electric fan / alternator question
- Thread starter ds416
- Start date
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cudajim
cudajim
My guess is that you're probably ok with the stock alternator. I doubt the fan pulls a constant 18 amps but you can put an ammeter on it to find out. Be sure to power it with a relay attached close to the battery.
Relay would be good close to the fan, in the engine compartment so it is easy to get to, IMO.
If there is a charging issue when everything is on, an upgrade to a 90 amp Alt. is possible. Just be reminded that the fuseable link and/or the wire that goes through the fire wall for the Amp meter (Which will also need to be beefed up or changed out for a volt meter) is at risk of being burnt up/out.
(Been there, done that.)
If there is a charging issue when everything is on, an upgrade to a 90 amp Alt. is possible. Just be reminded that the fuseable link and/or the wire that goes through the fire wall for the Amp meter (Which will also need to be beefed up or changed out for a volt meter) is at risk of being burnt up/out.
(Been there, done that.)
cudaspaz
Well-Known Member
Dude, thanks for your electrical expertice.
I always pay attention to your posts about electron flow.
LOL, your welcome, however, it's my weakest point, I'll post it if I know, I just won't lie about it, a car fire was scarry.
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
take it that you have had a fire??
Yes sir! just in what I mentioned. Fuseable link burnt up while at the same time, the wire that runs through the bulk head went up like a match. Second car fire.
Car was dead in the water, lucky enuff it was in my driveway. The bulk head connector was barley making contact and with that inmind, I'm sure it added to extra resistance and heat.
Car was dead in the water, lucky enuff it was in my driveway. The bulk head connector was barley making contact and with that inmind, I'm sure it added to extra resistance and heat.
cudaspaz
Well-Known Member
And I thought you were smart or sumpthin. LOL.
cudajim
cudajim
So it sounds like you hooked up the fan without a relay thus pulling all the fan current through the firewall and the fusable link. It's no surprise the fusable link opened up, it's only designed for a certain amount of current. Run the fan with a relay with the relay power coming from the battery or near it and not through the ammeter circuit. Be sure to use a fuse in series with the relay as well. Also, mount the relay close to the fan.
cudaman51
Well-Known Member
their is no reason to run all that currant through the fire wall plug unless you insist on haveing an amp gauge.your just asking for trouble.run a heavy wire from the alternator to the 12v buss in the motor compartment and wire your relays to the same sourse. fuse every thing. it will be safe and trouble free if done right.(buss is the conection point of the fat positive lead coming from the trunk)
cudaman51
Well-Known Member
hay cudajim i didnt pay atention to your reply. mine wasent nesecary for it mimics what you said in different words. I didnt mean to step on your reply.
LXguy
Well-Known Member
Anyone have a picture of this 12V bus?
Rumble: Do you know what the culprit was in your fire? What did you do afterwards to fix it?
I've been considering adding an electric fan (with appropriate relay setup of course) and eventually a fuel pump, but I'm worried that will still draw too much juice through the ammeter and rinky-dink wiring.
Steve
Rumble: Do you know what the culprit was in your fire? What did you do afterwards to fix it?
I've been considering adding an electric fan (with appropriate relay setup of course) and eventually a fuel pump, but I'm worried that will still draw too much juice through the ammeter and rinky-dink wiring.
Steve
cudaman51
Well-Known Member
in this case a buss is a term for a place to hook a bunch of wires to one comen power sorce. it hase to be insulated from the body. a 1by 3 coper bar mounted on insulators would work grate. you could use the stud on the starter relay. just a term i used.
67gtx
Well-Known Member
Our fans(2) pull 30 amps each, fuel pump 10, radio 25. That right there is 95 amps. Alter. puts out 90 at high rev and 25 if your lucky at idle. So don't idle or you run the battery down real quick. That's why we put 160 amp alter. (90 amps at idle) in and all the problems went away.
This is the post we used for all the power connections.
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/cn-1.shtml
This is the post we used for all the power connections.
http://www.madelectrical.com/catalog/cn-1.shtml
OH crap, I missed this, sorry Steve.
The culprit to my firewall fire was IMO a combonation of things with these issue's at hand leading to the fire.
1. Old bare wires
2. The connection at/in the bulkhead connector barley touching. The connectors would slide in and out of each other way to easy. There was play in the connectors.
3. A larger 1979 90/100 amp Alt. pumping out the juice.
The amp meter is still in place and I have no issue with it even with the 90/100 amp Alt. charging the car. I also have run at night in the rain with the stero cranking. The stero's amp is a Kenwood @ 100 X 2.
(More than enuff for the small cabin I'll tell ya!)
Hey Jim, sorry about the late reply. I'm back mainly because the relay I had crapped out. (As well as the fan, both Perma cool equipment)
The way the Perma cool fan temp sensor unit works is 1 wire to the battery, 1 wire to ground and then the fan wire to ground. The temp sensor switch's on the fan at a precetermined temp set by the dial on the relay that is adjustable from 160 - 210 *'s.
It is part number 18905 if you want to look it up.
So far, I replaced the fan with a Summit racing fan and aluminum shroud. When the temp sensor did work, it did not over heat.
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