Fan delete impressions

[WTFPENGUIN]

:confused

Umm I cant really tell a difference, but I guess it's piece of mind that the fan clutch won't self destruct.

Bought the 32mm wrench from sears, going to return it tomorrow, lol
1 bottle water wetter, car part shop in Sacramento
75 degree t-stat

I didn't purchase the aux fan switch, because I can't imagine that really does much more cooling.

New radiator, replaced old at 76K miles and it looked brand new, hoses looked fine too, but replaced those. Filled radiator 25% bmw coolant 72% water 3% water wetter.
New water pump, I had metal impeller, that was a little warped but changed it anyways
T-stat housing looked fine, but replaced it with aluminum
T-stat was working fine, but replaced it with lower temp
Underdrive belt looked fine, couple small cracks
A/C belt i'm surprised it didn't crack.

I can't tell any difference, next up...VANOS!!:redspot dr vanos that is, stage 2:buttrock

[omak81]

I wouldn't do this without putting a 16" spal to replace it, it really doesn't make much sense theres no way your gonna feel a difference in speed. PERIOD. Yes its a good idea to remove to save it from flying apart and ripping shit to shreads but put a 16" spal if thats the case. I had mine off for 1 day and realized it was stupid as hell, bmw put it there for a reason. Just MY opinion.

[JaredM3]

Just dont plan on sitting in traffic, It will overheat...

[JClark]

Of course you cant notice a difference, its maybe 1-3hp. You will notice a difference when your car overheats, however.

Now 15 people come in and say "But I've had the FDM for years now and my car hasnt overheated!"

Then I say "Do you have an aftermarket temp gauge or just the OEM? Ya know, the one that doesnt even move until 230*F, when damage is already occurring in your engine."

Then they say, "Well no, just the OEM gauge, but if BMW thought it was good enough, it's good enough for me."

Then I say, "Well using the same logic, BMW also thought that a fundamental element of the cooling system (the FAN) was good enough too. Get an aftermarket gauge, your car is running substantial hotter when sitting in traffic."


[/rant]

Get an electric fan.

[Kaiv]

Just dont plan on sitting in traffic, It will overheat...

:rofl

[mmark.]

Of course you cant notice a difference, its maybe 1-3hp. You will notice a difference when your car overheats, however.

Now 15 people come in and say "But I've had the FDM for years now and my car hasnt overheated!"

Then I say "Do you have an aftermarket temp gauge or just the OEM? Ya know, the one that doesnt even move until 230*F, when damage is already occurring in your engine."

Then they say, "Well no, just the OEM gauge, but if BMW thought it was good enough, it's good enough for me."

Then I say, "Well using the same logic, BMW also thought that a fundamental element of the cooling system (the FAN) was good enough too. Get an aftermarket gauge, your car is running substantial hotter when sitting in traffic."


[/rant]

Get an electric fan.

To the OP...Be advised to buy and use the lower temp fan switch otherwise your electric fan will kick in very much later. Of course without an aftermarket temp gauge, you won't see the temps escalate while stationary.

I have the fan delete and I can guarantee you that your coolant temp starts to spike once the car is up to temp and then sits still for 90 secs....That is about the time that a lower fan switch will kick the fan on. This also helps prevent the temps from getting high enough to start *running away*, meaning that they will start to climb so fast that the stock electric fan may not be able to keep them down if the car is stuck in traffic on a warm day.

Jesse.. There is an electric fan already but it is almost useless without the colder temp switch for the above mentioned reasons. An aftermarket SPAL or equivalent is just extra insurance.



m

[Novacaine]

I could tell the difference but not from a power stand point, just seemed to rev nicer. Make sure that Aux fan is working our you'll crap yourself when you see that temp needle climb in traffic. Damn blown fuse! I don't trust that aux fan at all now. I tossed the fan back in, luckily I didn't get any damage from the experience. I don't advocate this mod unless you know everything else is bullet proof.

[Daved]

Just in case you missed it, there's a lot of info about the FDM here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=473312

[bmw15012]

I am building my car into a serious DE / race school car and BimmerWorld themselves told me that this mod is "for reliabilty, not HP gain".

[Daved]

I am building my car into a serious DE / race school car and BimmerWorld themselves told me that this mod is "for reliabilty, not HP gain".
I did it for the reliability too, one of the blades of my fan blew away before I did the FDM (of course).

[brickhouseM3]

you wont feel any power improvement, but it will rev faster. I autox'd my car and did a hpde in 90 degree summer heat, with no overheating issues. The temp gauge rises to dead center and stays there, I have never seen it spike. As long as you have the full kit, I dont see much risk.

