i have been reading about the e-fans, i still can not find a honest answer about if they work as good as the old fan and pully set up ??? do any of you run these and if so what problems if any have you had and what is the advantage of running them, this eng. i have is in a open rail buggy, reverse rotation eng, hopefully soon to be running after 2 years in the build stage, lol -- yes i am slow but put together thr right way

o and anothe question, i need to cut a 4 bolt valve cover in half, are there any other valve covers like off a (example 350 eng) that will work ???, when you say corvair at the junk yard the price goes up $$$$$

Corvair valve covers are specific to Corvairs - sorry.

Why do you need to cut one? Valve adjusting tool, I would guess.

If that's the case, I probably have an extra that is already cut.


Eric P.
deWitt, IA

onedragonwarrior Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i have been reading about the e-fans, i still can
> not find a honest answer about if they work as
> good as the old fan and pully set up ???

the honest answer is that they dont work as good as the stock setup under all conditions. if you are only running during cold weather / only run short trips & have a low po engine then you *may* get by w/a elect fan.

tests have been done to prove this & others have given it a try. it can work - but not under all conditions & not as good as the factory set-up. the guys selling a elect fan conversion - ask for tests proveing it works - or ask if he will replace your engine if you burn it up running his fan. or ask him for a honest answer. gg

-Scott V.

Where are you located?... many have lots of extras...ebay usually has some as well. Calif. Corvair [ top left of page ] will sell you a used one cheap!

Although I like electric fans....and I know personally of a few that WORK!! really work... they are not a bolt on stock fan replacement.

And there is data to prove it. Vairmech and a GM Engineeer installed a kit by Vairhouse.. on a totally stock / complete Vair engined car... And took Data Before and after... it failed miserably...

They are a totally custom setup...besides the parts you buy...

Here is the "most promising" Kit I've seen

[corvairspecialties.com]
================================================


IIRC.. you have a kitcar / buggy with a reversed rotation engine? Why not just cut down the stock Mag fan and end your belt worries? You don't need the full cooling of the stocker...


I ran a Manx style car on the street and AX'd... never got too hot...

7" fan.... and only 3 qt's of oil... cooled nicely...drove it from San Diego to Big Bear Lake [ 6,000ft] on July 4th....no problem.

---

MODERATOR
Somewhere between Sea Mountain and Coos Bay! SW Oregon Coast
Click HERE for My Website...Click HERE for My TechPages!
............v8........................................PG...................................Turbo

MattNall Wrote:
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> Here is the "most promising" Kit I've seen

id like to see tests results. otherwise its just another way to rip people off.

-Scott V.

MattNall Wrote:
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> Although I like electric fans....and I know
> personally of a few that WORK!! really work...

names of the owners?

-Scott V.

Scott V Wrote:
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> names of the owners?
===============================

Sadly I seldom remember names of people I don't see regularly...

The one I saw many time in Hot Reno Nv.. was Trishia Scalzi...and it was their "kit" that failed the test! But I saw her and Tom regularly for 2 years and she constantly drove it...even up to Tahoe in the heat..but trailered to Portland!! gg

Then there's Lon Wall's Son's friend... super high tech... ceramic coatings..9 qts., of oil 2 staged fans... and nitrous!... to cool on hot day when going uphills.

He trailered to the Toss one year.. but DROVE to Flagstaff the next year... 110 f desert heat that week... 90f in Flag...

I met another who had driven in from Montana to Boise to a meet....and had a Whipple blower on it! Not super hot that weekend..but 90's and humid.. lots of thunderstorms..


And we know the Monza SS of Mel's is electric driven stock fan.. like Brian O'neil's racer... No "reported" problems...ggg

---

MODERATOR
Somewhere between Sea Mountain and Coos Bay! SW Oregon Coast
Click HERE for My Website...Click HERE for My TechPages!
............v8........................................PG...................................Turbo

MattNall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The one I saw many time in Hot Reno Nv.. was
> Trishia Scalzi...and it was their "kit" that
> failed the test!

yup - that kit was tested & was shown/proved that the engine would run hot or overheat on hard hiway runs.

> Then there's Lon Wall's Son's friend... super
> high tech... ceramic coatings..9 qts., of oil 2
> staged fans... and nitrous!... to cool on hot day
> when going uphills.

eddie from oregon? 2 counter rotating fans - lots of oil cooling. his engine has dropped valve seats 2 - maybe 3 different times. does that tell us something?

> I met another who had driven in from Montana to
> Boise to a meet....and had a Whipple blower on
> it! Not super hot that weekend..but 90's and
> humid.. lots of thunderstorms..

sorry - very limited info & no info on long term running. the above proves/verifys very little.

> And we know the Monza SS of Mel's is electric
> driven stock fan..

light car - not a vair - no long term testing - hot days/etc. again - good info - but no valid tests/results that we can say a elect fan works on a stock vair as good as the factory setup.

in fact - your examples show that the elect fan conversions installed on vairs cars have other mods like big oil coolers/ceramic coatings/etc - & they have still not proven to work as good as the stock setup.

