1998rollover
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- 1998 Mountaineer
Finally getting closer to done with installing the Contour fans on my 98 Mountaineer.
(In between the Buick popping a steering hose and thermostat, the Sebring convert needing a thermostat and ramping up my reproduction parts production for the Oklahoma City international Hudson meet!)
First, the fans and controller box mounted on the radiator. The clips at the bottom are extra insurance to make sure the fans and shroud stay tight against the radiator. The radiator was pushed back at the bottom so it was sitting halfway off the rubber pads the lower tank ears rest on. Had just enough clearance when I test fit the fans right after getting the fan and original shroud out, should have plenty with the radiator in correct position.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/fans.jpg
Inside the controller box. I mounted and wired the relays on fiberglass perf-board. With 0.1" spacing being a common standard for electronics pin spacing, you'd think PCB mount relay sockets would have pins and mounting pegs spaced in multiples of 0.1", right? Nope! The socket designer must've been an automotive engineer in a previous life...
The control circuit is the second one I built, this time on a cut down Radio Shack 276-168B board. I used a saucepan on my kitchen stove to set low speed on at 190 and switch to high around 200.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/controller.jpg
Those wonderful automotive engineers at work again. For some reason one of the AC hard lines dips down close above the water neck. No reason I can see for that dip. There's nothing which would have prevented a straight run through there - providing room to mount a sensor upright on top of the neck. Fortunately Ford left just enough clearance that a brass elbow like this, when screwed in as far as possible, will fit below the AC line. I love having a mill, makes stuff like drilling and tapping the hole in the water neck easy. The sensor is a typical late 90's Ford ECT as used for the computer's input.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/sensor.jpg
Here's the controller schematic and parts list. The controller could be somewhat more compact if it was all on a single, etched or milled PCB. Would also be much easier to assemble without needing jumper wires. This is setup to run dual single speed fans in two speeds by switching them between series and parallel connection. That would be very simple to change just by wiring the relays differently (and using only three) for a two speed fan. The 4th relay is for connecting in parallel with the AC clutch so the fans will come on at low speed whenever the AC is on. If the temp gets up to 200 the fans will still switch to high speed.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/CoolingControllerSchematic.jpg
Hopefully this will improve MPG two ways. First through faster warm-ups to get to closed loop mode sooner and second by eliminating the constant drag from the stock fan. I already know these electric fans will be significantly quieter!
P.S. Still wondering why Ford didn't put an electric fan on these to make a big difference in their CAFE rating! +1.5~3 MPG times how many Explorers and Mountaineers? I haven't weighed the stock fan and shroud VS the electric setup but I bet the electric is lighter.
(In between the Buick popping a steering hose and thermostat, the Sebring convert needing a thermostat and ramping up my reproduction parts production for the Oklahoma City international Hudson meet!)
First, the fans and controller box mounted on the radiator. The clips at the bottom are extra insurance to make sure the fans and shroud stay tight against the radiator. The radiator was pushed back at the bottom so it was sitting halfway off the rubber pads the lower tank ears rest on. Had just enough clearance when I test fit the fans right after getting the fan and original shroud out, should have plenty with the radiator in correct position.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/fans.jpg
Inside the controller box. I mounted and wired the relays on fiberglass perf-board. With 0.1" spacing being a common standard for electronics pin spacing, you'd think PCB mount relay sockets would have pins and mounting pegs spaced in multiples of 0.1", right? Nope! The socket designer must've been an automotive engineer in a previous life...
The control circuit is the second one I built, this time on a cut down Radio Shack 276-168B board. I used a saucepan on my kitchen stove to set low speed on at 190 and switch to high around 200.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/controller.jpg
Those wonderful automotive engineers at work again. For some reason one of the AC hard lines dips down close above the water neck. No reason I can see for that dip. There's nothing which would have prevented a straight run through there - providing room to mount a sensor upright on top of the neck. Fortunately Ford left just enough clearance that a brass elbow like this, when screwed in as far as possible, will fit below the AC line. I love having a mill, makes stuff like drilling and tapping the hole in the water neck easy. The sensor is a typical late 90's Ford ECT as used for the computer's input.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/sensor.jpg
Here's the controller schematic and parts list. The controller could be somewhat more compact if it was all on a single, etched or milled PCB. Would also be much easier to assemble without needing jumper wires. This is setup to run dual single speed fans in two speeds by switching them between series and parallel connection. That would be very simple to change just by wiring the relays differently (and using only three) for a two speed fan. The 4th relay is for connecting in parallel with the AC clutch so the fans will come on at low speed whenever the AC is on. If the temp gets up to 200 the fans will still switch to high speed.
http://partsbyemc.com/1998-Mountaineer/CoolingControllerSchematic.jpg
Hopefully this will improve MPG two ways. First through faster warm-ups to get to closed loop mode sooner and second by eliminating the constant drag from the stock fan. I already know these electric fans will be significantly quieter!
P.S. Still wondering why Ford didn't put an electric fan on these to make a big difference in their CAFE rating! +1.5~3 MPG times how many Explorers and Mountaineers? I haven't weighed the stock fan and shroud VS the electric setup but I bet the electric is lighter.
