How would you kick on an e-fan thats ground acctivated?

Ok so I just picked up a volvo e-fan (same taurus fan motor but comes with incorporated relay setup) got the idea from here - http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1034031 & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-954_wpRWsQ

Now my question, I plan on figuring out some type of temp sensor setup that will probly be mounted in the upper rad hose. Now I'm contemplating just removing BOTH my mechanical fan and stock efan but not 100% sure on it, figure I'll have more room to mount the fan. How would you have the fan kick on to HIGH when the AC system calls for it? I know the stock AC system kicks on the stock efan when the system reaches a certain pressure, I'm pretty sure I should try to incorporate that feature into this fan setup.

Btw, this fan moves a SERIOUS amount of air! the relay pack attached to it just makes it so much nicer too.

When power goes to the compressor clutch power a relay that switches on the fan.

So tap into a power wire that goes to the compresser?

Is it possible to wire that like that? it needs to ground the high setting of the fan when power is activated to the compressor. I know a little about electronics but I'm stumped on how this would work into the system, most factory efan switches are grounds since many OEM fan setups are ground activated.

I'm horrible on wiring, so this is a little humerous me commenting on a question about wiring. The fan can be switched on either side, ground or hot, just like any other accessory. You're bigger question is how to control the speed if it's a two speed fan.

Use the power wire to the AC clutch to activate a relay to ground the fan's high setting. Just connect the hot wire from the AC clutch to the hot side of the coil on the relay and ground the high speed ground wire through terminals 30 and 87 of the relay. This can get complicated with multispeed fans. You might need to cut power to the low speed side of the fan when the high speed side is activated. You can also use a relay to do this. What you do is get a relay with a normally closed circuit (it will have an 87a terminal) and run the power (or ground, depending on how it is switched) through the 30 and 87a terminals so that when the high speed relay kicks in it also triggers the low speed relay and opens the NC circuit. Confused yet?

The nice thing about the volvo relay setup is that it controlls it all, as in if the high speed is kicked on it will shut off the low speed relay and kick on the high speed.

But thank you guys I have a pretty good idea of how to wire that up.... Now the tricky part is gona be fitting this big fan in my xj!! Would you get rid of both fans to make room for it? Might have more room for the motor to stick out on the driver side of the rad if i get rid of the xj aux fan as well. I've heard of people having to cut off the fan pulley on the mechanical fan to mount an efan over there??

XGarfX said:

The nice thing about the volvo relay setup is that it controlls it all, as in if the high speed is kicked on it will shut off the low speed relay and kick on the high speed.

But thank you guys I have a pretty good idea of how to wire that up.... Now the tricky part is gona be fitting this big fan in my xj!! Would you get rid of both fans to make room for it? Might have more room for the motor to stick out on the driver side of the rad if i get rid of the xj aux fan as well. I've heard of people having to cut off the fan pulley on the mechanical fan to mount an efan over there??

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I ended up moving my radiator forward 1 1/2". There is also a mod I have seen where the idler pulley under the A/C compressor was removed and the belt rerouted. Sorry I don't remember the details.

How did you go about moving your radiator forward?

Also does anyone happen to know if the temps in the upper rad hose would be the same as what the temp sensor on the thermostat housing is picking up (what my temp gauge is reading)? I'm trying to decide on what temp switch I want to use and where/how its going to be fitted into place. I don't want my fan running at like 190 when the thermostat isn't even fully opened yet, normal driving my xj runs below the 210 mark on my gauge. I'm looking at dual temp switches, something with the low setting kicking on around 200-210ish and the high setting would be slightly above that. I have found a few near that range for an old porche I think or a BMW temp switch.

XGarfX said:

How did you go about moving your radiator forward?

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Sorta like this:

Griffin Install

Thread here:

http://www.bh4wheelers.com/bh4bb/YaBB.pl?num=1326865440

I FOLLOWED THEASE INSTRUCTIONS.
http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoTaurusFanInstall1.htm
worked a treat, with the tranny cooler..
alternativly you can mount the fan horozontaly and ditch the oem electric fan.

Are you going to be using the volvo fan and shroud or just the fan and position it inside the stock shroud?

Let us know how it fits as I am contemplating doing this myself. I just don't want to have to modify the original fan pulley in case I need to go back to a mechanical fan.

