Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

[Motormouse_67]

I have spent some time today investigating the Kenlow fan on the Marlin,the temperature is running at around 100 dregs.So a bit too hot for my liking.
The fan cuts in as it should but seems to be sucking air out of the radiator rather than blowing it through this can't be right as it would cause the Air to stall if it cuts in whilst driving.
I have reversed the wiring to get it to blow through the rad but this is not the way the thing was designed to function and the air flow is very poor .It is fitted in front of the rad as it should be and is wired up correctly.
Im sure it has the wrong fan fitted its a sucker and not a Blower ,any one had the same problem as I assume it is the one supplied by Marlin when the kit was purchased.
Peter.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

If it is a fan of curved blade design, the direction of rotation really matters, the old straight blade designs were not so fussy.

http://www.kenlowe.co.uk/fans/consumers/fans04.html

[Motormouse_67]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

Yes it's of the curved blade type.no real information re suck or blow on the Kenlow site.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

The tip of the blade points in the direction of rotation. The resultant airflow should be obvious from the angle of the blade.
Recent Roadster experiences suggest checking the temperature sender may be advisable, or using an infra red thermometer to double check.
There are debates over whether a fan mounted in front or behind the rad is best, it probably falls to aesthetics, rather than function, but it's patently obvious that air should move opposite to the direction of travel, and the closer the fan can be mounted to the radiator the better.
The curved bladed Kenlowe fans are partially ducted, much better tan a open fan.
Of course the size of the motor is critical to airflow, but any fan must be better than none.

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

Opposite direction of travel?? Surely you are trying to assist the airflow.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

Opposite direction of travel?? Surely you are trying to assist the airflow.

If the car is going forwards, the airflow must be going backwards.

[Motormouse_67]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

It would seem that the fan has been fitted at the front of the radiator since the car was built as there is no room in the engine bay.How it could have been over looked since 2005 is quite remarkable.
Looks like a front end strip down to fit a new fan.!!!

[stevejgreen]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

That seems very odd.

[Dane_Rescueman]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

Fan behind rad is more efficient for the engine when the fan is not powered. It is not clear which is better when the fan is powered up. It sound like your fan is designed to go behind the rad, but, wasn't it possible to reverse the blades on Kenlowes to fit them either side? Maybe it is just one particular type that allows this (or my memory is fading, again).

[greyV8pete]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

Take a right hand threaded bolt and turn it around. It's still a right hand threaded bolt. So just changing the fan around will only help to get the correct airflow if it has curved blades. If it is a permanent magnet motor then swapping the + and - wires around should reverse the motor. If the motor has field windings (like the old heater motors) then you need to delve inside and swap the wires to the brushes. Peter.

[stevejgreen]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

Fan behind rad is more efficient for the engine when the fan is not powered. It is not clear which is better when the fan is powered up. It sound like your fan is designed to go behind the rad, but, wasn't it possible to reverse the blades on Kenlowes to fit them either side? Maybe it is just one particular type that allows this (or my memory is fading, again).

Thats pretty much how i read it, but...
If the car is moving, the general airflow helps scavenge the engine bay and cool the radiator.
Most fans are there to primarily function whilst the car is stationary with a minimum of 'natural' airflow through the radiator and static air in the engine bay.
The assembly of any fan/motor will obstruct the airflow through the radiator when the car is in motion, possibly having a greater effect when mounted infront.
The argument i think though is a little pedantic. The fan is there to provide additional cooling, usually thermostatically controlled, over and above the standard radiator, so unless you are already on the design edge of the radiator capacity, like the 1.8 Marina cars, and that will depend on ambient air temperatures, almost any fan will be an improvement wherever it is located.

[danny_nelson]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!!

It is unlikely that the fan would have been supplied by Marlin with the kit. The fan is more likely to have been chosen by the builder, and we all have different opinions on what gives the best results. I prefer the fan behind the rad so the bulk of the fan does not obstruct the natural air flow when the fan is not powered

[Motormouse_67]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!! Now blowing !!!!

Today I tried a compromise as I don't really want to strip the front cowl down .I repositioned the fan temperature control knob to a more convenient position so that I can easily adjust it.
Then I rewired the fan to rotate in the push direction even though it is less efficient.
Ran it for an hour stationary and watched the temperature gauge ,all seemed well at just over 90 degs .
No time to test drive as I had to dismantle the house ready for new carpets tomorrow,typical as the weather was superb.
So will try a good road test one night next week.

[greyV8pete]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!! Now blowing !!!!

Today I tried a compromise as I don't really want to strip the front cowl down .

The first time I needed to replace the fan on my Hunter I removed the front nose. Never again! The second time I modified the grille fixings so the grille is front removable. Only four self tapping screws to remove and the grill lifts out. Easy to mod the Hunter grille as it is welded up from flat alloy strip but I am sure the "woven" grille could be made removable too, provided the frame can be made as "shallow" as possible.

I did have to cut back the G/Fibre a bit at the bottom to allow the grille bottom to drop down inside the cowl just enough to lift it out behind the headlamp bar which stays in place. Well worth checking if you can do similar. Peter.

[Motormouse_67]

Re: Kenlow fan.Sucking.!!! Now blowing !!!!

Yes a big job to remove the nose,the grill is stuck /glued / plastic type welded in so not easy to convert to removable.I hope the compromise works well enough to avoid the need for a strip down.