M30 swap acceptable CFM rating for electric fan

[Garageaholic]

Does anybody know what an acceptable CFM rating for an electric PULL fan mounted inside the engine bay is?

I've heard 1600...

No less than 2000

I see a fan that is 2360CFM and am thinking of picking it up.

[Garageaholic]

morning bump

[euroshark]

My dad is running a 12" puller fan on his euro converted '78 633CSi (with '81 euro M90) that probably pulls like 1000 or 1200cfm and it has worked well over the past 3 years or so... Still, I wouldn't go with anything smaller than 1600, especially in the tighter E30 bay.

[Garageaholic]

I was thinking of getting the SPAL 16" 1610 CFM PULL fan that mounts in between the radiator and engine.

My M30 (E32) naturally does not have an oil cooler. Would it be wise to "retrofit" an oil cooler setup? Would that regulate the engine temperature at all? or have relatively no effect?

[euroshark]

I have never really seen a huge benefit from the oil cooler except on long highway trips. Around town I don't think it's big enough to drastically cool the oil, and since the engine speed varies so much, especially with stop and go, that maybe the oil doesn't heat up as much. On the highway turning 2500 - 3000rpm for hours the oil seems to get hotter, and I think that's where the oil cooler really comes in handy.

[e30cbe]

I have never really seen a huge benefit from the oil cooler except on long highway trips. Around town I don't think it's big enough to drastically cool the oil, and since the engine speed varies so much, especially with stop and go, that maybe the oil doesn't heat up as much. On the highway turning 2500 - 3000rpm for hours the oil seems to get hotter, and I think that's where the oil cooler really comes in handy.

its actually the slow speed running that puts most stress on oil. This is due to the extreme variations in load in stop start conditions. Plus in sustained high rpm running the cooler is a definite advantage.

[speedhop]

I'm bumping this back up...my a/c fan took a dump.

If I wanted to run a fan where the a/c fan was what is an acceptable cfm for the location??

[auto da fe]

You don't need a big honkin' fan...

if you have a decent radiator. I believe mine is a 14 inch Spal pusher and it's plenty. In fact I rarely ever turn it on.

[Mastrcruse]

Mine is 16" @ 2400-2700 cfm...that'll be enough

[speedhop]

Do you guys run a pusher?

I have no idea how anyone can run a fan in between the engine and the radiator.

[speedhop]

Anyone running an electric fan?

[Mastrcruse]

Mine will be a pusher. It is meant to be a puller but as you have found out...it'd have to be a damn thin fan to get in between.