Radiator fans

[GOHER007]

Dear friends and fellow esprit affectionados

Are there any replacement radiator fan moters available in USA, for a 1983 turbo esprit?

I am a first time esprit owner, and my age long love affair, has left me desperate. After chossing not to be a DPO(dreaded previous owner),. i addressed most of the issues on hand, to give this car its rightfull place. it feels like every 78 miles of driving experience, brings me to pamper her with 100 dollar bills. i have taken things in my own hands now, as the rad fan light came on for the first time in 8 months. i educated myself on this wonderfull forum about this wonderful car, and seek help again. goher

[Simon350S]

The fans are from early fords, they are easy to come across in the UK as they are from MK2 fiestas and the MK3 Escort, quite what they used them on in the states I don't know, but its a popular mod to rip all 3 off and dispose of the rad fans complate with cowling and fit some 'direct to radiator' modern fan units from kenlow I guess or similar..

[USAndretti42]

First thing to do is to check whether the fans come on or not. A back feed can cause the light to come on when, say, the air conditioning is on. While you are at home, get the engine hot and listen for the fans coming on.

If they don't come on, make sure they still have a good earth connection. In fact, you can run a pair of wires to them and powering them directly.

If there is still no sign of life then it's new fan times. I think you can get some from various racing shops but it may be worthwhile visiting a local wreckers yard and see if you can find anything that fits.

[GOHER007]

Thanks for your response. you are right, in that some artfull fabrication can change and perhaps improve the system. Upon a rather worrisome observation, over the past winter. It occured to me that the car is mostly original, except the water pump, the hose, timming belt etc. I was delighted that the previous owner kept it meticulously original and stock, but it also burdened me to find ways to restore it as a machine. The orange ford fans and the lucus moter was a pleasure to see and hold. Your mentioning of a escort MK1 fan only added to my nostalgia of the B reg RS turbo i use to love. Mk1 escort fan moters are identical. I opend the moter and the carbon elemts have 60 % life left, so it may be the relay. This forum is awesome, and i will keep you lot posted of my worries. my biggest worry is where to source a manifold, adaptor, and all that stuff when the time comes thanks again

[Simon350S]

The manifolds were remanufactured by Lotus thanks to some sugnificant effort by a couple of the boys on this forum..

There may still be one available if you want to buy one to put into stock...

Clicky

Shouldn't worry too much about the wastegate manifold, the main issue is the valve seat which slowly dissintigrated over several years, I've heard of the seats being machined out and inserts being used which solves the issue, just dont drop it and snap off any of the lugs, then you a little screwed...

[GOHER007]

Thank you Simon, i will be seeking alot of your insight, i appreciate your input.

[GOHER007]

Thank you Mr Knowls

i am waiting till tommorow, to get the malfunctioning fan checked out by a device. i was tempted to connect some wires to the ignition coil and see if the fan comes to life but fear of igniting the ignition, and a few glasses of wine, added to my apprehension. The airconditioning and its state took a back burner, in the four seasons of the northeast New England (is airconditioning of the cabin related to the performance, in any respect?) but California heat is unbearable at times. After checking the fans, i will source some new relays( if i can find them) tommorow, and will post my findings. Thanks again goher

[USAndretti42]

I know what you mean about California and the heat. I drove my S2 in the summer in Southern California. It didn't have air conditioning and the temperature would get over 100 degrees. Luckily my car had half-leather trim which meant the bit of the seat I was sat on was covered in cloth which made it more comfortable. I think the best think was just to open the windows and drive quickly to get a good breeze through the cabin.

[molemot]

