Taurus Electric Fan installed pics. (lots of pics)

[Maniak]

I mentioned before that I was helping a friend install a Taurus SINGLE SPEED fan (1998 Taurus) into his 1988 f-150 with a 302..

I took some pics after the install.. We were designing on the fly so we have extra wire etc. I can pull the fan controller out and sit it on the seat with all the extra wire..

We used the Dakota Digital PAC 2000 fan controller with a VDO 300F sending unit.

We mounted the PAC-2000 under the steering column and I pulled 12 constant and switched power form the fuse box using those taps that plug into a fuse spot and give you two fuses (one is for the orig circuit and the other is for the new circuit).

The PAC-2000 uses push in connectors (push in the bare wire) and has a couple switches you use to control the turn on/off temps, delay timer (how long it runs after you turn off the vehicle), type of sending unit etc..

For the sendnig unit we used a VDO 300F temp sending unit. We mounted it in the heater line coming off the return side of the radiator (top of the water pump). We used Galvanized pipe then brass barb fittings and drilled/tapped the galvanized pipe for the sending unit. The white "stuff" is PVC sealant. For grounding the sending unit we hooked a wire to pipe using a hose clamp..

Here is how we mounted the brackets on the drivers side of the shroud.. and you can see how close we put the fan to the water pump.

Here is how we mounted the bracket on the passenger side.. and you can see the plug we found at a local parts shop to connect the fan.

You can see how we cut the shroud that the taurus fan comes on to make it fit into the factory shroud. We were trying to get as much air to go through the fan instead of around it..

We mounted the breaker and the relay on the fender.. We are using 10 gauge wire for the power to the fan.

Close up of the circuit breaker.. We are using a 100 Amp relay because it gets well over 100F here and I found these breakers are temperature sensitive and trip with less amperage at higher temps.

Close up of the 75 amp heavy duty relay (tyco relay.. they bought bosch)...

We didn't use anything fancy for mounting the fan onto the bracket.. Its just bailing wire inside a hose so we don't break the plastic.

We put an override "on" switch (blue switch) and an a/c override "off" switch (red switch). With the Blue switch on the fan will run (manual turn on), with it off the PAC-2000 controls the fan. With the red switch off (up) it will run the fan only when the water temp is hot (or with the manual override). We added the a/c override since he goes on long trips with the a/c on and this way the fan won't run on those trips since it isn't needed for the a/c when your going down the freeway.

We have it setup to run the following way...
When you turn on the truck it will wait 5 seconds before it will turn on the fan.
The fan will turn on at 210F water temp and turn off again at 200F.
The fan will turn on when the a/c compressor is energized unless the a/c override switch is off.
The fan will turn on with the blue override switch.
If the fan is running when the truck is turned off the fan will run for 30 seconds.
We added an green LED on the dash to indicate power is going to the fan. This lets us know if the breaker kicks or if the relay dies (no green light then).

I'll post the wiring diagram later..

~Mark


EDIT: I have been informed that the p/n we used is actually a 97/98 Mark VIII fan, not a taurus fan.

 

[CDW6212R]

Well done Mark, I need the green light for mine. My 50 amp circuit breaker was tripped last year while washing the engine. I discovered it the next day...

 

[ExPlOrErImPoRtS]

nice install

One thing is The Black iron coupling that used will RUST when water comes in contact it rusts like crazy in the inside.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Nice job! I was just going to say the same thing as the poster above me. Keep all of the parts the same way (brass), since dissimilar metals interact, and cause corrosion. BTW, how is this holding up after 2 years?

 

[Maniak]

Only one issue so far, and it was user error. When we installed all the parts he put the relay in upside down. This meant when he power washed the engine the relay filled with water and died. It is now mounted the correct way and it handles power washing just fine now.

Controller is still working great, motor temp is very consistant, no water leaks and you can still feel the extra oomph as you get on the freeway (His closest freeway entrace is in a 75mph zone).

We were wondering about the disimilar metal issue but when last checked (beginning of winter) the coolant was still nice a green.

Once spring gets here it will be time to change the coolant anyway. At that point we can check on the condition of the inner pipe.

~Mark

 

[cybergasm]

ok stop the presses folks

gotta ask WTH is the light switch for to the right in this pic? :scratch:

 

[Maniak]

One of his kill switches for the vehicle. He has switches for fuel and for ignition. When he parks the rig somewhere he doesn't like he flips 'em.

As for why he used "light switches", that just what he had handy.... I have complained about him using those.. but he has used light switches as a kill switch on multiple vehicles over the years.

edit: BTW, yes, it is still a rats nest. There is enough extra wire to pull out the controller so it can be reprogrammed, but so far that has never had to be done. The wires have been wire tied since that 1st pic was taken.

~Mark

 

[BrooklynBay]

Split loom tubing would make it look a little neater.

