Stroker 3.1

[Diseazd]

Zed Head.......The head is a P79 shaved .080 inches. They all averaged right around 44 cc. There was hardly in variance from chamber to chamber, which is what he was looking for.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Diseazd

[LeonV]

10 minutes ago, Diseazd said:

Zed Head.......The head is a P79 shaved .080 inches. They all averaged right around 44 cc. There was hardly in variance from chamber to chamber, which is what he was looking for.

Same as my 2mm (0.080") shaved P90, FWIW...

[Mike W]

So I can probably help you out on your electric fan question.

First, what radiator are you planning to run?  If stock 240, I believe that they make shrouds for electrics that will use the OEM mounting holes.  My setup is different and so I can't help a lot on the mounting if its an OEM setup.

On the other hand, I have tried several radiator / fan combinations and learned quite a lot from each.

1. First, if you are to go aluminum, I would stay away from the Champion brand, although a few Z colleagues that I know have sourced them recently and the finish and build quality looks to have improved significantly from my first two experiences.  My colleagues' installs are also using the mechanical fan and seem to do a reasonable job of cooling.

2. Both of the champion setups I purchased came with cheap 11" no brand fans and they were not very good at keeping my engine cool (in traffic in 105 degree weather in Austin)  and so I was not very happy about that.  Also the fan mounting systems were very cheap and possibly damaging to your radiator.  They basically used round tie wraps that were pushed through the cooling fins of the radiator and secured on the end with a plastic "button" that went over and locked onto the round tie wrap. 

3. I ended up finding a radiator outfit in up state NY that basically specialized in after market, high performance, radiators with everything made in the USA.  They were called Wizard Cooling.  They ended up custom making a radiator for me using their own cores.  Superb build quality.  They even had it polished for me.  They also custom made a fan mounting system (out of aluminum) that bolts to the radiator and the fans mount to it.  Excellent design. 

4.  On the fans I ended up going with Spal, which I believe are made in Germany.  They are a partner of Wizard Cooling and so they already had all of the necessary dimensions needed once I picked out my fans.  They are 11" and are pullers.  I believe that I also had to go with a low profile version so that I had sufficient clearance between the fan and the pulley that attaches to the water pump.  These things are amazing.  When they turn on, they sound like jet engines spinning up.  Now I can be in 105 degree traffic and my temp gauge never goes over mid way.  Needless to say I am extremely pleased with this setup.

5. Finally you will need to source some sort of controller for the fans themselves.  These typically include the relays you will need to turn them on and off.  Also, depending on the controller, you will need to find a place for a temp sensor, so the controller will know when to turn the fan on and off. The cheap sensors are probes which are pushed through your radiator fins.  Personally I do not like these and so found an alternative place to install a sensor.  I use a controller from Dakota Digital which I really like and it comes with a sensor probe that is calibrated to their SW.  I ended up mounting the probe in the hole on the drivers side of the block that came from the factory with a plug in it. I believe this is used to drain the block of coolant if required.  I can set the on temp, off temp, run time after engine turns off, etc and it is all electronic.  I actually have it mounted in my glove box so it stays out of the wet and is accessible from the cockpit.

Let me know if you need anything else.  I certainly have lots of pictures of my setup so let me know if there is something you specifically want to see.

Hope this helps.

Mike.

 

[Diseazd]

Thanks for your answer Mike W. My son also said that he heard from the Bimmer Forum that Spal was the best name in automotive electric fans. I would really like to see pics of your set up......I will be running a stock 240Z radiator. I am most interested in how you mount the fan on the radiator.    Thanks.   Guy

[Zed Head]

3 hours ago, LeonV said:

Same as my 2mm (0.080") shaved P90, FWIW...

 

3 hours ago, Diseazd said:

Zed Head.......The head is a P79 shaved .080 inches. They all averaged right around 44 cc. There was hardly in variance from chamber to chamber, which is what he was looking for.

Thanks. I've wondered where those shaved heads end up.  That's a hair under an N42 or N47.  44.6.  But with the heart shaped combustion chamber, instead of round.

[Chickenman]

If you have the room, a Ford Taurus 1987 to 1993 single fan is a favorite of the 4X4 crowd and Turbo guys. They pull a TON of air. Dirt cheap at the Auto wreckers as well.  

Here is a link to just one of the many articles on Taurus fans:

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/ford-taurus-cooling-fan-wow.486504/

Many OEM fans pull a lot more CFM than aftermarket fans. They have to last a long time and handle extreme conditions. Bone yard is dirt cheap as well. 

 

[Diseazd]

Which side of the radiator do you recommend for the installation? Also, do you recommend thermostat control, or an on/off switch?

[Mike W]

Guy,

I believe that Z Car Depot is at least one source for the fan mounting shroud.  You can find some additional info here:

https://zcardepot.com/engine/cooling-heating/fan-shroud-for-electric-fans-radiator-240z-260z-70-74.html

https://zcardepot.com/engine/cooling-heating/fan-electric-fans-with-shroud-radiator-1970-74.html

I'm sure there are others but this was the first one I ran across. 

Here's a few pictures of my installation with the Wizard Cooling radiator as well as the dual Spal fans.

You can see the mounting bracket they designed for me as well as how the fans mount.  I've also included a drawing they did for me so that I could approve the design and dimensions before they went to manufacture it.

M Wodopian 260z(drawing) (3).pdf

Finally, I personally like the thermostatic control as opposed to just an on / off switch.  It gives you more control over the fan operation as well as some additional features like running the fans for X number of minutes after the engine has turned off.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Mike.

[Diseazd]

Thanks so much for all the info.....looks like you are a real craftsman! I'll definitely go with 2 12 inch Spal's. What's your thoughts on if I just attach the fans with the tie straps that go through the radiator vanes? Does that damage the radiator? I will be using an original Datsun 2 row radiator.....just seems like a very easy install with the straps.   Thanks.  Guy

[Mike W]

Personally I do not like the straps that go through the radiator vanes for a couple of reasons.  First is that you risk damaging the very delicate vanes.  Second I am not convinced that they provide adequate support for holding the fans, especially for the high power Spal versions.  Finally I had to remove a fan from the radiator for some maintenance and when I cut the strap off I accidentally cut into the radiator vane and created a very bad leak.  Admittedly my fault, but it shows that these are prone to accidents.  I will also tell you that Wizard Cooling will not warranty their radiators if this fan mounting method is used.  Guess that tells you something.  Yes they are easy and straightforward to use but you get what you pay for.

I've seen pictures of your other builds and they are all immaculate.  Given what I believe is your drive to perfection, I would not skimp in this area and recommend that you go for some sort of a mounting shroud.

Mike.

[Diseazd]

Darned good advice.....Thanks Mike....I'll go with the Spal and shroud!           BTW....When you're at the Zcon, look up Eiji....he'll be there. Have a blast.

Guy

Edited May 24, 2017 by Diseazd

[240260280]

Oww , my eyes!

Be sure to shock mount the rad with rubber grommets like Mike did.

The flexing Z frame takes its toll on the aluminum radiator so using only the stock mounting system of the Z (nut's and bolts) is risky.

Edited May 24, 2017 by 240260280