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dougelec

Member Since: 18 Apr 2014
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 31

kenlowe fan abortion?

After a month or so of ownership the expansion tank on my 110 began to overheat while driving up a steep green lane in deepest, darkest Country Durham. The engine temperature gauge didn't rise above half way, however, and after switching off the engine for ten minutes everything was back to normal. I discussed this with some of my more mechanically minded friends who suggested the blame probably lay with the retrofitted Kenlowe electric fan. So armed with some Kenlowe diagrams from the internet I set about tracing out the wiring and have found what looks to me like a right abortion.

I've included a fag packet drawing of my findings; which, according to some of the drawings online, doesn't look correct. There are no fuses in the inline fuse holders, obviously, these will need replacing, the yellow wire has been twisted and soldered and taped more than once before reaching a wiring loom, and most baffling of all is the fact that both of the fan conductors are connected to the control unit when at least one should be tied to the body work.

Being an experienced marine eIectrician I've got an idea in my head of how to correct it but the current wiring so even I'm beginning to doubt myself. Does anyone have any experience with these fans and how they should connected.

Thanks in anticipation, Darren.

Click image to enlarge

30th May 2014 2:04pm

chopcat

Member Since: 11 Sep 2012
Location: Pembrokeshire
Posts: 412

We had a kenlowe fitted and Vince's advice when we went to Morocco the first time was "you're not coming unless you take that off"

So we did replaced it with viscous one and have had no problems in the 12 years since then.

We found no appreciable difference in power of fuel economy and it seems there is benefit in pulling air through the rad and intercoolers regardless of the temp of the water.

Good news though I re used it on the marcos where it works a treat.

Other things to check would be the flow, a blocked rad and the position and operation (in a mug of hot water) of the thermo sensor for the fan. But i would go back to basics and re fit the original fan.

CC

30th May 2014 2:40pm

munch90

Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558

if its got the standard kenlowe switch with the long copper tube , I would throw it away and start again
I would use something like this eBay item number:

eBay Item No. 151274973975
you would need the right one for your hose size , x-eng do them as well

wired through a relay , and you can use a manual override switch as well (handy as you can switch on as you come to hill rather then wait for it to heat up ) and still have it automatic for when your not looking at the gauge

30th May 2014 3:23pm

Dave-H

Member Since: 08 Feb 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1507

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Tonga Green

chopcat wrote:
We had a kenlowe fitted and Vince's advice when we went to Morocco the first time was "you're not coming unless you take that off"

So we did replaced it with viscous one and have had no problems in the 12 years since then.

We found no appreciable difference in power of fuel economy and it seems there is benefit in pulling air through the rad and intercoolers regardless of the temp of the water.

Other things to check would be the flow, a blocked rad and the position and operation (in a mug of hot water) of the thermo sensor for the fan. But i would go back to basics and re fit the original fan.

+1

My 'many years' of experiance have taught me never to bother with Kenlowe fans .....

Guns and Landrovers .... anything else is irrelevant.

30th May 2014 3:31pm

munch90

Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: guildford
Posts: 3558

if water was pushed out of expansion bottle without over heating could be a weak cap on the bottle
most coolant system run with slight pressure in the system if the cap is weak it could push water out without overheating

but other things are all worth checking like rad , hoses , thermostat etc

30th May 2014 3:50pm

dougelec

Member Since: 18 Apr 2014
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 31

Cheers for the advice folks. I'd really like to try get this one working before throwing in the towel. I'm convinced it's more to do with shabby wiring than the actual fan itself and have set myself a challenge to get it working. Just out of interest, how much would a conversion to a viscous type cost?

30th May 2014 3:56pm

dougelec

Member Since: 18 Apr 2014
Location: Sunderland
Posts: 31

munch90 wrote:
if water was pushed out of expansion bottle without over heating could be a weak cap on the bottle
most coolant system run with slight pressure in the system if the cap is weak it could push water out without overheating

but other things are all worth checking like rad , hoses , thermostat etc

Thanks for that as I never considered the lissue could lie with other components. I still don't think the fan's working but I'll get myself a new expansion tank cap just to be on the safe side.

30th May 2014 4:02pm

Interlet

Member Since: 10 Oct 2011
Location: Norwich
Posts: 461

1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alpine White

Unless it's been drastically altered which is unlikely, it will simply be take all the electric fan gear out, buy a viscous fan with the coupling on it, and whack it on. I believe it's a 32mm special spanner to do it. Very easy. 1998 110 300Tdi White Hard Top

30th May 2014 8:37pm

Lou Sparts

Member Since: 15 Apr 2012
Location: Kent
Posts: 1501

2005 Defender 90 Td5 XS CSW Zambezi Silver

Td5 viscous coupling is a 36mm

2005 Td5 90 XS

Steve

30th May 2014 8:46pm

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