My blown car can get very hot, usually after a spirited run and finding myself in traffic. I don't have a normal mechanical fan because I was daft and didn't put a pulley on the supercharger drive.
What experience does anyone have of installing an electric fan like a Kenlowe? I'm imagining having it manually switched when I see the gauge edging towards 100. How has anyone fixed one in position?

Thanks

Charles

I fitted a fan as you describe to a non Austin car Charles - it was switched on by an adjustable thermostat fitted in the top water hose.

Do you have a water pump already?

Yes. The water pump makes a big difference but there's simply a lot of thermal mass and no airflow when you slow.
Fixing to the radiator seems the challenge.

Charles

There were adjustable plastic clips that went through the core on the one I fitted - not very aesthetically pleasing on an exposed rad.

They looked like this:

I have one fitted to my RN and the Ruby I am doing at the moment , they are both Ebay £20 jobs and are as good as a Kenlow at doing the job, you can buy the thermo switch seperatly on Ebay which works via thermic lance type thing that goes into the top hose to activate the adjustable switch .

Charles,
I fitted one inside the cowl of my Opal concealed in front of the radiator. It's an ex-Fiesta one I think and has a manual switch. It does draw a lot of 12v current when starting but is effective once over 100C. I haven't a mechanical fan and it seems to cope without it on all but the longest and steepest of climbs. The fan picks up the bolt on the front centre of the radiator and two round the bottom of the cowl, I didn't want to drill extra holes. Try to get a modern fan design with forward curved blades, they're more efficient and draw less current. There's also a difference between fans that suck and those that blow - make sure yours is for the right side of the radiator.
Dave

I have a manual switch for the fan. The mounting brackets are soldered to the radiator.
Works very nice in traffic jams and when you stop the hot engine, you can have the fan working for another minute the help cooling down

Location: Zürich

Not Sevens, but the experience in several countries with performance modified Jupiter sports cars prone to overheating, has been that electric fans are fine for the traffic halt type of situation, but no substitute if the cooling system is fundamentally marginal under load (ie up slow and steep hills.) The few watts of an electric fan does not compare with the hp grunt of a mechanical fan at revs.
Of course that significant mechanical load is always there.

Location: Auckland, NZ

I recall reading years ago the optimum air speed through a car radiator was 12MPH. That would have been for a modern radiator.

Would that make any sort of fan superfluous at speeds above 15MPH?

Just seen your post. If your still looking for an electric fan I can recommend a fan supplied by BBClassics.

http://www.bbclassics.co.uk/electrical-accessories.html

They have a range of sizes and with a thermostatic controler the cost is around £50, much less than a Kenlowe. A number of us who race in the 750 trophy use them and they seem to work very well.

Tom

Location: Greatham UK