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Need help with wiring for fans on oilcooler

Started by Old Rider, December 26, 2021, 05:48:17 AM

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Old Rider

I just started a project adding coolingfans to the oilcooler to see if it will help lowering the oiltemp when riding in city traffic.
I'm going to use a auto thermal-switch that is mounted on top of the oilcooler ,but also want to be able to start/stop the fans manually so
will use a 3 way ON-OFF-On switch.I  need help to see if anything is wrong with the wiring routing i made.I have tested everything on the bench
and used a spare battery and connected the ground/earth wires to the negative battery terminal.everything works but  if you see anything
wrong shout out ! i will also install a oil tempmeter on the bike i make a write up of the work if any interest

Motofun

OK, not sure if I can help but I'd consider using a switched source of power.  You may have to draw that power through a relay.  Also, why the grounds on the 3 way switch? 
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Pat Conlon

The classics come back....Oil cooler fans were tried out back in the '90's
The conclusions were that:
1) the cfm output on the fans were negligible, not enough to make a difference.
2) engine cooling on FJ comes from air flow across the cylinder fins, very little actually comes from the oil cooler. The oil cooler was to stabilize oil temps to prevent oil degradation.
3) the fans impeded airflow across the oil cooler *and the top end of the engine* at normal riding speeds.
4) the whine from the fans while traveling at slow speeds was annoying.
5) if excessive oil temps are a concern, better results were obtained by installing oil coolers with a better design, not from mechanical airflow.


Here's what I know:
Until my recent move, my FJ spent 36 years in the low Calif. desert where summer temperatures were insane.
Air temps @110*+(43*) street temps over 130* (54*) and getting stuck in traffic on Hwy111 my FJ has gotten very hot, yet with no ill effects, due to the following mods:
1) Adjust the carb jetting to be richer
2) keep the valves adjusted in spec
3) upgrade the oil cooler
4) use a 15-50w ester base stock synthetic oil that can stand 300*+ (149*) temps.

This will be an interesting experiment, perhaps over the last 25 years fan technology has progressed to a point where they will make a difference and not be so God awful annoying.
Wiring looks fine. As Jack said, no need for any grounds at the switch.
What are the specs on the fans? (Wattage, cfm)
What temp do you want the fans to activate?
Drawing power directly from the battery is the way I would do it. No need to add load to your existing harness (unless it's just for a relay)
No need for an indicator light and no worries about leaving those fans running with the bike shut off....believe me, you will hear them running.

Cheers mate
1) Free Owners Manual download: https://tinyurl.com/fmsz7hk9
2) Don't store your FJ with E10 fuel https://tinyurl.com/3cjrfct5
3) Replace your old stock rubber brake lines.
4) Important items for the '84-87 FJ's:
Safety wire: https://tinyurl.com/99zp8ufh
Fuel line: https://tinyurl.com/bdff9bf3

red

Quote from: Old Rider on December 26, 2021, 05:48:17 AMI just started a project adding coolingfans to the oilcooler to see if it will help lowering the oiltemp when riding in city traffic.  I'm going to use a auto thermal-switch that is mounted on top of the oilcooler ,but also want to be able to start/stop the fans manually so
will use a 3 way ON-OFF-On switch.
Old Rider,

That looks workable to me.  I would keep the two fuses you have there, but also add an inline fuse between the battery and the switch, as close to the battery as may be reasonable.  Any unfused wiring can be big trouble.
You may want to add a panel-mounted voltmeter (small and cheap) so you will know if the battery voltage drops, due to slow speeds and the extra power-drain.
You may wish to add a relay-controlled Fuse Block to power your accessories.  Everything then gets full battery power, good for the auxiliary lights.  You can switch the relay On/Off with the ignition key, using a Fuse Tap on any heavy-rated fuse in the panel.
Cheers,
Red

P.S. Life is too short, and health is too valuable, to ride on cheap parade-duty tires.

Old Rider

Quote from: Motofun on December 26, 2021, 06:37:40 AM
OK, not sure if I can help but I'd consider using a switched source of power.  You may have to draw that power through a relay.  Also, why the grounds on the 3 way switch?  



