Practically Classics Forum

Hi,
I am thinking of adding an electric fan to my Sunbeam Alpine. A Kenlowe kit is available, but they are serious money for what they are, and I am tight! (I was quoted 180)... Does any one else have any experience with fitting other cheaper after market variants, or perhaps the cheaper units available from ebay at around 20 quid? I know that I will need a fan that sucks, and that there is really not that much space to play with.
A mate gave me one of the Kenlowe in-line thermostats, so that's part of the equation sorted.
I would appreciate some suggestions.
Cheers,
Andy

Well I actually got rid of the kenlowe fitted to my Vitesse by a previous owner, and reverted to the factory fitted mechanical fan, and the car is all the better for it......the car has a big engine in a confined space and a relatively small radiator, it was designed to have a constantly running fan, and when the kenlowe was fitted hot starting was always unpredictable, due to it being really hot under the bonnet when the fan wasn't running and the fuel was evaporating.

I would say leave electric fans where they belong, on cars designed to have them-they're nothing but trouble on old cars, completely unsuitable...and the outrageous claims kenlowe make for their efficiency, total nonsense. They claim 8.5% of engine power goes into driving an olde worldy mechanical fan..really??? I can't say my car seems down on power...or for that matter is drinking 8.5% more fuel.

Thats my oplnion anyway!

As Rusty says, they can be trouble, depends on what car they're fitted to though and why it's being fitted, I have one fitted to the Midget and it works well.

I guess if you don't want to go the Kenlowe route and want to do it cheaply one of the other options is to search around scrap yards and get a fan assembly from a modern car that will fit. If you take careful and plentiful measurements and find a scrappy that will let you wander around the stock of cars you might well find something that will work well, I'd expect many small modern cars to have fans that would be suitable and it's probably going to be pretty cheap too.

If you buy a proper non-kenlowe kit that's a lot cheaper you might end up finding that you get what you pay for and end up with problems.....

Just an idea.

Last year I had an overheating problem and went down the 'fan from a scrappy' (Vauxhall Corsa) route as a starting point. This was a two speed fan. The Ford Sidevalve engine in my car didn't, at that point have a water pump fitted. It does now, and what a difference. Anyway, with the fan carefully cable-tied in place and a manual switch and relays fitted I ran about for a bit only switching the fan on when the temperature started to rise. It helped but not as well as I had anticipated. This year, revisiting the issue I measured up how much plastic from the fan was covering the radiator. Quite considerable actually. Removing the fan entirely has, with the water pump resolved the issue all together as it has allowed the air to flow freely. Glad I only spent £20 at the scrappy.

I have a Kenlowe on my MGC because the original fan disintegrated and replacements make rocking horse poo look common. The problem with the Kenlowe is that to fit it, I had to remove the shroud that was around the original fan and that makes the airflow over the radiator much less efficient and the car runs hotter. When I can find a suitable mechanical fan, that will fit inside the shroud, then I shall return to the original setup.

I have a Rapier fitted with a Kenlowe fan but having only just finished the restoration I have not run it for sufficient time to confirm its effectiveness.I've had a look at the Sunbeam Rapier Club website and the electric fan question has been discussed there and the view is that it's worth changing.Alpines and Rapiers share the same engines etc and so it could be a worthwhile exercise.

I have fitted a scrap yard electric fan to my Alpine, it's off a Citroen ZX, mounted in front of the radiator, I utilised an aftermarket control unit from ebay, it works very well.


John.

Thanks all. I am having mixed thoughts.... However, might give the latter Citroen ZX appraoch a bash. Thanks all. Happy motoring this weekend. Andy