brackets to mount electric fan

#21

<snip>

#22

<snip>

#23

Can someone please look at the photo I posted on previous page and help me out. Don’t want to put fan in backward. I can’t locate a photo anywhere. I’ve got it with the center hub (with nut in middle) pointing toward front of car.
thanx,
tom

#24

Fan orientation looks good to me (it’s not backwards)

Igor

#25

Igor,
Thank you so much.
BTW, I did the timing belt job with the instructions you sent me awhile back. I looked at several others & yours was by far the most detailed and best.
thanx again,
tom

#26

I finally got around to doing the electric fan mounting job this past weekend. Just FYI for the curious, the euro fan brackets have the offset part at the top going the opposite way from the realoem.com picture
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1232&mospid=47263&btnr=17_0073&hg=17&fg=10&hl=67

this made my fan sit a bit canted towards the front of the car at the top. I don’t think it will make a difference, but just curious that the picture shows them inverted.

Got my front subframe put back in today and am finally making good progress on the car now.
cheers,
bruce

#27

This is great, I was just thinking of my next project since the car is going to be sitting for a few more weeks.
Where did you get the brackets from?
Are you guys putting the shroud back?
I like the SPAL fan installation.

#28

Vic, the SPAL is definitely a nice option. We have it on both cars. You can even install it without removing the radiator. It comes with mounting brackets that bolt into original holes in the radiator.
Ed

#29

If anyone is curious to see a trick ‘fan less’ setup check out my car at the next event. Performed admirably in the upper 90’s humid heat at Roebling and uses all factory US parts.

#30

I just got the brackets at the dealer since they’re pretty cheap. I left off the shroud on the engine side of the radiator since I no longer have the mechanical fan.
cheers,
bruce

BETO wrote:

[quote]This is great, I was just thinking of my next project since the car is going to be sitting for a few more weeks.
Where did you get the brackets from?
Are you guys putting the shroud back?
I like the SPAL fan installation.[/quote]

#31

leggwork wrote:

[quote]I finally got around to doing the electric fan mounting job this past weekend. Just FYI for the curious, the euro fan brackets have the offset part at the top going the opposite way from the realoem.com picture
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1232&mospid=47263&btnr=17_0073&hg=17&fg=10&hl=67

this made my fan sit a bit canted towards the front of the car at the top. I don’t think it will make a difference, but just curious that the picture shows them inverted.

Got my front subframe put back in today and am finally making good progress on the car now.
cheers,
bruce[/quote]
OK, if they are facing the opposite way, how do you attach them? I can’t get them to align them to any holes on top.
What did you do with the bottom mount?
I’m told to put the oem fan shroud back, even without the clutch fan.

#32

Bringing this back to life, sorry…

I ordered a 16" Spal low profile puller fan from Bimmerworld. I got the basic wiring kit (going to use a switch) and the “zip tie like” mounting kit. Is this mounting strategy going to work? Will it damage the radiator? Do I use the shroud or not?

#33

OriginalSterm wrote:

[quote]Bringing this back to life, sorry…

I ordered a 16" Spal low profile puller fan from Bimmerworld. I got the basic wiring kit (going to use a switch) and the “zip tie like” mounting kit. Is this mounting strategy going to work? Will it damage the radiator? Do I use the shroud or not?[/quote]

This link shows some photos of me relocating my fan to put it farther forward. It might give you some useful ideas.
http://www.gress.org/Home/Cars/TrackTales/DIY/OilingSystem%20Improvements/OilingPlan.htm

#34

Zip tie things work fine. I have used on two different cars without any problems.

The only thing I would recommend is to add some more foam underneath the padding so that there is no direct plastic to radiator fin contact. I have used some firm weather stripping foam before and they held up well.

#35

I’ll have to take issue with mounting a fan directly to a radiator. I lost a new radiator when the “through the rad” mounts ate a hole in one of the tubes.

#36

The key is not to use the through the radiator plastic rod piece to rest on the radiator. Vibration and movements will eat through the radiator.

Rather use good amount of foam on both side of the pad footing and use the zip function to compress and hold both sides. This way, the weight of the fan is being held by the footing pad area pressing against the face of the radiator on both sides.

Actual piece that goes through the radiator does not carry any weight and will not be touching the radiator in any significant way.

#37

The Spal fan comes with some metal brackets. You can mount these to the periphery of the stock radiator without using the zip tie option. Search the forum for some previous posts. I posted pictures a few years ago showing the brackets.
Ed

#38

Here’s the link - http://spece30.com/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/fanpics.JPG