors in a previous section. Those are designed for Spal Plus aftermarket brushless fans, but they may be used for other brushless fans, as long as they use a 100 Hz PMW frequency and a STANDARD duty cycle ramp (Positive Polarity). These sensors will generally NOT be compatible with a number of OEM style brushless fans with negative polarity, unless you use a device that can modify or invert the polarity, such as these devices HERE. Lingenfelter VSFM-002 Variable Speed Brushless Fan & Pump Temperature & Speed Controller Lingenfelter offers a programmable controller:lingenfelter.com/L460320002.html. They have a detailed PDF user manual at: lingenfelter.com/PDF/L460320002.pdf. Size of this controller is 3.6 x 4.3 inches. The below diagram was found in their user guide. This controller appears to be quite versatile in that a large number of difference OEM and aftermarket temperature sensors can be used with it. It can be made to control a wide variety of brushless fans from a number of different manufacturers, including OEM fans from Spal or Bosch or most other makers. It offers the option of an override or FULL-SPEED switch. If you need an AC override, it will trigger a fan to run at FULL-SPEED when the AC is activated. The only draw-back I see for this controller is that the AC override DOES NOT OFFER an ability to select any speed other than FULL-SPEED. If I'm using a super high-output fan, I prefer to not have it run at FULL-SPEED unless necessary. It might not be necessary to use a big, powerful fan at FULL-SPEED when using AC. Having an option for something less extreme for the AC, such as 50% speed, would be nice. The below video was made by a shop who does custom engine installations in Jeeps. They show a special version of the Lingenfelter controller, which appears to have been created by Lingenfelter for them with a custom feature, which offers an optional fan AC override to operate at 30% when activated. This shop does not offer this controller in their web store, so I don't know if it's available. If available, the only draw-back would be this change appears to eliminate the FULL-SPEED override toggle switch as an option if you prefer to keep that. I have emailed Lingenfelter a few times to ask a few questions and they don't respond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4tlqvVu_Vg
I began using one of these in 2023 for the Jeep brushless fan. Widget Man Universal Brushless Fan Controller (and other devices). When I first saw this item on eBay I was skeptical, mostly because the price was low. After reading more about it, and after thoroughly reading the extensive instructions, I thought it was worth a try to see what it could do. So I bought one. If you're old-school and used to running an ON-OFF fan switch sensor in your radiator or coolant stream, then something like this, which uses variable temp sensing for variable fan speeds will be a big step toward technology. So even if you're running a two-speed setup and you think you've really stepped into the future, think again and keep reading. One feature that helped my decision was an optional (Force-On) feature which can be selected for 50% fan override when the AC is activated. I've mentioned previously how such a feature was missing from most other brushless fan controllers. This is an optional setting where you can trigger either a FULL-SPEED override or a 50% override. If the 50% override is triggered (such as for the AC "ON" circuit), the fan will run 50% higher than the current speed setting. So for example, this means if the fan speed is "OFF" (engine not warm yet), then the 50% override will run the fan at 50%. If the fan is running at 20%, then the 50% override increases it to 70%. Nice feature. Also the seller was VERY RESPONSIVE to emails and he's been offering great suggestions. This has been very refreshing to someone like me who was still in a steep learning mode when it came to brushless fans and I certainly had some questions. This item (Universal PWM Fan or Pump Controller) can be found at: https://www.ebay.com/itm/143561612623 Direct link for PDF instructions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/pli=1 Other devices from this seller can be found at https://www.ebay.com/str/gkgoodcheapparts . This controller is typically referred as an "FPM" in the Widget Man literature (maybe refers to "Fan Pump Module?"). In addition to the above controller, I purchased a universal temperature sensor and an adjustable power supply. I ended up using the power supply, but NOT the universal temp sensor. I found that using my Volvo temp sensor was just so much simpler. This universal temp sensor is optional and not really necessary. You can easily use almost any factory or aftermarket sensor with the Widget Man controller, but I thought I just might want to try this sensor. In the end I did not use this sensor. I used my original Volvo coolant temp sender in my engine instead. This Widget Man RTD Temperature Sensor above is basically a universal sensor, which can be used instead of using a temp sensor you might already have in your car: https://www.ebay.com/itm/143563314206. I bought it to learn how it works, in case it became a good option for this project or maybe this info will help someone else who sees this. In the end I didn't use this sensor. If you're curious, an RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) is a passive device in which the resistance output changes as temperature changes. The resistance vs temperature relationship is reliable and repeatable. This sensor requires power. That power should be a consistent voltage if possible. If your charging system voltage at the battery moves around with load changes (more than a few tenth of a volt), a sensor like this would benefit from a stable regulated power supply. The below device could be considered. Widget Man says this sensor can be placed anywhere, but they recommend the