I was looking at an earlier post and notice you have what looks like a computer fan in the heater/demister air intake. Will that push sufficient air?
Hi Diana,
It's more commonly referred to as a bilge blower. 135 CFM, it's a serious fan, unlike a feeble computer fan.
It's only one speed, however, it's main use (in my case) is for demisting and pumping hot air into the cabin till the cab is warmed a whisker...beyond that it's really unnecessary as I've rebuilt the entire heating system and enhanced it suitably enough that it works pretty well with no fan at all.
http://compare.ebay.com.au/like/380178417079?ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypesMy fan is similar to this one, but I think mine is rated higher and cost less from memory. Again from memory, there are two ratings, and I think mine is the higher one. Could be wrong. Either way, it pumps some serious air and makes the standard fan look like a joke.
Ok, here's a Nascar brake duct fan, note the price, even with shipping. This is the route I took.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NASCAR-RACE-CAR-brake-or-driver-cooling-air-blower-fan-4-inch-NEW-/321058376165?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item4ac09209e5They use them as brake cooling fans in race cars too, and that was where I directed my search at the time, so while they sell as bilge blowers, they sell far more units as brake cooling fans for NASCAR etc. If you're in the market for one, go the NASCAR route, it'll save you money. Anything marine is priced significantly higher...just a bit of a cryptic tip.
**Remember I no longer use a mechanical water pump or mechanical fan, I use a digitally controlled Davies Craig electric water pump and 14 inch thermo. The thermo saw service previously as a backup to the mechanical fan, but since I shifted the engine forward by 100mm and relocated the radiator etc, I'm no longer able to utilise a mechanical fan, so the thermo is now prime.
Because the algorithym in the digital engine temp controller is factory preset to run at 85 degrees (midway point), I get engine water recirculation for 10 seconds every 30 seconds even when cold. This means that the heater/demister gets warmed water earlier than would be the case with a thermostatically controlled system, as per standard.
*The engine thermostat (standard) basically holds back the warm water to the heater until the engine is at temp and the thermostat opens...
The electric water pump and digital controller allows warm (ish) water to circulate long before it can in standard spec. This can be a bonus to the operator.
Also, the digital controller can be adjusted, so you can alter the operating temp of the engine via the controller on the dash, and run it incrementally higher or lower from the standard thermostat controlled temp as per standard.
I run a blind across the radiator, to restrict airflow as I've got a too efficient cooling system...the blind restricts the air down to the point where I can now apply the digital controller to run the engine temp where I want it, dependant on seasonal changes and performance expectations.
I hope I've explained this sufficiently enough to answer your question.