After witnessing three down draft fan motor failures I decided to remove ours and install a 16" Hayden 12V fan. Much easier to locate a 12V fan than the 220V motor. Also installed a Buddy Plug. Photos attached.
Photo sequence starts with Post #6.
Hi Curt,
Several people have made this conversion but I have not seen where the CFM of the new fan is compared to the original squirrel cage fan. I would hope that the BB engineers sized the squirrel cage fan properly. I do know that with the original setup, my generator coolant temp maintains itself to a constantly close 160*F. I think most of the squirrel cage motors were wired to run constantly off the generator power. So I'm thinking the Hyden style fan's CFM output should be close to the same as the old fan. If it is less; the radiator may overheat. If it is more; the thermostat may be working overtime to provide a constant coolant temp through the engine. In addition, the adapter shroud's design will have an impact on the CFM throughput. The squirrel cage shroud provides a captured enclosure which ensures a constant CFM through the radiator.
Chuck
Same thoughts as Chuck's, what cfm Hayden did you select, Curt? Do you have a thermostat controlling it or is it always on?
Good points. The Hayden fan is #3710, 1,500 cfm. No T-Stat. Always ON. The air flow feels about the same as the original. Waiting for a warm day to test.
The engine room has a snap disc controlled #3710 venting out the curb side grill. It can be moved to the front if the front fan fails.
I see the photos are out of order. I should have numbered them before loading. Sorry.
Good info!
Thanks, Curt. Here's to hoping it works well in warm weather.
Photos should be before the photos post #1.
Thanks Curt, I appreciate the info and the detailed report and pics. It'll be interesting to see how the Hayden performs in the Mojave on hot summer day while traveling at speed. Other's have implemented this approach but the results as reported are anecdotal; i.e., no controlled environment testing with simulated real world conditions, and folks tend to be very forgiving of their creations! I can see the advantages of fan availability and ease of replacement. As Chuck points out the air stream provided by the squirrel cage fan does result in a 'developed' flow impacting the radiator; however, anyone who's disassembled the squirrel cage has likely noticed that the air is directed over only a portion of the radiator surface, approximately half. My concern is whether the Hayden can perform at highway speed when faced with real world static pressures scenarios. It may do just fine. Beautiful craftsmanship! I hope it works well for you.