placement to be near an existing coolant sensor or near the thermostat housing. Alternately, you can use many other factory or aftermarket sensors with the controller. I ultimately decided to use the VDO Volvo temp gauge sender in the cylinder head of my 240, which is shown a bit further below. Adjustable Power Supply This Widget Man adjustable power supply above is an optional item https://www.ebay.com/itm/143083402375. It's not required, but it can be useful if you think you need to stabilize voltage to your controller. I DID use one of these power supplies as you'll see. This power supply is typically referred as a "CTAS" in Widget Man literature. It can be used to provide a stabilized voltage level for the fan controller input, or for any 12v device (consuming under 1 amp). It's output is adjustable from 1.25 to 12.55 volts. A stabilized voltage level may not be needed for every car, but if you find that your car system voltage can fluctuate more than a few tenths of a volt when the alternator is under load, then it can make sense to provide an even voltage level to these devices for better consistency. I used this power supply to provide a stable 12 volts to the fan controller. This way the controller would not experience any voltage fluctuations, which can be a pretty common thing in an old Volvo. A good example of using this power supply for something different is how I also tried one out for a 240 gauge cluster to replace a failed 10v regulator. All 240 gauge clusters have a small 10v voltage regulator, which provides regulated 10v power to the temp and fuel gauges. I discovered the original regulator was not working as it should on a spare gauge cluster I had. This power supply fixed that perfectly. More on that is HERE in my Gauge Electrical Page. BACK TO THE FAN CONTROLLER Here's a diagram below I made showing the use of the Widget Man fan controller for a brushless fan. Plus I added the power supply and an an optional/alternate use of the universal temp sensor. The temp sensor I used is the VDO Volvo factory temperature sender, since I think that turned out to be a better choice for my Volvo. The FORCE-ON function may be activated TWO WAYS. 1. When 12v is present at the Force-On input, or . . . 2. When an open circuit is present. Force-On will be deactivated when a GROUND is present. The AC clutch circuit will provide a ground circuit when it's OFF. The optional dash override switch wired as shown above will create an open circuit when switched ON, which turns on the fan to the set Force-On speed (50% or Full Speed). Volvo Coolant Temp Sender (for 240 dash temp gauge). The below tests may seem unnecessary to many of you, but I was curious about the readings coming from that COOLANT SENDER. Now that I've done these tests, you don't need to if you decide to do something like this too. This VOLTAGE test is not the same as an OHM test, like the Ohm reading shown above for the temp sender. An Ohm test is for sender calibration only to make sure your gauge reads right. This test below was done to find out the VOLTAGE values between the 240 temp sender and the temp gauge. The temp gauge needle reacts to these voltage value changes. When the gauge receives MORE voltage, the needle goes DOWN (colder). Less voltage and it goes up (hotter). This test was done on a kitchen counter using a 12 volt DC power supply and with the sender immersed in heated water. These values were used to decide if I should use a 5v or a 12v sensor input setting on the Widget Man fan controller (this setting is selected with dip-switch 6). According to the manufacturer, the 5v setting is the best option because it provides higher resolution, but if the fan TURN-ON point and FULL-SPEED point that I would be choosing were found to be over 5v, then the 12v setting needed to be used. In this case, all values were over 5v, so I found that the 12v sensor setting on the controller was required appropriate for a 240.
Side Note about BAD Used Volvo Senders I found: My 240 uses the VDO Volvo sender (Volvo PN 460191) shown. I had some used ones in my parts bin, which I was pretty sure worked when I got them or removed them years ago. But when I tested them with an Ohm meter, I couldn't get any readings. It was like the sensors weren't connected inside at all. I questioned my Ohm meter until tried a different meter. Then I ordered a new sender and suddenly it worked fine. MORE Notes about this Coolant Temp Sender VDO/Volvo PN 460191. This sender image below represents the original factory calibration numbers. This should be consistent if you're using a FACTORY VDO/Volvo part. You should know that if you purchase an FAE aftermarket sender (available from iPd), that it's not calibrated quite the same. On later cars with functioning temperature compensation boards, this may not be noticeable, but on early cars or on cars with bypassed compensation boards, an FAE sender will put the needle slightly higher at operating temperature. This is why I bought a new GENUINE VOLVO sender when I needed one. MY INSTALLATION: Widget Man devices are sealed or potted, except for the dip switches on the fan controller. Those switches can be vulnerable to moisture, which could disable the controller. If the fan controller is to be placed in an engine bay, Widget Man recommends that the dip switches be sealed with RTV after the setup is complete. I didn't want to put sealer on the switches and I felt it would be a better idea to further protect these devices by putting them in an enclosure. The fan controller and voltage regulator are attached to the bottom of this box with some double-sided tape. This box is advertised as "waterproof." The top comes with a silicone gasket in a recessed channel, so it should do pretty well. Widget Man suggested that if I wanted to further protect the device, I could smear some dielectric grease on the dip switches. I didn't do that. These devices are rated for 225°F. It's best to place it in less hot area in the engine bay, certainly not near a hot exhaust or turbo. This controller produces very little heat on its own, so internal heat will not be an issue inside a box. Amazon sells this box and has it in a number of different sizes: amazon.com/dp/B07S6PKW2L The cable exit uses an inexpensive plastic gland nut that required a 7/16 inch drilled hole. I used the smallest size gland nut in this assortment: amazon.com/dp/B01GJ03AUQ