[Novacaine]

there isn't any risk until you're in traffic and the aux fan isn't working. For a race car it would be fine as air is gonna be rushing through the rad all the time. I liked the nice rev'ing and put in the aluminum thermostat housing, and I had no problems for 6+ months and then my aux fan fuse blew and I didn't notice until it was too late and I was overheating in traffic. possible head gasket troubles are not worth the rev benefits. check out the fan for cracks or just replace the bastard instead. I don't advocate this mod at all unless you put in an electric fan to replace the clutch fan.

[Zubehor]

for those with an aftermarket temp gauge whats the temp with the fan and without?

[JClark]

Jesse.. There is an electric fan already but it is almost useless without the colder temp switch for the above mentioned reasons. An aftermarket SPAL or equivalent is just extra insurance.



m

Correct, however that wimpy little aux fan has to blow through an AC condensor and then the radiator. Put your hand behind the rad with just the aux fan blowing and its maybe a light breeze, not the gale force wind of the stock fan or an electric unit behind the rad. I haven't seen any CFM numbers on the aux fan.

Even with a lower switch and the aux fan blowing its brains out all day, your car will run hotter. How much hotter depends on the situation and ambient temperature.

We had this discussion at a meet 2 years ago and I volunteered my car as an experiment. We turned off my fan and installed another guy's lower aux fan temp switch and went to sit in slow DC Rt 1 traffic for ~20 mins. Pulled over, swapped switches back and turned the fan on, temps fell 18*F on a 90*F day in about 1-2 minutes AND the stock temp gauge didnt move from the middle in either scenario. Imagine what it would do in serious southwest desert heat.

Just my $.53.

[sausrigging]

You deff need the 81c or whatever it is switch

[JETninja]

I did mine 2 summers ago, I live in SoCal (quite a few 100+ degree days every year) and drive 70m every day. (47K since I got it May of '05) I used the OEM M-Coupe Radiator 3 Row vs stock 2 row), redid all the hoses, t-stat & housing, Fan switch, Water wetter and Sparkletts Distilled.

I sit in Traffic with A/C running all the time on the local freeways, sometimes for hours, and look at my siggy my car is not stock. It runs flawlesslly. I did a ton of research before I did it (I've been with Boeing over 20 years in Engineering, I tend to think things out) and have been nothing but pleased since I did it. Naysayers out there...get over it, the world is not flat. :D

Note, you must have a robust cooling system before you do it, any weekness and you will fail.

And the switch needed is the one from the 318, it has no engine fan and the electric one does do the job when needed.....

[VanosMTechnic]

im doing that mod right now...

because i hated the noise the fan makes...

and it feels nicer maybe because the quietness...

the rev is smoother too...

and i also purchased "stewart" aftermarket performance water pump that advertises 20% more coolant flow over the stock ones and the ones with metal blades.


along with the 88 deg T-stat, fan switch and 2 bottle of water wetter and the aluminum t-stat housing...

though i wont be able to tell you how it went till next year since its cooling down here in AZ...

:shifty

[PointMEby]

I took mine off inbetween sessions at Road Atlanta. There is a difference I promise.

[Volf]

Im all for the fan delete as long as you replace it with an electric fan. If you don't you're asking for trouble.



And of course you're not going to feel any difference. Under-drive pullies would've done you more good. Really all its good for is making more room to work in the engine bay and to keep cheap plastic parts from breaking and flying apart.

[JETninja]

Im all for the fan delete as long as you replace it with an electric fan. If you don't you're asking for trouble.




You know this from experience or just your thought on it?

I can tell you in 30k, I only have the Fan coming on when the A/C in on. In 110+ degree heat, pulling into my garage, not once has the fan been on. Think about how much the stock fan really helps (not much at all) and how even 110 out is a lot cooler the water flowing though the system. I suspect my next failure will be the OEM plastic neck. (yes, the 3-Row M-Coupe ones still use plastic)

[ryanlong01]

you wont feel any power improvement, but it will rev faster.

I've always been a little confused by quotes like this. RPMs are directly linked to speed -- xxxxRPM is always xxMPH in x gear, no matter what. If you're in gear, accelerating, and your car climbs through the revs faster than before, then you're reaching given speeds faster than before -- accelerating faster than before...thus, if your car really does rev faster (under load and not just free-revving, anyway) it seems that you're putting more power to the ground.

Right?

[The Letter M]

I'm leaving my fan on because most e36 fans don't explode, therefore, I'll go with the majority on this one & not ever worry about my engine overheating etc.

After years of track days & lots of daily driving, I'll take my chances, since the risk is so low.

Of course, everyone has their own take on all this, but I think some people just do it because they really believe that it will magically make their car faster.

If I had a race car that spent it's whole life moving on a track, getting constant air flow through the rad, I may feel differently about it, but this car gets to sit at traffic lights & have the AC turned on occasionally, so the fan stays.