Easiest way to test the fans is to remove the two connections from the otter switch ( that's the thermal switch that operates the fan relay, you'll find it a the front of the car, behind the RH front wheel, fitted into the rubber hose to the radiator itself)...then, using a short length of wire, connect the two together...simulating the switch coming ON. At that point the relay should operate and all your fans start running....as long as you have the ignition on! This is the first test to do when troubleshooting the fan system. What you are trying to do is to isolate the fault to a particular part of the system...in this case, you have the otter switch (which I know from experience is prone to failure), the relay and the fans themselves...also the wiring and the dreaded Esprit earthing connections! Once you have proved that either a) the relay operates but the fans don't, or b) both the relays and the fans operate, or c) the relay doesn't work at all...then you're making progress logically. If the fans come on properly when you connect the two wires to the otter switch together, but the fans do not operate when the engine is hot...then you have an otter switch failure. TGhe switch can be removed easily...get yourself a suitable cork to replace it with ( to stop all your coolant spewing out), then gently lever the clip apart until the swich can be eased out of it's hole. Rapidly replace it with the cork!! To test it, you need an old saucepan full of water and the kitchen stove, plus a suitable test meter with an ohms scale. Connect the meter across the switch, put the switch into the saucepan and bring it to the boil. Before boiling point is reached, the switch should operate and that will be shown by the reading on the meter...it ought to be a near zero resistance. You can replace the meter with a circuit made up from a bulb and a few pieces of wire and a battery, if you don't have a meter...although meters are cheap enough these days and, if you're serious about Lotus maintenance, you're going to need one!! All you're trying to do is to see at what sort of temperature the switch operates...of, indeed, it does!!

Once you've sorted out which bit of the fan system isn't working, then you can fix it.....this sort of logical approach applies to all fault finding, and is far better than the scattergun approach of just changing things by guesswork! Good luck....and enjoy it!!

[trackmagic]

If you haven't done so already get yourself access to the factory manual and parts book. I find them popping up on eBay every so often.

Lots of good to know info to be learned and helps to keep anxiety level in check. 

Best

Jeff

[GOHER007]

Hello again Dear friends

I postulated from the start, that the moters were bad, as the righthand side fan came on, the middle one intermitently, and the left one stopped working, and than only the fan fail light came on, so half of the system was complaint (all or none). took the moters out, which should not be the first step, as i learned from some members

in the quest of finding the moters, i went to a local electrical moter shop (Peekskill moter company), The gent came to me and looked at me , and said we do not do autoelectrics, despite my persistance of demanding his help, and stirring his enthusisam, to engage with a rare moter. He than showed some kindness and pointed me towards the post office, and told me to seek help of a gentleman name Tom Chung, a few shpfronts down

I went in, and instantly, was surounded by piles of motherboards, models, and moters, all sorts, he was on the phone advising somebody about a bad earth or a load steele. He came up and demanded my story and the moter. I handed the moter over, and told him i wanted it checked and fixed. A heavy set man with a cigerate in his mouth, looked very poised , and was about to check it when he sniffed it, looked at it and said, what did you find?. I said the elements are fine, it rotates, check it out and to my surprise he told me something was burnt inside, and i also did not perfectly put it back together. I admitted that the red wire going to one of the carbon elements was not in perfect insulation, deformed because of the heat. He told me to get another moter, but as annoying i am ,i insisted on refurbishing, to maintain orignality, only to get yelled upon by Mr Chung, that functionality trumps orignality, and i was on my way to the specific auto parts store he recomended(it shut down a month ago)

On to the random auto parts store, i got a few samples starting with 1986 camry, Ford tempo,escort (usa models). The toyota camry 1986 moter was identicle to mount, a smigen havier but was not compatible with the orange ford fan. I went to work and returned to the parts store. This time i was invited by this lazy member of staff, to come and match in the stock room. my eyes glittered with hope and i jumped in for a good 45 minutes, through two isles to find a match. . i found at least two more, but could not reverse check them(store closing). With all three matches, the fan is not compatible, so unfortunately the fans have to go to maintain functionality.

( Mr Chung also told me that the moter is engineered adequately, but there is a bad earth, to overun it, and to burn it). He told me he will find this bad earth, which is burning moters-)

any suggestions on the fans, Friends thanks for listening

[GOHER007]

After some research. it is evident that i may have to order Kenlowe fans from england, as was advised by a member. i will raid another parts store in the evening. thanks

[GOHER007]

i opened the original moter again, (some residuel flakes came out), fiddled with it, put it back together to best of my ability and went and attached it to the left hand fan connection, the moter started spinning, so i was wrong all along, but in all, i did realize, that its laboursome to source the moters with blades, here in New York. Racing fans should be at hand.

I will go back to drawing board and start where Mr dougles suggested , the otter swith, relay etc. I thank evrybody again

isnt it a bittersweet feeling

[GOHER007]

Saw some (moters and fans ) complete universal racing fans 10 inch in diameter at $50 each, also 12 volts, at ebay. The assembley looked freindly on the picture, if the present fan shroud is eliminated, these fast fans can be mounted to the inner side of the rad tray, or outside? There are considerations as how to fashion air flow, but overall, this system ,will be efficient, more reliable, and battery friendly. and possibly, these fans are made in china

The old moters, though spinning, are past thier prime, the wires within are blackened and will surely sieze in time, on a pleasent journey. i will keep them for nostalgic purpose, or a determined conservative.

