Cooling Fans, who's are better?

[hippieman9]

OK, So as I am trying to figure out My A/C issue I have been looking at updating my cooling fans. I've looked at Toby's From Delorean parts NW, DMCH, and DPI. Can I get some input please. What do you have? How do they work? (I know they cool the Antifreeze ) Pros or Cons?
I see Deloreasn parts NW have a limited life time warranty, what do the other vendors offer?

Thanks for the input!

[David T]

Changing the cooling fan motors won't do anything for the A/C if the ones you have are working.

[Bitsyncmaster]

They all seem to work fine. One of the vendors overseas has some that draw 3.5 amps so not sure about those. Most draw 7 to 8 amps each. I have Toby's fans in my car and the EU radiator.

[Nate88]

I'm running Toby's as well, installed last year with a new radiator from DMC Midwest. Haven't had any issues yet. The ONLY thing I might say that is a "negative" (a VERY small negative) is that they are pretty quite. Which is nice, but you really have to listen to hear them running, if you are worried about them coming on. My otterstat failed making the car overheat, leaving me stranded needing a tow. So I'm still a bit jumpy when it comes to the fans so I still like to hear them come on. If you are in a high noise environment, you may have to open the door to hear them. However, I'm very happy with them. Just food for thought.

[hippieman9]

I'm running Toby's as well, installed last year with a new radiator from DMC Midwest. Haven't had any issues yet. The ONLY thing I might say that is a "negative" (a VERY small negative) is that they are pretty quite. Which is nice, but you really have to listen to hear them running, if you are worried about them coming on. My otterstat failed making the car overheat, leaving me stranded needing a tow. So I'm still a bit jumpy when it comes to the fans so I still like to hear them come on. If you are in a high noise environment, you may have to open the door to hear them. However, I'm very happy with them. Just food for thought.

Quiet isn't bad. That's good info though. I know the stock fans are loud!

[sdg3205]

You can wire your Fan Fail lamp to operate when the fans are running. It’s a great way to keep an eye on things and monitor AC cycles too.

I run Toby’s fans.

New fans won’t solve AC issues.

[hippieman9]

Changing the cooling fan motors won't do anything for the A/C if the ones you have are working.

You are correct, but I am also looking to update/improve/make sure the car is a reliable driver. I wouldn't mind helping the charging system out by improving things that cause a strain on the system.

[dn010]

I have DMC EU aluminum radiator and DPI fans w/ stainless shroud. The fans move the air quite well, they blow the leaves out from under my car when they come on and they are not loud inside the car.

[Andrew]

[QUOTE=sdg3205;234282]You can wire your Fan Fail lamp to operate when the fans are running. It’s a great way to keep an eye on things and monitor AC cycles too.

QUOTE]

+1 on the cooling fan fail light mod. I have done this on both of my DeLoreans. The mod itself is well documented and consists of an additional single jumper wire in the former fan fail relay location. Since the A/C compressor triggers the cooling fans, in addition to monitoring my cooling fan operation, the cooling fan light also allows me to monitor the cycling of my A/C compressor.

In addition to the wiring mod, I removed the A/C control panel and used a toothpick and black paint to cover the word "fail" from the rear of the decal. Now the light simply reads "Cooling Fan."

I would also recommend adding a manual otterstat override switch just for the sake of safety. I installed the otterstat override switch in the center console in a former location of a dummy switch. In the alternative, always carry a jumper wire in the event of an otterstat failure.

[jorge figueroa]

in the years that I have been the owner of
delorean and mechanic of these cars,
I've learned that they must have
strong cooling fans.
I live in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean area
where it's pretty hot all year round, and
I always recommend using strong fans
like these that are available on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Cabriolet-Golf-Jetta-Scirocco-Engine-Cooling-Fan-Motor-Meyle-Brand/231641881042?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

the prices are quite accessible

I'm going to give you an example of fans that I would not use
There is a seller of delorean parts that offers cooling fans
very silent, they hardly feel when they turn on.
but they have a serious disadvantage, if one of the fans stops working
the delorean overheats.
A fan alone can not remove the heat from the radiator.
I always research the origin of many of the products
offered by these vendors.
and I discovered that cooling fans are cheap replacements made for honda accord
of very cheap construction.
Its value is roughly $ 28 to $ 30 dollars each.

I always recommend that you research about the products
They offer these stores.
and they will discover that many of the products can be obtained
of better quality at a better price.

[DMC-Ron]

I just installed Toby's fans and they work well. They move a lot of air. They are quieter but you can hear them if you listen. I also have Dave's electronic fan fail relay so it will indicate with the fan fail light if either or both fans fail.

