My 924s has electric fans and new ones are getting really pricy and don't seem to last very long. Used ones are 20 years old and seem to die even faster.
I have been thinking of putting aftermarket fans in my car. Anyone make any recommendations for aftermarket cooling fans? Brand, what to look for when purchasing etc.
SPAL and FAL are my go-tos.
I look for CFM ratings, good ones will have charts across a pressure range i believe. Good fans take lots of power as well. If you see a fan rated at eleventy billion CFM, but only has a 5A draw, it's probably crap.
Swank Force One wrote: SPAL and FAL are my go-tos. I look for CFM ratings, good ones will have charts across a pressure range i believe. Good fans take lots of power as well. If you see a fan rated at eleventy billion CFM, but only has a 5A draw, it's probably crap.
My current fans are manually controlled each on a 30A circuit with 30A relays on each fan. This is more than how they were wired stock.
You can't do better than Spal. We've life tested all of them and Spal is best by far. We're also a Spal dealer, but cater mostly to the heavy duty off road market, so we don't always stock the automotive size fans. But if you end up going that route, PM me with the part number and I'll see what I can do.
A note about CFM ratings. They are only comparable within a certain brand, since everyone tests them differently, and some MFR's make false claims.
The more air you push the more power is needed, but if two fans are pushing the same amount of air at the same static, and one is using less current, it doesn't necessarily mean its not as good. It usually means it has a more efficient motor.
But unless you've got that fan in your dorm room window to air out the smoke, static isn't much use. You've got it strapped to a radiator, probably with an AC condenser and maybe an intercooler and oil cooler as well. You want to know how it performs under increasing pressure, and that's almost always directly related to current draw.
When designing your circuits, remember that there's a startup surge that's considerably higher than the steady-state draw.
In reply to Keith Tanner:
That's what I meant by static, static pressure.
You're right, my bad. I read that as 0 static pressure for some reason.
In reply to Keith Tanner:
No problem, although that wouldn't have mattered in the context in which I used it - The result is the same either way. The important thing in that sentence was that both fans were operating under the same pressure, zero or otherwise. Although I should add that some fans work better under higher static pressures than others.
I installed a SPAL when I did the E36 cooling system revamp. It's been totally trouble-free and produces way more airflow than I'll ever need. It's made of quality materials and seems like it will last for a long time. It wasn't the cheapest option, but the good stuff rarely is.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/1997-bmw-m3/enlightened-e36/
Most of my experience with slim fans is in a "worst case scenario" type situation. In a Fiat 850 the radiator is located where it will never get natural airflow. It uses a fan at all times. Of the three 12" slim fans I tried, none would move enough air. I started with a parts store cheapy, moved up to a Jegs branded one and then finally went with the highest cfm Spal I could find.
All of them were much, MUCH louder, drew more current and were far less powerful than the OEM VW rabbit and 90's Civic fans that I ended up using.
I will be trying out the slim fans again soon, but in traditional front mounted radiator positions and am sure they will be just fine.
I am just pulling through the Rad. All other obstructions have been removed. My car actually uses air flow very well. Anything over 15 mph or so and the fans are not really needed.
bravenrace wrote: You can't do better than Spal. We've life tested all of them and Spal is best by far. We're also a Spal dealer, but cater mostly to the heavy duty off road market, so we don't always stock the automotive size fans. But if you end up going that route, PM me with the part number and I'll see what I can do.
I will take some measurements and then look at the catalog and see what works. I am probably going to have to make the mounting plate for them that will mount behind the rad. I am thinking a sheet of .080 aluminum should be strong enough but I am worried about fatigue from prolonged vibration.
not sure how much clearance you have but OEM fans can usually pull more cfm and be more reliable then aftermarket fans and can be cheaply had at junkyards. i think it was taurus fans (not positive what years) are good ones along with lincoln mark viii fans. im sure dimensions can be easily found online
I would normally agree but this is for a Porsche and OE fans are at best 20 years old now. Also the space I have to work with is very small so most OE fans from other cars will not fit. I should do a junk yard crall some time with a tape measure to look at the newer cars as things have changed since I last looked.
I have used the fans form Taurus's in the past on other projects and they are monsters. Put a 3 way toggle on them to kick it in to hi and you can move huge amounts of air. I had one on my RX7 and I swore it would help pull the car along. 
Mercury villager and Nissan quest vans have slim fans that move mondo air.
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