[Simon350S]

Can you get the ones that just fix through the radiator fins? They are about the easiest there is to fix.

[GOHER007]

i ordered some 11 inch universal rad fans pullers, at 23 dollars each including shipping, will inform what the installation will bring.

[Esprit_Emperor]

Hello,

Some photos would be cool to see!.

I will switch all my three motors and propellas on my S3 as soon as i get back from my vacation. Bought 3 motor and propellas from SJ sportscars with the new connections/contacts. Gonna be interesting cause havent seen any reports on that here. Anyone here done it?

Fred

[GOHER007]

will surely try to post some photos of the installation. The fans(propellers) with the moters(complete assembly) will arrive tuesday perhaps. My old friend Allen will than perform the magic at his mastershop, as he likes to feed another. goher

[Simon350S]

Good luck with the install....

[Esprit_Emperor]

Thanks Goher!

Looking forward to it. I'll post a S3 rad fan project when ready with new pictures aswell will be in the end of this month due to local firm has vacation a couple of weeks more..

/Fred

[GOHER007]

Thank you Simon. I will post the progress shortly(day or two) Fredrik

[GOHER007]

The fans were in on tuesday and i inspected them on wednesday at allens. they look very able, petite and replaceable, including a"direct to radiatoer mounting kit" because they have thier native shroud, so the original(factory) fan shroud assembly has to be shelved. will keep you lot posted, and some photos wow, what a car-) i love it

[GOHER007]

Fred i will post some photos over the weekend, am putting the fans on thursday.

[GOHER007]

Dear Friends, and Fredrik

Today i changed the original fans (lucas motors , ford fans, original setup) with some made in China universal racing fans.

after switching the ignition on, i heard a 90,s tune, quite a unique(wierd) experience. rather than PHAHAAA........., it was TO OOOOO..... iliked it, i thougt the music of the fans alone can put a BMW 6 series to shame(made in china).

I must appologise to Fredrik, that i failed to take pictures, which is not too helpfull, but the summary(log of activity) is not that complex ( i only failed to take pictures because i forgot the camera at home, which i specifically left on the counter for this very purpose, the night before( was i also wearing my shirt inside out=) ? allow me to state

Summary: Undo the fan shroud, by undoing 3 screws at the top margin of the shroud and the bottom margin of the shroud(Philips screwdriver). Undo the clips holding the shroud. three at top and 3 at bottom of rad/shroud. Undo the rad bolts on the SIDES (6 in total) , which are holding the rad in placee, within the rad tray( we never completely undid the rad tray) wiggle the rad, if (than my mechanic just systamaticaly tore the shroud out `, because the shroud was encirciling the pipes also on bth sides) shroud was out but the margins of the shroud(ends) were left intact) ??

The universal racing fan mounting kit comes with four straps(which go through the rad fins) they are like long plastic fexi nails, which are cushioned by some square 1cm2 vibration absorbing tape adhesive on one side

The technique lies in carefilly prying the rad(do not puncture it), which will pry the tray down also(dont crack it) , and than inserting the plastic harness through the fins of the rad. get your fingers behing the rad, grab it bring it around and secure it with the circular unidirectional plastic bits. the top is easy. let the rad come down in its native position and get your fingers behind it from the top, secure it the same way. connect the grounds and wiring. check the system and tighten all six side screws and any othe you loosend during.

This job was done by two peaple, one prying and anothe working with installation, with the car above our heads, in approx two hours

it took 20 minutes of planning, 17 to 23 minutes of exploration and fiddling and the rest was the job time, (i had a cramp holding the middle fan up against the rad, as allen was trying to get the flexi nail bit with his fingernails)

Thanks folks the fan fail light is still on while all three fans are working please help goher

[Esprit_Emperor]

Goher!

Thanks for the report. Very imformative. My fans i bought are the ones that SJ sportscars sells an italian brand. I decided to have a workshop do the job cause i have problems with the relay. The workshop will take photos when the job is done in the end of august.

Fred