AC Activation Notes (fan FORCE-ON function). In reference to the AC compressor circuit being connected to the Force-On pin in the controller, I thought this deserved a good explanation just in case you were curious. The Force-On circuit is near the bottom in the above image. It turns ON when 12V is present or when an open circuit is present. It stays OFF when a ground is present. So for this function to work as I wanted, I needed 12V when AC is ON and a GROUND when AC is OFF. The AC clutch power wire will provide exactly what is needed, since it provides a ground when the compressor is off. Here's more explanation: The coil winding in an AC clutch offers about 3~12 ohms resistance when off. This low resistance translates to enough continuity to be called a GROUND when the power is OFF. It would not be enough of a ground for a power device, but for digital signaling purposes that's sufficient for a ground. So this AC clutch circuit totally works perfectly for the Force-On function. Here are a couple pics showing the new controller in it's enclosure and mounted. ROAD TRIP TESTING This controller was tested with the Jeep fan in a 3000 mile cross-country trip in hot summer weather. It worked flawlessly and I have the fan speed set to keep my gauge temperature just below the middle ALWAYS. It stays there in any hot climate, with the AC on, and going up any grade. If you're curious about the thermostat I'm using, it's a 92°C type (fully open at 197°F). Here are some OTHER devices from Widget Man which might come in handy for brushless fan conversions. This PWM Frequency / Polarity Changer may be useful for getting a 10Hz positive fan (Jeep or Mercedes for example) to work with a GM LS ECM, which needs a 100Hz negative frequency . This device lets you arbitrarily multiply or divide the Hertz rate and INVERT the polarity if needed. The only thing it won't do is adjust the off, on, and max speed thresholds. https://www.ebay.com/itm/143638043684. This Sine-to-Square Digital Signal Converter (SQC2) is an inexpensive assembly of transistors, which can invert the polarity or shift voltage levels on an existing PWM signal. https://www.ebay.com/itm/143103138738. Methods Used to Test Brushless Fans Keep in mind that most fan manufacturers are rating their advertised CFM tests to reflect a fan that is attached to a radiator, which in theory, restricts and reduces airflow by some amount. How is that simulated? Can there be any consistency? Who knows? So testing a fan yourself might be the best way to find the truth. These items below are what I've been using to test fans. If you use something else and you want to share that info, feel free to email me: CONTACT Most brushless fans cannot simply be connected to a battery to make them run for testing. This PWM signal generator below may be used to activate and run a brushless fan at any speed. There are FOUR connections. The left two wires are the battery power and chassis ground. The PWM wire on the fan is connected to the PWM slot shown above on the right. The extra GND wire next to the PWM slot can be grounded also, but in most cases it doesn't need to be. It's a ground specifically for the PWM signal. So if you have this signal generator connected to the same battery as the fan, then the extra ground is not needed. In some lab settings, the power and ground for a brushless motor may be from a different source than the power/ground for this device. In those cases the extra PWM ground would be needed. If you have a fan which you're unsure of the frequency needed, it will usually be just fine you need to experiment with different frequencies to find a frequency or frequency range the fan will accept. PWM Signal Generator. Price: $14.00 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P848DYQ Fan speed (RPM) testing was done using an inexpensive hobby optical tachometer above: Turnigy Micro Tachometer. This meter can be set to measure 2 to 9 blade fans. It was priced under $20.00. Amperage usage was measured using this Digital 0 to 100 Amp meter. Price: $15.00. amazon.com/DROK-Digital-Multimeter My CFM airflow testing was done using an Aiomest AN-846A anemometer. Price: $69.00 amazon.com/dp/B088QZ3689 This is the same airflow meter used by Fast Monty's Garage in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYkuNP1RnoM&t=26s. The same fan area calculation methods were used for my testing. If you watch Fast Monty's video, you'll probably have to pause and re-watch this math calculations a few times. It's a but much for a normal human brain. So I've placed the easier calculation steps I used below. Aiomest CFM Meter Calculation: Begin with the (actual) fan diameter: 18 inches, for example. 1/2 of that is the radius: 9 inches. 9 ÷ 12 = 0.75. 0.75² (or 0.75 x 0.75) = 0.5625. 0.5625 x 3.14159 (Pi) = 1.767. 1.767 is the sq.ft. area of an 18 inch fan. Now we must calculate the center hub area. I used 7.4 inches for the Jeep fan. 1/2 of 7.4 = 3.7 (radius). 3.7 ÷ 12 = 0.308. 0.308² (or 0.308 x 0.308) = 0.0948. 0.0948 x 3.14159 (Pi) = 0.2978. 0.2978 is the sq.ft. area of the center hub. Now deduct the hub area from the fan area. 1.767 - 0.2978 = 1.469 (sq.ft.). 1.469 is the final result of the fan area. So now you can set the meter on 'CFM' and enter your calculation. I entered the rounded number of 1.47 below for the FT ² setting. If you have any questions, comments or find any potential concerns, please send me an email: CONTACT. |