Oil Cooler Fan

[ryonker]

I put an oil cooler on my 79 750 last year. I have been toying with the idea of putting a fan on it since the cooler doesn't help much when stopped during hot weather.

So I installed a 12 volt DC fan I got at radio shack. I just wired it right to my battery with a 10 amp inline fuse. I put a toggle switch on my handle bars. I know, it's probably overkill but I wanted to try it out.

Rick

[TheCafeKid]

How much of a painfull draw does that put on the GS's weak charging system?? Id be worried about it, especially sitting at a light where you need the fan most, but also where the bike ISNT charging well..

[ryonker]

How much of a painfull draw does that put on the GS's weak charging system?? Id be worried about it, especially sitting at a light where you need the fan most, but also where the bike ISNT charging well..

I guess I am not sure. It is rated at .32 Amps and 3.84 watts.

Rick

[TheCafeKid]

I guess I am not sure. It is rated at .32 Amps and 3.84 watts.

Rick

Bah! thats nothin, should be fine if you're charging well at all. Not a bad idea actually. Fortunately, it hasnt been THAT hot here YET, tho last year i was shutting my bikes down in traffic because it WAS that hot, and i worry too much...LOL

[ryonker]

Bah! thats nothin, should be fine if you're charging well at all. Not a bad idea actually. Fortunately, it hasnt been THAT hot here YET, tho last year i was shutting my bikes down in traffic because it WAS that hot, and i worry too much...LOL

Actually, it hasn't been too hot here either. Just decided to try it out.

The fan is in a metal case and it runs at 3000 rpms and it moves air at 85cfm. For a little fan it really blows!

Rick

[teet]

Not a bad Idea! Makes me wish I had an oil cooler......

Jeff (teet)

[Clayton!]

Seems a bit "bulky" to me. Maybe get a slim line PC cooler and mount behind it so it pulls? Would probably protect the fan better too, i've had too maybe june bugs crack my visor on the highway

[Mark whiz]

Very Kewl - I often thought about rigging up a fan like that on my bike's cooler.....I got about 10 of them on my computer case, I'm sure I could probably spare one.
Although I always figured I'd try to mount it behind the cooler, but space is an issue with that.

[redsoxvw]

I dig that idea alot......One question though, I can see how being at a stop and running a fan on the cooler would promote airflow over the fins.

But with the fan mounted to the front of the cooler at speed, wouldnt it actually block the cool air that would normally pass over the fins? I would think the bike at speed would push more air then the fan could, so it would maybe reduce the cooling affect while at a decent clip????

Ps.....I have to get a tooth extracted and am taking pain meds (as its killing me) so I might not be making any sense LOL

[Steve]

But with the fan mounted to the front of the cooler at speed, wouldnt it actually block the cool air that would normally pass over the fins?

Whether you mount the fan ahead of or behind the cooler coils, it will block the same amount of air flow.

On the other hand, I don't think it will block enough to matter. When the fan is not powered ON and the bike is moving, the air flowing through it will simply make it pinwheel. My guess is that, unless there is a thermostat in the system, the cooler is probably over-cooling the oil, so the little bit of air that the fan blocks won't matter much, anyway.

.

[ryonker]

Seems a bit "bulky" to me. Maybe get a slim line PC cooler and mount behind it so it pulls? Would probably protect the fan better too, i've had too maybe june bugs crack my visor on the highway

I just didn't think the smaller fans with smaller fan blades would move enough air to make it worth it.

If you look at the photo, I have some hardware cloth covering the face of the fan. Over that I am going to put a filter to block small debris.