wedge fans

[ssc1]

how many rad fans are there supposed to be on a 86 350i, mine has one that moves from the left to the right as it dont seem fixed down anywhere, and what does the oil pressure sender unit come from, is it a rover SD1 item, it has two spade conections but only one wire going to it....

[streaky]

ssc1 said:

how many rad fans are there supposed to be on a 86 350i, mine has one that moves from the left to the right as it dont seem fixed down anywhere ...

This was an experiment by the factory to achieve even cooling across the radiator. As all the water runs to one side on cornering, someone thought that the fan could usefully slide over there too.

Streaky

[19560]

1. SD1.

[shpub]

Seen both 1 and 2 fans fitted. Oil pressure sender depends on which instrument set the car has. There are a few variations out there. How interchangeable they are I don't know.

[dickymint]

My 87 350i had one fan as standard until I fitted a twin Kenlowe kit.
My SEAC has 2 fans as standard.
I read somewhere that originally 2 fans were standard but as a cost cutting exersize for the American market they fitted one!

[19560]

dickymint said:

My 87 350i had one fan as standard until I fitted a twin Kenlowe kit. I read somewhere that originally 2 fans were standard but as a cost cutting exersize for the American market they fitted one!

Yep. About 85 is the change over year although most if not all FHCs have two fans and AC models. Bound to be exceptions though. Does it matter? If you're worried about cooling then its much better to fit a cowling to either set up.

[streaky]

19560 said:

dickymint said: My 87 350i had one fan as standard until I fitted a twin Kenlowe kit. I read somewhere that originally 2 fans were standard but as a cost cutting exersize for the American market they fitted one! Yep. About 85 is the change over year although most if not all FHCs have two fans and AC models. Bound to be exceptions though. Does it matter? If you're worried about cooling then its much better to fit a cowling to either set up.

Well, my '85 390 should have had 2 fans ... but only has one. Problem with mine is I have no idea (and the "race memory" in the factory isn't good enough) to know whether it was originally or retro-fitted - Streaky

[HeyAndy]

I've got one fan - my last car had two. I don't think it makes much difference.

The important thing concerning the rad is how many cores it has. I upgraded to a 4 core last year and there has been a massive diffrence in cooloing power.

[19560]

streaky said:

Well, my '85 390 should have had 2 fans ... but only has one.

If you accept that 85 is the change over year then how do you know that it should have had two fans?

[19560]

streaky said:

Problem with mine is I have no idea to know whether it was originally or retro-fitted - Streaky

Why is that a problem? I think that everyone would agree that extra cores, a cowling, and an oil cooler are what give extra cooling.

[dickymint]

Both my Wedges are 1987. 350 had one, SEAC had two.
I suspect all SEAC's had two and is more efficient.

[19560]

dickymint said:

I suspect all SEAC's had two and is more efficient.

The SEACs are an older design. I think that the single fan with a cowl was found to be more efficient than two fans without a cowl. Now two fans with a cowl...

[dickymint]

19560 said:

dickymint said: I suspect all SEAC's had two and is more efficient. The SEACs are an older design. I think that the single fan with a cowl was found to be more efficient than two fans without a cowl. Now two fans with a cowl...

I'm probably missing something here but how is an SEAC an older design than a 350i series two?

[19560]

dickymint said:

I'm probably missing something here but how is an SEAC an older design than a 350i series two?

The SEAC is an older design than the wedges that have cowls - they didn't come out until the latter 400s.

[2 sheds]

It has no relevance to model but more to year, Early cars tended to have twin later cars inc SEACs had single with cowl.
Tim

[dickymint]

So the time line goes -
single no cowl..twin no cowl..single with cowl?

[2 sheds]

From what i have seen yes

[19560]

dickymint said:

So the time line goes - single no cowl..twin no cowl..single with cowl?

Nearly: twin no cowl, single no cowl, single with cowl. Oil coolers were also introduced and then there are the TVR exceptions...

[HeyAndy]

So long as the rad works, the fan cuts in and does the business...what else is there to say that hasn't already been said??

[19560]

2 sheds said:

It has no relevance to model but more to year, Early cars tended to have twin later cars inc SEACs had single with cowl. Tim

Yes, or at least that is what I thought. I think that you may have mis-read the line above for your 18:51 quote.