85glsw Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 '85 EA82, 1.8, GL SW When I picked up this car, someone who had had the same car told me you only need the electric fan while the AC is running. True or false? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 depends.. the electric fan was installed in ALL of them, the clutch fan only went into cars with AC. The electric fan is run by a thermoswitch in the radiator that turns it on when the coolant reaches a certain temp, and IIRC it is also turned on automatically by the AC system. If your thermoswitch is crapped out, you can simply rin a wire from one side of the car's thermoswitch plug to the other, essentially "fooling" the fan on whenever the key is in accessories or on. Thats what I did, anyhow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 thanks for the details. The guy who told me it's only for the AC is a serious alcoholic, although the son of a good mechanic. Maybe I'll install a paranoid switch on the dashboard. Last fall, it seems the fan was running all the time when I connected it. Now, not at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy FitzGibbon Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I've seen mine run when the A/C is on and the engine is hot. The thermoswitch was unplugged when I saw this (didn't realize until later on). Never seen it run without A/C on, and the temp gauge runs at about half, which is more than my Loyale ever does. I suspect the thermo switch is crapped out but haven't got around to testing it yet. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 Usually not, but sometimes it will help. I didn't reinstall the fan on mine after changing the timing belts on the side of the road in April, and I've noticed that the temp guage goes up to the middle of the guage when going up a long steep hill. Especially if I'm in 1st or 2nd gear on dirt roads. It used to never get above 1/3'rd on these long hills. I'll probably put it back on soon, as it's getting hot here now. I still have the engine driven fan on the waterpump, BTW. Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfoyl Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 Given the OP's location, I'd say a full-time fan is a good option. We got a crank-driven fan down under standard, which is almost fail-proof but a definite drain on the EA81. My replacement thermo-fan comes on after about 5 minutes on a hot day (90+F) in traffic... Dean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CzarMohab Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 My radiator is toast from recent events, however prior to them I did rewire the electric fan to an in cabin on-off-on switch (all I had at the time) and I did notice a difference on those hot days. Now, and until I get a new rad, that fan is on whenever the car is on (its the only part of the rad that wasn't damaged) and it makes a surprisingly huge difference. So is it needed? Maybe. I'd say it would depend on your situation. If nothing else, do like you said and put in a switch in the cabin. Czar "Hope that was helpful" Mohab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 My radiator is toast from recent events, however prior to them I did rewire the electric fan to an in cabin on-off-on switch (all I had at the time) and I did notice a difference on those hot days. Now, and until I get a new rad, that fan is on whenever the car is on (its the only part of the rad that wasn't damaged) and it makes a surprisingly huge difference. So is it needed? Maybe. I'd say it would depend on your situation. If nothing else, do like you said and put in a switch in the cabin. Czar "Hope that was helpful" Mohab The anal retentive part of me HAS to point out that wiring the load of your electric fan directly to a switch in your cabin is just bad wiring.. really, if you want a switch you should be using a relay. Or, simpler yet, just install a jumper wire in place of the thermoswitch. Think of the thermoswitch like a computer program... If temp = hot, then switch = on If temp = cold, then switch = off if wire = going between switch contact point on the wire harness, it thinks switch is on. If, for some reason you need to turn off your fan, pop the hood and pull the wire out. it isnt that hard to access, as long as the engine isnt running (belt hazard, sometimes I brave it but I try not to.) So a switch can work, but isnt ideal and costs money for ~12 feet of wire and a switch.. or, you could use 6" of wire. it IS summertime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85glsw Posted July 7, 2007 Author Share Posted July 7, 2007 Thanks, I'd forgotten about the relay. I agree. Fix the thermo switch, if it's bad. I haven't even looked at the wiring yet, to say nothing of checking the thermo switch. Maybe later today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 By the way, (since I just wrote another "book" in your other thread) I just want you to understand I am a long-winded guy, the kind who talks too much.* Don't think I am brow beating or anything; this is just casual conversation to me as much as anything else. So, in other words, I'm just making friendly suggestions as much as anything else. I have kept my eyes open and read and learned alot, but my experience is nowhere NEAR that of many other members here. I try to help spread as much knowledge as I can, but I am not the know-all be-all of old gen soobies. I just figured I would make that abundantly clear; I've been telling you alot in the last couple posts (and a couple of others) and its mostly because I have had too much time to kill in front of my computer, not because I am a master technician. EDIT *As proof of this, check this post to see how long I can take to say "probably." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I prefer to run my cars with no clutch fans (they rob horsepower) and with two electric fans. My EA81T coupe is receiving its second electric fan today. I found a small electric fan in some EA81 that BARELY, and I mean "3mm barely" clears the A/C compressor clutch, after I pounded on the vertical bracket a little (the length of it was shaped like a < for rigidity.. I made it shaped like a | for clearance .. it was overengineered anyway!). I've wired it to kick on with an EA82 A/C relay (designed for underhood use!) and it will be grounded when the new thermoswitch I installed grounds the stock electric fan's relay. Something else I always do with my cars' electric fans is to notch out the bottoms of the bottom mounting holes, to speed installation and removal. At most, all you have to do is crack the bottom bolts loose (and remove the top bolts) and the fan pulls right out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waimaks Posted July 8, 2007 Share Posted July 8, 2007 Something else I always do with my cars' electric fans is to notch out the bottoms of the bottom mounting holes, to speed installation and removal. At most, all you have to do is crack the bottom bolts loose (and remove the top bolts) and the fan pulls right out. Thats a really good idea. Gonna have to do that myself now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I just run 2 electric fans on a manually operated switch, so I can control when I use them and I draw no horsepower from the engine to turn a pully driven fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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