do you really need a fan blade...

[E36.325is.chase]

my fan blade has now broken 3 times...the first time the fan blade just broke (and this is the fan that cools the engine not the aux. fan), the second time the fan blade broke it broke the radiator, power steering pulley, and belt. it has now broke for the third time but this time it just put a pin hole leak in my radiator which i was able to just patch up. i went out to drive my car and realized that the engine temp was just fine without the fan, then i let the car sit idling for about 10 min then the temp started to rise up to the 3/4 mark....so i was wondering could i just technically leave the car as is with no fan and not cause any damage to my engine ?

thanks for the input!: :)

[E36 Phantom]

Been discussed hundreds upon thousands of times ;)

Many people swear by the "Fan Delete Mod" (if you can call it a "mod"). Personally, no way I'd run without a fan. But, many do with no problems, and just upgrade their thermostats to kick in at a lower temp.

If I were you, I'd pop for a metal fan or electric fan.

Oh, if the temp gauge is moving, you're screwed ;)
The stupid temp gauge is designed to be "scare-less", or have a wide range of operating temperatures that the needle will stay on center before it finally moves. By the time it moves, you already are running way too hot.

[Pirate_copy]

Jasonf860....COME ON DOWN!!!

Jason is out FDM god :)

[jasonf860]

Jasonf860....COME ON DOWN!!!

Jason is out FDM god :)

Why thank you sir!

OP- Yes, you CAN run without the fan, however I would suggest as Phantom mentioned swapping the T-stat to the 80 degree instead of the 92 degree, and swap out the auxillary fan switch to the lower temp one as well. It will allow the engine to run a bit cooler and give you a larger buffer when your in a high temp situation like traffic and such. Also, I would run at least one bottle of redline water wetter, or Royal Purple "Purple Ice" to help control the temps. I have been running since February with no engine driven fan and just the small tweaks I mentioned and have shown no signs of overheating whatsoever. Some of those days were 95+ outside and one of them I sat in stop and go traffic for over 45 minutes.

You can buy a kit at www.understeer.com or a few other places that comes with everything you need to run without the fan safely, Or you can just pull the part #'s off the Understeer FDM DIY and buy them all at www.pelicanparts.com for a significant savings. I saved enough buying through pelican to also purchase the metal impellar water pump. (I added the aluminum T-stat housing as well for good measure)


If you need any assistance, or would like to discuss it any further, just shoot me a PM. :thumbup:

[SCANDINAVIAN13]

Would my car survive this should I move to a place like, say...oh Phoenix, AZ within the next year?

[Sal329]

Is there an electric fan replacement instead of deleting a fan completely?

[Pirate_copy]

Yes, there is indeed

[Sal329]

Any info on the electric fan?

[jasonf860]

Would my car survive this should I move to a place like, say...oh Phoenix, AZ within the next year?
Yes and no. It would do OK if you were steady driving but any type of stop and go would almost certainly pop the top so to speak. If it were me, I'd do the FDM and add an electric fan to safegaurd the engine in extreme environments like your talking about.

Is there an electric fan replacement instead of deleting a fan completely?

Yes, see above. You'd need an aftermarket slimline fan and the corresponding thermostatic switch for it. Some of the higher end ones only draw 10-15 amps at max operating speed and are thus FAR less parasitic loss in comparison to the viscous fan.

[Sal329]

Still confused on the fan thing. Who sells the slimline fan? Would the stock Aux fan and a 88 deg thermo switch be sufficient?

[BeRzErKaS]

Still confused on the fan thing. Who sells the slimline fan? Would the stock Aux fan and a 88 deg thermo switch be sufficient?

The fan we use is the SPAL 16" Slimline electric fan. They can be found on ebay. Sometimes they come with installation kits, sometimes not -- it's not a big deal though because all the electrical components you need can be found at the local autoparts store.

Installation is pretty easy. All you need is a specific type of relay (can't remember the part number), an in-line fuse and several feet of heavy gauge wire. There are diagrams on the net that will show you how to wire up your relay. If I remember correctly, the relay has 4 connect points. You need to tap a 12V switched power source from the washer fluid pump so the relay is only "on" when the key is switched on. To open/close the relay at the proper temps you can you can tap into the thermo-switch that powers the electric auxillary fan. This switch is on the passenger side of the radiator. To power the fan itself you will need to connect a 12V steady supply to the relay. This line will feed the fan when the circuit is closed. This 12V supply is tapped directly from the battery cable that connect to the bottom of the fuse box in the engine bay. It's on this line that you also install the in-line fuse. The final connection is a ground line.

Some people screw up the install up by trying to connect the fan directly to the same 12V line supplies the the aux fan. This is how they overload circuits and end up roasting fuses.

The SPAL fan needs it's own supply, relay, and fuse! :mad:

[Sal329]

Got it thank you. The electric fan seems better then running no fan?

[Pirate_copy]

DEFINITELY buddy. You really dont want your Bimmer engine to overheat as that will only end badly :(

[Sal329]

Guess I know what one of my first mods will be after I pick up my E36. I see way to many fans braking and destroying other items in the last 7 years at BMW.

[Pirate_copy]

Trust me, if you have a bloody viscous fan clutch you wanna get rid of it ASAP. If it doesn't fail, it is still robbing you of power when it kicks in

I am replacing my clutch tomorrow as mine broke...AGAIN. I will be putting an electric setup on her as soon as i can

HATE VISCOUS FANS....AAARRRAAAHHHHH

:D

[Riick]

I recently bought a 328ci, and intend to get rid of the mechanical fan in favor of electric fan or fans(?). Looked to me like there was room only for a 15" fan; people installing 16" ?? Did same sort of conversion years ago on an old Toyota I owned, pretty easy job, especially with plastic ties. Using a fused relay to feed the fan is ONLY way to go.

Keep wondering why you'd want to use a lower temperature t-stat though, will slow warm-up of car; running car at rated water temperature would promote best fuel economy, least sludge. It's a heat-engine (but not an over-heat engine).

Question: Bentley Manual says I'll need a 32mm open end wrench to get the old fan off, and special BMW tool to hold pulley... other posts say use screwdriver on pulley -- WHERE/HOW?? Can you point me to a thread w/instructions & photos?? THANKS!
-------------- Rick

[Pirate_copy]

Any good?

http://www.bimmerdiy.com/diy/e36coolingsystem
http://www.understeer.com/fanclutchmod.shtml

[jasonf860]

Here's another great thread on bimmerforums about the whole fan delete mod.........

FDM Thread (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=473312)

All the info you'll ever need.