Electric fan thermostatic switch location; radiator or intake?

[derotoreut]

Originally Posted by piecesparts

Actually I would think that you would want to know what your engine is at for temperature and not the radiator. I have installed several fan switches and all of them were triggered by a sensor in the intake manifold. I feel that the best thing is to put one in and adjust it to keep your engine at a set temperature. There are some aftermarket systems that do have a connection that uses a probe that sticks into the radiator fins, or into the return hose from the T/stat, but if you want a direct and functional connection, I would seriously consider a mounting point in the intake manifold. Putting the temp probe in the head does result in false temps due to combustion heat.

I would consider it, but I don't have a place in the intake manifold. Unless I get a water neck with threaded connection I can't really do it. I am using the current place in the intake for my water temp gauge sender.

Originally Posted by piecesparts

I spent a lot of money on my engine and I put in an aftermarket radiator and dual electric fans to keep it cool. The design of the fan switch is up to the buyer, but you definitely want one to work when you need it. Cooling an engine that is cooled by water is to move the right amount of air across a finned coil that has the water in it to supprt effective heat transfer. Actually an electric fan is better than many engine driven fans for a couple reasons. The first being that the fan continues to run at the speed that it was turning at 60 MPH with the car at dead stop, thus assisting in cooling the engine faster. Also the removal of the fan from the engine provides for approximately 10 hp more power to be used in the tranmission and this gains a little gas mileage. Finally, COLD weather, the lack of a fan turning on a cold morning, will allow the engine to heat up to temp faster.

I too have spent a great deal of money on my stroker engine. I want to make sure it is cooled properly. My radiator is a custom aluminum build from Wizard Cooling. I have dual SPAL fans set up in it with a single thermostatic switch in the radiator. I'm just not sure the switch is properly located.

Originally Posted by piecesparts

My fan switch has a dual fan speed capability which turns the first fan on at a speed only necessary to keep the temp at the point that I set it for. If the temps goes up, the fan switch increases the fan's speed and then if really hot, the second fan is started to assist. I have yet to see the second fan run.

Both trucks in the attached pictures have aftermarket SPAL fan sets. The white truck has the fans behind the factory radiator and I used that truck for daily work (summer and winter driving), the black truck has a 400+ hp stroker engine behind the SPAL fans and an aluminum radiator that has been all over the country in more than one Hot Rod Power tour. I am happy to say they have supported me well.

Can you please provide me with more information regarding your fan switch set up. Is it a single switch that has the capability to turn on two fans separately? I'm wondering if I need two separate thermostatic switches to run the two fans.