camo31_10.50

mmm..im thinkin this swap is gonna get done on my '92 4runner

Hybridgix

excellent, i was gonna use a flexa light then i saw this. Im gonna start getting things ready to do the swap. Do you have any pix as to where the probe is mounted

runnermedic

just place the probe below the radiator water inlet maybe 1.5 inch ,or you can put the probe inside the upper radiator hose but you have to make a rubber piece to pinch or seal the radiator hose to the neck.it will work better but the risk of leak is big.

Windsor

On the RX-7 (black magic fan install) I mounted the probe smack-center of the radiator.

When mounted high, the fan may come on unnecessarily at freeway speeds -- the radiator is cooling effectively due to freeway-speed airflow, but hot antifreeze is coming in (through the top) because the engine is under load.

Down low (where I had it initially) -- the temp needle wiggles too close to the overheat mark in start'n'stop traffic. The fan seems to react too late, so it won't come on until after a hot blurb of water is heading for the engine block.

If you think about it, mechanical fans basically take temp readings from the center of the radiator.

icebox

So when installed the electric fan did you remove the one for the A/C or did you keep it in also? Or is that two speed fan supposed to take of it?

runnermedic

you can keep the front fan it will help the a/c in stop and go traffic and to push fresh air to the radiator

stormin94

I'm going to be looking on ebay tonight for a villager fan. Anything I should know as far as weird fitment issues with it, or will it bolt right up?

Also, I'm interested in the little A/C fan on the front of the radiator. My A/C system doesn't work anyway(refrigerant leaks out from multiple points), and I was wondering if I could wire that fan up for an auxilary fan to help out when I am going slow, or towing up hills...

What I'd probably want is just a simple switch to flip on when I see the temp gauge nudging up a little, or as a pre emptive measure.

runnermedic

well for the fitment you need tu cut some material from the shroud ,is about one inch tall you need to cut maybe 1/4 of inch to make it fit with no rub ,the height fits nicely inside radiator face but for the widht you need to place it in tha radiator first and then cut until it drops inside the radiator case,you can check the pics i posted to see that it easy.get a japan made or us made fan tawan things dont last and are crappy ,diont use little fuses get an audio system fuse the big cylinders those are the best and work well in high demand electronics.and for the front aux fan it only kicks if you turn on the a/c so if you dont have a/c and dont plan to fix it use the efan low speed for normal driving and use the high speed with a toggle switch for hard driving or momentary help dont run the high speed for long time it will drain to much amps!!!

stormin94

THANK YOU!!! eBay wanted at least $72 for one. Now, all I have to do is wait until Monday to see about buying one from them.


So, just for the record, you have done this swap, right?

Windsor

OBTW, the Mercury Villager is also the Nissan Quest.

That might help folks with their search.

stormin94

Ok, so I'm going ahead with this swap, and I have a few questions.

Is the Hayden fan controller you listed plug and play with this fan?

How do I wire up a toggle switch for the "high" speed setting on the fan?

That's pretty much all for now, I ended up paying $79 for one on eBay, since I didn't feel comfortable giving out my credit card information over the phone to Viking Salvage. They sounded professional, but I have no idea if I was on speaker phone, and some lower level/disgruntled/etc employee is into stealing credit card numbers.

Anyway, I'm still waiting for my fan to arrive. The shipping tracker says it should be here sometime this week.

I'll be buying the fan controller from Pepboys, since (according to the "store locator" on their website) Advance Auto Parts doesn't have any stores in California.

Hopefully I'll get this underway this weekend, if the weather is decent.

stormin94

Ok, the fan came in today. I still need the controller, then I will start on this probably Saturday.

DJ99

I will also be doing this swap in the next couple of weeks.

FYI - I got a brand new fan off ebay for $45 shipped, and it's on sale through today only:
http://cgi.ebay.com/93-94-95-MERCURY...item5881f84afc
mod edit: fyi seller states will ship to continental US only no international shipping

I'll be using the wiring diagram that runnermedic posted above.
The only modification I will be making is to put a 1N5408 diode across the fan inputs for both speeds. This prevents the relays from getting surged by the motor and prematurely dying from the internal arcing. The stripe on the diode (cathode) goes to the positive input.

Also, I may try to mount the new fan inside of the stock radiator shroud, if possible.

mt_goat

If you're talking about the factory temp gauge, don't put too much trust in that. After installing a real temp gauge I found the factory gauge didn't move from 12 oclock between about 175 F to 235 F. Its designed to be a very non-linear readout. After about 235 F it will start to move up but that's too late IMHO.

runnermedic

is good to see how friends help each other no matter what!!!! happy holidays from the fan clutch killer!!!
me runnermedic!!!

stormin94

Can anyone explain that wiring diagram a little better?

Also, what gauge wires should I use?

I did notice your diagram had two different relays. Are those a specific model? What do I tell the people at the auto parts store to look for when I want to buy one?

mt_goat

Here's some good relay basics:

http://www.painlessperformance.com/w.../1098relay.jpg

http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm

That diagram looks like a pretty slick way of doing it. It is probably using standard Bosch 5 post relays, I'd try to get as high amp as possible (at least 30-40 amp). Not sure what the start-up amp draw is on your fan. What controller you use makes a difference to. If the controller does an instant start on a high speed fan the short term amp draw could be very high (like maybe 60 amps) then once the fan is going it drops down to a lower level. With the Taurus fans some guys have melted relays (over time) doing instant starts on the high speed side with the 30 amp relays. That's why a soft start (varible speed) controller is so nice, like this these FK50p models: http://www.dccontrol.com/index.htm Going with those DCC controllers you don't need any relays, the circuitry doesn't require it and the instructions are fairly easy.

Study the info in those links and try to understand what you're doing before you try to wire it yourself. I'd use at least 12 gauge for the 30 amp fused wiring if I were doing it. You can use smaller (like maybe 16-18 gauge) for the switch (or controller) to relay low amp wiring. The 86 and 85 posts don't use much power (low amp) because they are just triggering the relay. The high amps are going through the 30 and 87 or 87a posts.

DJ99

I'll be using a couple of regular 30/40 amp relays that come with a 5 wire harness. According to the diagram, on one relay you will just cut and cover the 87a wire, because it's not needed. I'll also be using 12 awg where there is high amperage current. See my above post about adding diodes at the fan to help prevent the relays from melting.

mt_goat

As I understand it the diodes will protect the switching or up stream controller, but not the relay itself. But I'm no EE. If you are running 60 amps through a 30 amp relay you're in trouble anyway you do it.

DJ99

I'm no electronics expert either, but at 15 cents each, I'll be adding them. If the relays can't handle it, I'll find some 60 amp replacements. Hopefully, I'll notice the overheating before something really bad happens.