M50 electric fan space

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:36 pm

Gents,

I'm just sourcing an electric fan for my M50 conversion, probably going with the E34 a/c fan option. Please can someone who's running an M50, with the M50 rad, in a 325 engine bay, tell me the distance between the back face of the rad and the front-most point of the engine pulleys - i.e., how much space there is for the fan and its motor?

Thanks

Mike

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:39 pm

the fan sits in front of the rad if you are using an electric fan dude

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:28 pm

A working E34 aircon fan will be difficult to find, 90% are seized due to lack of activity in the 5 series, the plastic type that is. Alloy fans from E32's seem to last well and just about squeeze in, E36 fans can be molested to fit but an E30 fan with the proper brackets is by far the best

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:23 pm

E30BeemerLad wrote:the fan sits in front of the rad if you are using an electric fan dude

Shows how much I know! Thanks.

DanThe wrote:...an E30 fan with the proper brackets is by far the best

Presume you mean the fan from an M3?

Cheers!

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:21 pm

Any E30 aircon fan can be used, brackets are available from the dealers for a few pounds

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:58 pm

I fitted a 10" Pacet fan in front off the rad DONT go down that route, 10" is not big enough to cool m50 in traffic you would need a 12/14 " fan .
I have a e46 cooling fan ready to go on but will need custom mounts and the electronic fan speed controller removing .
I have a large resistor to make it two speed and a Carel temp controller to control it .

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:44 pm

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12-30cm-SLIM-LINE ... .m14.l1262

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:55 pm

oze30 wrote:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12-30cm-SLIM-LINE ... .m14.l1262

are they any good? Thats a bit tooo cheap isnt it?

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:14 pm

I've bought 2 now, I'll let you know. They have the same fittings as Pacet fans, but no loom or mounting kit. Seem sturdy enough. Plastic fan with plastic shroud, but well built.

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:35 pm

That is a cheap fan, please let us know how you get on...

Post Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:36 pm

Will do. Hopefully should have it wired in this week sometime.

Post Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:14 pm

Connected one of them up to the battery and it really sucks! Or Blows! Should be easy to mount, going to source some angle alloy to mount them up. Should be more than man enough to cool the V8.

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:02 pm

oze30 wrote:Connected one of them up to the battery and it really sucks! Or Blows! Should be easy to mount, going to source some angle alloy to mount them up. Should be more than man enough to cool the V8.

so they're good then? not as in sucks as in they're crap?

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:24 pm

If it was pants, I wouldn't have bought 2 of them.

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:42 pm

legend! cheers!

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:50 pm

I'm running 2 12's in the slam panel gap, not flush against the rad, so not sure how that affects the cooling, I could make a shroud for it, but not really worried. The rad's big enough to cope-almost fitts the fans side by side, but not between the uprights. If going for a single, get the biggest one, 16 inch. Should be more than man enough to cool an M50.

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:55 pm

im pretty sure that you can fit a 14" fan at a push with an e36 328i rad for an m50. im going to measure my rad anyway to make sure though.

What rad are you using on your v8?

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:04 pm

E28 M535.

You need to measure the clearance in front of the rad between the uprights and top of the slam panel. 14" might still be too small.

Post Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:23 pm

a lot of old mercs have twin spal fans on the aircon, ive used them and they work well, and there slim line too!