 

[mshuler009]

I installed the same fan into my 98 explorer. I don't have a pic of the actual fan, but here is the wiring for it. I also made mine into a two speed by splicing into the ground wire; T-ing off with one side just straight wire, and the other with a rather large resistor. The high speed goes to fan controller transistor, and low speed is set up on a diode from the a/c clutch transistor output from pcm.

 

[dkchrist]

For those of you trying this, a 40 amp breaker work with these fans. The hundred amp is overkill. Also the factory relay to control the fans is 35 or 30 amp?

Old thread but great install !

 

[mshuler009]

Even if you were unsure you could always use Ohms law to calculate estimated amperage. Battery Voltage at idle/Ohms of Fan=Estimated Amperage

 

[Maniak]

Even if you were unsure you could always use Ohms law to calculate estimated amperage. Battery Voltage at idle/Ohms of Fan=Estimated Amperage

Ohms law doesn't work like that for an electric motor..

We went with 100Amp for a few reasons..

1: This is arizona and thermal breakers trip at a lower amperage when its 110F outside. I learned that back in my competition stereo days (90's)..

2: We were figuring 40 amp draw since according to fan controller manufacturers it (taurus/mark VIII fan) draws too much power and their systems are rated for 35 amps. They said it would eventually burn it out which implied it wasn't that much over their rating.

3: I added 50% "fudge" factor for the fan startup to the 40 amp swag which meant we needed around a 70 amp breaker. They make 75 amp breakers but where I was buying that breaker didn't have any that small. I could have went somewhere else but we got that 100 amp breaker for $6 or so.

We used large enough wires that if we do get a short the breaker will kick before the wires melt which is really all the breaker is there for... to protect against a short.

~Mark

 

[mshuler009]

Not to be rude, but it's always worked for me and everyone else that I've ever worked with or been taught by. But Either way, 100 amp is excessive. Heat does have a factor and I understand that. But even with throwing Ohms law out, I would go now higher than 50 amps on a breaker. Once you think about it, a breaker is supposed to get hot, just not too hot....that's essentially how it protects the circuit it's on. But it's your vehicle and your mod....Just my two cents though

 

[dkchrist]

Fuses can be made to handle the initial spike hence slow blow. With the best 10 gauge wire the ampacity is only 55 amps. Then correcting for temperature the ampacity drops to only about 48 amps. well under the 100 amp breaker.

I am not saying anyone is wrong as the breakers may be fast acting and will not hold the initial draw or the heat really does kill the capacity to the 50-60 amp range. The numbers above are just what I know about wiring.

 

[Maniak]

Yes, a slow blow fuse would have worked, but would have cost more..

As far as amperage, until this last year or so, most places you would look on the 'net said 40-50 amp draw on a taurus fan. Fan controller companies (flex-a-light for example) said not to use their controllers with a taurus fan as it pulled too many amps.. Sooo, we went with the SWAG of 40 amps or more when running plus more for startup.. hence the 75 amp breaker "wish".

I'll have to do some digging in my books. The solar build pages I've been looking at show a 6% voltage drop on 10 gauge at 100 amps (5 ft) which IIRC is still "safe" from melting, but not optimal..

Either way, I'm still trying to find a shunt so I can use one of my meters and find out what kind of power the fan really pulls.. Then all this "guessing" can go out the window and we can get the right size breaker.

edit: this page has a chart showing max amperage for a wire.. and 10 gauge is 100amp which is what I remember seeing when we started this. http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/WireCapacityChart.htm

~Mark

 

[Maniak]

Talk about timing....

The guy with the f-150 just managed to get the 10G wire that was coming out of the relay (to the fan) caught in the hood hinge (no idea how the heck he did that).

The breaker did pop BUT, the 75 amp relay and the wire melted. The relay is really bad, the wire got hot enough to change the look of the wire but not enough to burn off the insulation...

Soo.. relay is getting changed now (have a spare).. and the hunt for a 75A or less breaker is back on. I have a 30A and a 50 Amp breaker (self resetting) that we may try first to see if it will pop those. IF it doesn't pop the 50 amp breaker we will use a 50 or 60 amp one.

~Mark

 

[dkchrist]

I have a 40 amp ATC fuse holding mine without a hiccup. I think the charts I was using is for single strand wire. But the 55 amp is with a 194 degree rise a 86 F.


I dunno

 

[1ofakindnmind]

looks like you know alot except for how to properly crimp wire terminals.
great write up though.

 

[Maniak]

looks like you know alot except for how to properly crimp wire terminals.
great write up though.

haha.. Yea, I Know. I was trying to teach him but thats how he has "always done it" and since this is in Arizona, he doesn't have to worry about corrosion.

~Mark

 

[1ofakindnmind]

yeah i guess you just need dust it off every once in a while. so does all the stuff come with the fan to make it cycle on/off correctly?