Yes I'm planning connect the main red wire to a ignition power wire.The fan draws only 0.230A so not sure a relay is needed have to check more.
There is 2 grounds on the switch i think they are used for the 2 lights on the switch ,but not sure

Old Rider

Quote from: Pat Conlon on December 26, 2021, 07:18:14 AM
The classics come back....Oil cooler fans were tried out back in the '90's
The conclusions were that:
1) the cfm output on the fans were negligible, not enough to make a difference.
2) engine cooling on FJ comes from air flow across the cylinder fins, very little actually comes from the oil cooler. The oil cooler was to stabilize oil temps to prevent oil degradation.
3) the fans impeded airflow across the oil cooler *and the top end of the engine* at normal riding speeds.
4) the whine from the fans while traveling at slow speeds was annoying.
5) if excessive oil temps are a concern, better results were obtained by installing oil coolers with a better design, not from mechanical airflow.


Here's what I know:
Until my recent move, my FJ spent 36 years in the low Calif. desert where summer temperatures were insane.
Air temps @110*+(43*) street temps over 130* (54*) and getting stuck in traffic on Hwy111 my FJ has gotten very hot, yet with no ill effects, due to the following mods:
1) Adjust the carb jetting to be richer
2) keep the valves adjusted in spec
3) upgrade the oil cooler
4) use a 15-50w ester base stock synthetic oil that can stand 300*+ (149*) temps.

This will be an interesting experiment, perhaps over the last 25 years fan technology has progressed to a point where they will make a difference and not be so God awful annoying.
Wiring looks fine. As Jack said, no need for any grounds at the switch.
What are the specs on the fans? (Wattage, cfm)
What temp do you want the fans to activate?
Drawing power directly from the battery is the way I would do it. No need to add load to your existing harness (unless it's just for a relay)
No need for an indicator light and no worries about leaving those fans running with the bike shut off....believe me, you will hear them running.

Cheers mate


Many good points Pat. This is in first hand a experiment since I'm going to install a oil tempmeter also on the bike.If it shows that the temps
drops i will keep the fans and old cooler on.
I used the old oilcooler with smashed fins that was replaced last year I have fixed the fins a little.
.i used the old cooler because didn't want to risk ruin the newest cooler that is on the bike if anything goes wrong when drilled and tapping a
hole in the side of the cooler for the temp sender sensor.
I may skip the indicator lamp =)
About the fans they are the most powerful i could find in the right size that fits  on the cooler.They are dust sealed and
waterproof down to 1 meter (IP57). The cfm is 25 but the most important is that they are made to push air into stuff with static pressure 0.320
.I can write more about some test i did in the write up .I found a fan that has double that specs but it is not i stock
and it is higher so it will not fit the way I'm going to install.
The thermo switch is made so it activates at 85 degree Celsius and disconnect at 80 degree. I been playing around doing some test with a hairdryer (NOT MINE) i tried first with boiling hot water in the cooler but could not get the water inside to reach over 85 degree Celsius.The way I'm going to mount it on top of the cooler i hope it activates at more like 100 degree Celsius because the oil should be that hot so the water in it evaporates
I think i use a ignition source since the fans draws very little current and the battery positive terminal already has the wires to the
headlight relay that was installed earlier

Old Rider

Quote from: red on December 26, 2021, 07:30:19 AM
That looks workable to me.  I would keep the two fuses you have there, but also add an inline fuse between the battery and the switch, as close to the battery as may be reasonable.  Any unfused wiring can be big trouble.
You may want to add a panel-mounted voltmeter (small and cheap) so you will know if the battery voltage drops, due to slow speeds and the extra power-drain.
You may wish to add a relay-controlled Fuse Block to power your accessories.  Everything then gets full battery power, good for the auxiliary lights.  You can switch the relay On/Off with the ignition key, using a Fuse Tap on any heavy-rated fuse in the panel.

Thanks for that tip Red i will install one more fuse between the battery and switch. I already have a voltmeter installed so i can
se how charging is.Yea i remember you talked about the fuseblock and fuse taps before i see what i can do when installing the
wiring on the bike .The bike now stands outside wrapped in double cover.