Ron

[hippieman9]

I just installed Toby's fans and they work well. They move a lot of air. They are quieter but you can hear them if you listen. I also have Dave's electronic fan fail relay so it will indicate with the fan fail light if either or both fans fail.

Ron

Thats what I am leaning towards doing. Toby's fans and Daves Fan Fail module. Seems like a very nice combo.

[Flash66]

Thats what I am leaning towards doing. Toby's fans and Daves Fan Fail module. Seems like a very nice combo.

I cannot stress enough the advantage of coupling Dave’s fan fail relay along with his electronic otterstat. Remove that antiquated, sensitive and failing device from your Delorean and catch up with modern control of your fan system. Not only can you rely on it to make sure cooling fans are running when they’re supposed to, but also eliminates the risk involved when air is introduced into the system that your fans will not run due to the stock otterstat not touching water. To add to its functionality, if there’s s temperature issue it will beep and warn you if the temp rises past any threshold you set and the best part for me is I can adjust it to have the fans come in at any temp I desire. In my opinion this is probably the most intelligent modification anyone has produced to ensure a Delorean will not suffer engine damage from a cooling system issue or simply not noticing that your gauge is elevated at any given time. One hell of an insurance policy for only $79.00 if you ask me and the device works flawlessly!

If you value your Delorean, do yourself a favor and install one of these, and you can thank me later for the advice when you avoid your next overheat.

To add, the fan fail relay eliminates the burning hot fuse jumpers as well which is the case even with aftermarket fans. The fuses in the relay are cool to the touch on my car despite desert heat where I live and fans running for long intervals.

Edit: above I mentioned “remove”. I meant to remove the variable of failure, not the actual device.

[David T]

Changing the fans to the more modern, lower current type is much less of a strain on the car's electrical system. When those OEM fans both kick on at the same time (when you don't have a relay that will sequence them) is such a hard hit that you can actually feel it in the gas pedal. That said it is important that the fans be installed correctly. They should be shrouded but you can't use the stock shroud. They need to be well fastened but there is no easy way to do it. Don't do the fans to compensate for a bad radiator or other problem that causes the motor to run hot. If you do the fans it is probably the time to get a new, better radiator so you can do everything at once. Make sure you have the uprated cooling fan circuit breaker. A Fanzilla or other solid-state relay controller is a great addition, much better than those fan fail relay jumpers that were only meant to be a "temporary" fix! The stock Otterstadt switch doesn't have a high failure rate. I don't like the override switch, too easy to forget it, leave it on, and run the fans continuously. If the car is working right you should never need it. Consider adding an overflow bottle to the radiator cap dump hose. Use 50/50 soft water and a premium Anti-Freeze like Prestone (the good ole green stuff).

[DMC-81]

When those OEM fans both kick on at the same time (when you don't have a relay that will sequence them) is such a hard hit that you can actually feel it in the gas pedal.

I wouldn't agree with that based on my experience. I think that can happen when one or more systems are in marginal condition. I am running restored (disassembled, cleaned, and case painted) OEM fans with a new DMC radiator & cooling system kit (K118675), DMC alternator 110101, and upgraded DMC relay (K111168A) and fuse (106913) kits. No fan sequencing relay yet. So far, I find these cooling and electrical systems to be rock solid. Even in 100 + degree Florida summer days, it has never overheated, and I never see a dip in the voltage gauge or feel it in the gas pedal when the fans come on. I get the desire to install low amp fans, but I haven't seen the inferior performance, or impact on the electrical system of the OEM fans yet.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=44576&d=1468632782

[jorge figueroa]

in the years that I have been the owner of
delorean and mechanic of these cars,
I've learned that they must have
strong cooling fans.
I live in Puerto Rico in the Caribbean area
where it's pretty hot all year round, and
I always recommend using strong fans
like these that are available on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Cabriolet-Golf-Jetta-Scirocco-Engine-Cooling-Fan-Motor-Meyle-Brand/231641881042?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

the prices are quite accessible

I'm going to give you an example of fans that I would not use
There is a seller of delorean parts that offers cooling fans
very silent, they hardly feel when they turn on.
but they have a serious disadvantage, if one of the fans stops working
the delorean overheats.
A fan alone can not remove the heat from the radiator.
I always research the origin of many of the products
offered by these vendors.
and I discovered that cooling fans are cheap replacements made for honda accord
of very cheap construction.
Its value is roughly $ 28 to $ 30 dollars each.

