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workingonit · #70 07-17-2021, 06:02 PM

Felt like heck yesterday, so I didn't even make my final tests of the electric fan conversion until today.

Two problems:

1) Finding a true switched power source: The front ashtray power port I was using to provide the 12v switched power never sleeps, like I thought it did. I use the rear console plug-in for trickle charging, leaving the front lighter plug free for powering accessories (and the fan), but I thought it would sleep after 16 minutes as I was counting on. I guess I'll have to use a fuse tap on the sunroof fuse (F58...which I don't want to be usable); I assume the sunroof is switched-power??
2) I guessed wrong about where to put the "push-thru-fins" thermostatic switch. I know that it's supposed to be inserted near the radiator inlet on the top right of my e53, but I chose to insert it on the other side, near the top. My T-switch is a 180F on-165F off pre-set type, but my past experience was that it would turn on too fast in the normal spot (on my racing engines with racing radiators), so I'd end up moving the probe further away from the inlet, to allow the engine to get about 10-20 degrees warmer before the un-adjustable switch would work (and there was already a convenient hole large enough there, anyway).

On this Nissen-branded X5 radiator, it doesn't get warm enough to work at all. I used my Torque Pro app and my 8" tablet to monitor the coolant temperature, which never rose above 194F ( A/C off, electric fan off), idling in park. When I switched on the A/C, the aux. fan lowered the temperature quickly, as did the electric conversion, when manually switched on.

I let it cool down, and tried again, using a meat thermometer and an infrared laser scanner to check temps. The hottest I was able to read via the meat thermometer was 170F near the inlet, 160F where the thermostatic switch is, and the infrared scanner showed 175F when aimed at the bleeder screw on the inlet hose (I assume there's some steam below). I guess I'll have to get an adjustable T-switch like bcredliner suggested, so I can turn it down to meet the lower radiator temperatures that I observed.

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