XGarfX said:

How did you go about moving your radiator forward?

Also does anyone happen to know if the temps in the upper rad hose would be the same as what the temp sensor on the thermostat housing is picking up (what my temp gauge is reading)? I'm trying to decide on what temp switch I want to use and where/how its going to be fitted into place. I don't want my fan running at like 190 when the thermostat isn't even fully opened yet, normal driving my xj runs below the 210 mark on my gauge. I'm looking at dual temp switches, something with the low setting kicking on around 200-210ish and the high setting would be slightly above that. I have found a few near that range for an old porche I think or a BMW temp switch.

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Hi,
You're pretty close.

an old VW double temp switch, the one used in late 80's Jetta, Golf, Cabrio,Eurovans... those equipped with two speeds-single fan...I got a 195/205-(not sure on the upper temp, 15deg the interval I guess.) but are available for higher temps..just will need to weld a piece of tube with the metric threaded insert on it & cut your upper hose to install it...

I plan on trying to fit the volvo fan into the stock xj mech fan shroud if I can. It would look cleanest that way and also allows me to keep the stock xj e fan in place to handle the AC needs and as a backup just incase. If I can keep the stock e fan in place I most likely won't wire up the volvo fan into the ac system. If I cant fit the fan in the shroud I will either try to fit the volvo fan and shroud in place of the mechanical fan or I will just get rid of BOTH stock fans and just use the volvo fan.

I truly don't want to go hacking off the mechanical fan mount just incase I decide to go back to a clutch one day. I might be buying a 5.9 zj fan switch housing (fits into the upper rad hose), its a 3/8 npt thread so it leaves me with a bunch of switch choices. I'm just trying to get everythign together so I can get it all done in one shot, right now I'm looking through fan switches to use.

I don't want the fan on during the highway for obvious reasons, the stock 5.9 zj lower fan temp switch (turns on the slow speed setting on the efan, same as taurus fan motor) comes on at low speed at 214 and high speed comes on at 220. I think thats a bit higher then I'd like but I found that an 87 grand nation fan switch is only one speed with 1 terminal, 3/8-18 npt, 210 ON-205 OFF. Seems like good temps for our motors, no? I would only use one speed with that switch and mayb try to figure out if I can tap into the stock xj efan wiring to somehow ground the volvo fan relay to trigger the high speed. I've heard that the low speed alone is plenty, or I could just use that one switch to run the high speed on the volvo fan.

Soooo many options and choices here !! lol I truely just want the fan to run like the xj came from the factory with it, would rather still not to cut that mechanical fan piece off though.

I feel like if I use one of the 195 temps switches my fan will always be running since the t stat is 195. I should really get a infrared temp gun to see what the upper coolant hose temp is at while its running at ideal temps.

If its a two speed fan and you're planning on removing both stock fans why don't u just wire the low speed to run anytime the motor is running, and the high speed when the factory circuit calls for it. That would make the whole thing work more like the factory set up except you've replaced the factory mechanical fan with an electric one, and the electric one with a more powerful electric one.

Having it always run doesn't seem right, the engine doesn't always need a fan running especially during warm up cycles.

XGarfX said:

Having it always run doesn't seem right, the engine doesn't always need a fan running especially during warm up cycles.

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isnt the clutch fan always running?

our jeeps are pretty touchy when it comes to heat. a little extra air flow always seems to help them out

I've been thinking about doing that but this fan moves a LOT of air even on low. It would probably take a long time just to get the jeep up to operating temps, I can imagine it would also shorten the fan motor live as well.

Any thoughts on doing it that way?

I can't speak from personal experience with the '93 4.0 but I replaced the mechanical fan with an electric fan in my '85 2.5 and I had it come on only when needed to maintain the ideal coolant temp.

I can't think of a reason to have an electric fan running all the time. I've always assumed that the clutch fan always spins to some extent because there is no practical way to turn it completely off. Could be wrong.

Thats what i figured, just seems like it would take longer to warm up especially with the amount of air this fan moves. Plus always running would most likely shorten the life of the fan then it already is at now. I don't think I know of any cars these days with efans that have them run constantly.

Just trying to pick the perfect thermoswitch setup and try to figure out how to mount it somewhere in the cooling system, that 5.9 housing cant be had anymore. Where did you guys all mount your fan switches at?? some type of home made housing?