......so maybe after all you dont know of a few that WORK!! really work...gg

id put a elect fan on a vair if it was proven to work on a street car. so far - i havent seen the proof - just looks like guys selling stuff & sucking $$ out of unsupecting pockets.

-Scott V.

What I have to say about that Scalzi test will probably not be received well. I just looked over on fastVairs and all I could find was the data and the graphs that were created. I could not find the story about the test.

I recall reading many years ago about all that was done, the testing procedures, the condition of the car, the weather and everyone that was involved in the test.
They explained how they tried to duplicate the conditions for the tests for both the stock fan and the electric setup. The story went into great detail of how they went through certain city streets, up an onramp and some highway driving.

I was reading how they were trying to make it a fair test. My problem is, the more they explained it, the bigger impression I was getting that their goal was to prove that fan or any electric fan could not cool a Corvair sufficiently.

I am sure I will get some flack for my opinion. I would have to read it again to explain what led to my opinion of the test.

I still don't have an opinion about an electric fan because I haven't tried one and that write up didn't do it for me.

Scott... I never said I LOVE them! But I've seen a few being used....

I know far more owners of belt fans that have dropped seats and cremated their engines... ggg


As far as the unit I linked to... I'd like to see someone install it...why I stated " shows the most promise to me"


ps.... if you were at Flagstaff.. you saw my racer... with the freying fanbelt!!

I've never had a cooling problem.... even drove one 8-9 miles without a belt.. up hill! And the engine was fine after...but it had 3.89's... no lower shrouds....and I shut it off and let the smoke clear each time the NEW snapswitch came on....so we know it was really getting hot!

---

MODERATOR
Somewhere between Sea Mountain and Coos Bay! SW Oregon Coast
Click HERE for My Website...Click HERE for My TechPages!
............v8........................................PG...................................Turbo




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2012 03:11AM by MattNall.

Hello Richard: The test article was in the COMMUNIQUE, if I run across it again I will put the date/year on the forum.

I personally didn't get the idea the testers were purposely trying to make the electric fan test fail but I suppose it is how a person reads it. I am NOT trying to give you grief over what you read or understood. I do remember that the engine continually got hot during use regardless of what the testers were trying to do.

I have no problems with belts or cooling on my engines, I will leave everything alone as GM engineers designed it. My opinion of course.

Sincere regards, Steve

1962 spyder 3.0L turbo 1966 corsa 140/4
1968 monza 110/4 1971 Amante GT 110/4

Golden, Colo. CORSA/RMC/PPCC

Richard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I was reading how they were trying to make it a
> fair test. My problem is, the more they explained
> it, the bigger impression I was getting that their
> goal was to prove that fan or any electric fan
> could not cool a Corvair sufficiently.

i dont see how that would be a bad thing - even if that was the case - which i am pretty sure it isnt from what i remember reading the testing results.

if you go out to prove something wont work & you find it works - all is well. isnt that what the tests are looking for? does or doesnt the elect fan work compared to the stock fan.

id rather see tests setup to see where the limits/failure is than *fake* tests that are done just to say the part was tested but nothing was really tested.

-Scott V.

The SS replica uses a stock fan driven by an electric motor spinning it at 3,000 rpm(I think), constantly. It also has the air ducted from the front of the car, so no other engine compartment heat gets in there. So it gets the benefit of "ram air" like a water pumper at speed. And he does drive the car. As I recall, Warren LeVeque , and other racers, run their fans at half speed to avoid "cavitation" when the engine is spinning at high rpm. So the engine will cool at high rpms when the fan spins SLOWER than it normally would. And saves horsepower.

As for the Vair Specialties street setup, it at least looks like it should work better than the tested/failed setup from VairHouse. He uses a fan similar to a stock one, but with curved blades, like a turbo compressor wheel, and a different crankcase top cover that looks like more of a diverter, and a heavy duty electric motor. Setup uses stock turkey roaster. I think the fan itself is the difference here, more like stock, but looks like it should flow more air, with a good heavy duty motor. I don't know, haven't heard anyone using it.

As for someone trying to find a way to "rip people off", it sure seems like a lot of work to intentionally hose someone. I'd like to see some test results on the Vair Specialties one too. I did read the results on the VairHouse setup and was actually rooting for them til I read the results. BTW, the testers paid for the setup, they did not get it free, they had no ax to grind. Kudos to them for taking the chance.

Maybe someone should contact Vair Specialties and ask for some data.

Rocco

Is this the article being mentioned?
[autoxer.skiblack.com]

The guys that have an e fan don't post, they know e fans do work.

If its ant broke, you know....

Jim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The guys that have an e fan don't post, they know
> e fans do work.

but surely someone that posts knows someone w/a working e fan & has tests/data/real world results to post?

-Scott V.

Jim has an e-fan setup on his 'vair, with 2 speed setup and adjustable temperature setting. Last i read..

Rich

Southern California
Addicted to dezert and dunes.. and now boats!

I'm not sure Jim's E-fan engine ever got installed... now it's going reverse rotation 215 V8 if I recall recent posts...

EDIT: from mid-engine to rev rotation V8

Greg Miller
Eugene, Oregon




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2012 05:07PM by Gregory_Miller.

You have to post pictures of the buggy. Please put some up.