andyborris
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 Would like to a fit radiator fan shroud to my V8 Land Rover. It will carry four 7 inch electric fans on basically a flat sheet with 4 holes in it. This sheet needs to be stiff for when the fans are running, but as thin as possible. What's best Mild Steel, Stainless or Ally? Hope to keep the thickness at around 2 mm! Thanks Andy |
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slater
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Club RR Member Number: 78
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Well technically the stiffest will be stainless. Not that it makes much difference.
The real key to having it stiff is to put some flanges or swages in it.
I'd be tempted to go stainless for corrosion resistance. Kind of depends if you can work it tho. It's far harder to cut and drill etc. Alu obviously lighter so you can get away with much thicker sheet.
Depends what your priorities are.
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2mm stainless is around £140 for 1000mm x 1000mm
3mm Aluminium is approx £90
The aluminium will be a LOT easier to work with.
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Last Edit: Feb 5, 2023 20:44:39 GMT by nalesutol
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andyborris
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Thanks.
Slater:
My priorities in order of importance.
Keeping the vibration from the fans down, don't want them shaking themselves loose or otherwise failing.
As little as possible flexing of the sheet (because of above and below!)
As thin as possible, it's tight in there.
It's just a 450x430mm flat sheet that's about 10 mm from the rad core with 4 holes for the fans to draw through. 4 small fans because I can't get 1 big fan in the gap! This sheet is screwed to the rad frame along the 2 vertical sides only.
Nalesutol:
Is 2mm stainless as stiff as 3 mm ally? The extra 1 mm space would be welcome!
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16grit
Part of things
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What about making this out of a composite? Relatively small size so might suit (and work cost-wise) with an aramid or carbon/kevlar mix fabric
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slater
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Yeh I think the key to what you're trying to do is to fold a lip around the edge (even if it's only 5mm) and put some swages in between the 4 fans.
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3mm thick material to mount four fans to a small radiator seems massively over the top to me. By the time you've bent a return around all four edges and the fans, then even 1mm steel will be at least as stiff as the radiator you're bolting it to. Like this  Bolting the fans will stiffen it more, and you could connect the edges around the fans |
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andyborris
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Thanks everybody for all the advice. Fitted the fans using the 3mm plywood trial template I made earlier, did this just to make sure everything could squeeze into the space. I thought "why not try the fans", so I jury rigged and run them. All 4 fans running and the ply is solid as a rock, no shake, flex or other movement! Sometimes you can overthink it!    |
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ems1
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Road signs are made from 3mm aluminium, you might be able to get an old one somewhere.
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1985 Manta GT/E 16v
2001 VW T4 Caravelle
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bstardchild
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How much area around the fans is closed in material
It's worth considering rubber vent flaps on the outside (well engine bay side if fitted behind the rad) if there is a lot of area in the cowl - natural airflow can move thro the cowl via the flaps when the vehicle is moving - when the fans are on it sucks the vent flaps closed and means they are all pulling thro the rad
I was amazed how effective they are on a BMW radiator cowl which has them as std
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andyborris
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Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
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How much area around the fans is closed in material It's worth considering rubber vent flaps on the outside (well engine bay side if fitted behind the rad) if there is a lot of area in the cowl - natural airflow can move thro the cowl via the flaps when the vehicle is moving - when the fans are on it sucks the vent flaps closed and means they are all pulling thro the rad I was amazed how effective they are on a BMW radiator cowl which has them as std At the moment, just under half of the rad is uncovered under the fans. I'm assuming that the air will be able to flow through the fans, the rad has also been moved slightly to close escape paths around, now all the air entering the grille flows through the rad. The air path is biased towards the top (hottest) part of the rad. I'm still overthinking it, I think! |
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bstardchild
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How much area around the fans is closed in material It's worth considering rubber vent flaps on the outside (well engine bay side if fitted behind the rad) if there is a lot of area in the cowl - natural airflow can move thro the cowl via the flaps when the vehicle is moving - when the fans are on it sucks the vent flaps closed and means they are all pulling thro the rad I was amazed how effective they are on a BMW radiator cowl which has them as std At the moment, just under half of the rad is uncovered under the fans. I'm assuming that the air will be able to flow through the fans, the rad has also been moved slightly to close escape paths around, now all the air entering the grille flows through the rad. The air path is biased towards the top (hottest) part of the rad. I'm still overthinking it, I think! Why wouldn't you cowl the whole radiator?? I guess it all depends on what you are trying to achieve If you are having overheating issues when stationary - then the fans will only help for 50% of the rad - it might be all you need but to me at a point where the engine is overheating most of the rad will be bloody hot already Maybe I'm over thinking it |
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andyborris
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No, you're not overthinking it, I didn't explain it very well!
The radiator has a full cowl/shroud, it's the holes for the fans (and fans behind the holes) that are open 50%.
I purchased the Landy with a very overheated engine, so bad, the block is bent! The previous owner said a hose had come off while driving, losing all the water and the engine had seized.
Looked at the cooling system and wasn't happy with the cooling fan being placed a long way from the front of the rad. Decided to use 4 small fans on a shroud behind the rad because of space problems. Also improved the airflow through the rad by sealing gaps around the sides.
As I haven't run the replacement engine, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed on the overheating and I hope my redesign will improve things.
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v8ian
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For a Burst hose event, thats an awful clean engine bay.
1mm stainless, work or age hardened is an absolute a-se to work, Mlid steel would do your job what thickness?, 16swg would work, Ally, my thought heads towards 14swg, use "HalfHard" so it is a bit more resilient, or even if you can get what was sold a Dural, that has a small amount of Copper in the alloy Age hardens, and become tough
For strengthening large expanses, you can use a piece of sheet cut into a strip, say 40mm wide, scribe 3 equal lines down its length (in effect 4 sections) fold the middle line to 90degs, then the other 2 lines back 45degs, in effect making a pyramid with flanges, if you sikkaflex and pop rivet that onto a sheet, IT will be ridged
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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andyborris
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Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
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For a Burst hose event, thats an awful clean engine bay. It was explained as a "hose blew off a joiner, that didn't have a bead" it's possible and the place this happened, the hose would direct the water under the engine bay. But the vendor was completely honest about it, he said the engine was probably "furbared", I took a chance on a pair of heads, but he was right. Not unhappy though, paid less than it stands in parts, I think he was starting to regret selling it as I brought it, done it myself, losing mojo and selling in a temper, only to regret later! So now it's got a ex TVR 3.9 and I'm trying my best to get more cooling into it because I think the previous layout was marginal at best and if I'd bu**ered up the cooling and was now selling a car in temper, I might be inclined to save a little face too! |
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
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I've never brought a conversion someone else has done before, some of it I'd do differently!
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I cant answer your question (apart from just whack a Kenlowe in front of the rad in the 80s/90s fashion.)
Looks a mega Landy though. Is there a thread on it I have missed?
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 1,979
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No thread, I didn't build, but purchased as is. I'll put something up when (if) I get it going!
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