I always recommend that you research about the products
They offer these stores.
and they will discover that many of the products can be obtained
of better quality at a better price.

this fan is even better

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COOLING-FAN-MOTOR-FITS-AUDI-4000-90-Cabriolet-VW-Dasher-Fox-Golf/331135049610?fits=Model%3AJetta&hash=item4d192fdf8a:g:MNoAAMXQC-tTB-z8:rk:152:pf:0

[81dmc]

this fan is even better

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COOLING-FAN-MOTOR-FITS-AUDI-4000-90-Cabriolet-VW-Dasher-Fox-Golf/331135049610?fits=Model%3AJetta&hash=item4d192fdf8a:g:MNoAAMXQC-tTB-z8:rk:152:pf:0

I mounted a set of these amp suckers (35 amps for both) since I've improved my electrical system. Holy damn, these push more than enough air. They are definitely going to come in handy when I'm running my engine swap with a turbo.

[Josh]

this fan is even better

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COOLING-FAN-MOTOR-FITS-AUDI-4000-90-Cabriolet-VW-Dasher-Fox-Golf/331135049610?fits=Model%3AJetta&hash=item4d192fdf8a:g:MNoAAMXQC-tTB-z8:rk:152:pf:0

Thanks for the tip! these look promising.
do they bolt up or are modifications to the shroud required?

[Patrick C]

Thanks for the tip! these look promising.
do they bolt up or are modifications to the shroud required?

I’m wondering the same thing.

EDIT: Here it is on Amazon and you can see the mounting points.

TOPAZ 165959455L Radiator Cooling Fan Motor for Volkswagen Golf Jetta https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XX7CWT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cxh3BbE5JMPXE

[ssdelorean]

OK, So as I am trying to figure out My A/C issue I have been looking at updating my cooling fans. I've looked at Toby's From Delorean parts NW, DMCH, and DPI. Can I get some input please. What do you have? How do they work? (I know they cool the Antifreeze ) Pros or Cons?
I see Deloreasn parts NW have a limited life time warranty, what do the other vendors offer?

Thanks for the input!

Another bonus for Toby's' fans is for his warranty. After about 5 years of use one of my Toby's fan's motors died. Since I was the original purchaser of his fan he honored the warranty without question. Sent a replacement motor & return shipping label for broken unit to return to his supplier. Great customer service. Of course, if your not a freak like me who constantly drives their car - go for a cheaper Amazon version and let the next owner of your car deal with it. :-)


I'm running Toby's as well, [[ snip ]] The ONLY thing I might say that is a "negative" (a VERY small negative) is that they are pretty quite. Which is nice, but you really have to listen to hear them running, [[ snip ]]

I installed what I call a "fan meter" so I can hear the fans when they run. Or commonly known as a CB Radio. It makes a small buzz when turning on and running. Can even hear each fan start and stop when the AC is running since I have the Fan Zilla which staggers the on & off of each fan for less current draw. Just hard wired it to the battery terminal so I can listen to the truckers when the power is off. Very period correct too might I add. :-)

[81dmc]

Thanks for the tip! these look promising.
do they bolt up or are modifications to the shroud required?

They required about 5mm of sanding on the inside of the motor mounting ring on the shroud. The fan itself is the same diameter as factory with the addition of another fan blade.

I also soldered in sealed connectors from a VW. Maybe I'll post a pic of it installed....

[Josh]

Ordered the set of the VW fans for 11408.
Looking forward to the upgrade. Will be wiring in a dedicated Relay for both High and Low speed, and run an 8 guage wire to the fans for both.
My ecu has outputs for High and Low speed fans so this works great.

[David T]

Interesting that you can control by selecting high and low speeds. On some cars they do it by turning on 1 fan at a time. For instance the A/C would turn on 1 fan and the "O" switch would turn on the other through the ECU. Controlling the fans individually gives you some choices. It allows you to stagger the start-up and shut down too. The ECU can also control the fans based on vehicle speed. Using an ECU to control the fans allows you to run the fans using a lot of different logic conditions. Back in the 80's they didn't have this level of technology. For instance, if the battery is low the ECU could increase the idle speed to get the alternator to produce more electric. If the motor is overheating it retards the timing so the motor produces less power and less heat. Point is, if you have an ECU you can do a LOT of things that couldn't be done back when the car was built.

[Josh]

Installed these tonight. Not really bolt in, but the fan shroud is modified in such a way it could be reverted to stock.

Used these fans https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Meyle-Auxiliary-Radiator-Engine-Cooling-Aux-Fan-Motor-for-Volkswagen-VW-w-A-C/264571962230?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

https://i.imgur.com/FOfp9Ej.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/e8avVbV.jpg

Hole approx 2mm too small in diameter
https://i.imgur.com/x1mwU3v.jpg

Reamed out the hole with a die grinder
https://i.imgur.com/udqtdMk.jpg

The mounting studs were too large of a bolt circle so I knocked them out and slotted the holes inwards
https://i.imgur.com/X2bLl2f.jpg

[Josh]

Following up

These VW fans are the highest performance fans you can fit to your delorean than I know of.
I just got back from a 6100km road trip with AC blasting the entire time, up to 100F ambient temp, V8 swapped car.
The coolant temperature never got above 225 at any point in time. I have the high speed fans kick in at 220... Low speed fans kick in at 213 or whenever the AC is on and the car is moving slower than 65mph.

I have the temp guage on the dash disconnected, which is a terrible idea, but that shows how confident I am in these fans.

[DMCMW Dave]

Following up

These VW fans are the highest performance fans you can fit to your delorean than I know of.
I just got back from a 6100km road trip with AC blasting the entire time, up to 100F ambient temp, V8 swapped car.
The coolant temperature never got above 225 at any point in time. I have the high speed fans kick in at 220... Low speed fans kick in at 213 or whenever the AC is on and the car is moving slower than 65mph.

I have the temp guage on the dash disconnected, which is a terrible idea, but that shows how confident I am in these fans.

Interesting. My car has VW OEM (Stamped with the VW logo) fans on it that were installed by the prior owner (I bought in 1998). I've never seen anything that moved more air. They look very similar to yours other than that they only have two leads, i.e. not multi-speed. A small spacer was required on each mounting ear to set the correct depth.

[mr_maxime]

And if you want them with lifetime replacement warranty https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/audi-vw-engine-cooling-fan-motor-165959455ammy

[Mark D]

And if you want them with lifetime replacement warranty https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/audi-vw-engine-cooling-fan-motor-165959455ammy

+1 on FCP Euro. It's where I go for all my BMW parts because of their unbelievable warranty and lifetime replacement. I highly recommend to anyone buying parts for their european car.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/page/lifetime-guarantee

Basically you buy a part, use it, and get free replacements forever. Including fluids like engine oil, brake fluid, gear oil, etc. I've been getting free oil changes on my car for a couple of years now minus the cost of shipping back the used oil. What would be around $90 to change the oil, oil filter, and air filter now costs $30 in return shipping charges.

I've got 325,000 miles on my E46 and I'm on my second/third round of free wear items like cooling system parts, suspension bushings, shocks, brakes, etc.

[mr_maxime]

I haven't done a replacement yet but have a few returns and it's been really painless. To be honest I'm not sure what they'd do about using them in a different car than they have listed, but they didn't hassle me about returning an e36 part that didn't fit my z3.

[Josh]

Interesting. My car has VW OEM (Stamped with the VW logo) fans on it that were installed by the prior owner (I bought in 1998). I've never seen anything that moved more air. They look very similar to yours other than that they only have two leads, i.e. not multi-speed. A small spacer was required on each mounting ear to set the correct depth.

I really like the Multispeed fans for my setup, but for a stock delorean the one speed fan would be the best.
I think the ones I have xref to a MK3 golf (and similar)

[Drive Stainless]

I really like the Multispeed fans for my setup, but for a stock delorean the one speed fan would be the best.
I think the ones I have xref to a MK3 golf (and similar)

If I buy these fans, which will be louder, these fans or the PRV? Note that I like the PRV as much as anyone else, but no engine deserves to be disrespected by cooling fans.

[vwdmc16]

Also interested in the fans, and how loud they are.

[Josh]

I cannot hear the low speed over the engine, I can hear the high speed over the engine if i am standing outside the car (at idle). Inside the car with the engine running I cannot hear them at all.
When I was in Ontario this summer I heard a car with a DPI exhaust installed with cats, it was louder than my car at idle.

With stock exhaust, high might be louder than the engine.

At the end of the day this is stopping your car from overheating which is the main concern.

[Delorean Industries]

i cannot hear the low speed over the engine, i can hear the high speed over the engine if i am standing outside the car (at idle). Inside the car with the engine running i cannot hear them at all.
When i was in ontario this summer i heard a car with a dpi exhaust installed with cats, it was louder than my car at idle.

With stock exhaust, high might be louder than the engine.

At the end of the day this is stopping your car from overheating which is the main concern.

yes!!!!!!

[Josh]

yes!!!!!!

Im getting old, I dont seem to enjoy a loud exhaust anymore lol.
I think I lost about 10whp installing cats but it is worth it.