Has anybody measured...

[Japandrew73]

Well Andrew, with all due respect for keeping everything "stock", there are places where you should really upgrade; as in the case of the fan.

Electric fans are loud, switch operated, and in my opinion don't do as well of a job at cooling the engine as the viscous fan does. This isn't really a "keeping it stock" problem as much as it is a practicability problem.

[Danny]

Electric fans are loud, switch operated, and in my opinion don't do as well of a job at cooling the engine as the viscous fan does. This isn't really a "keeping it stock" problem as much as it is a practicability problem.

You're looking at the wrong electric fans then my friend.

[der affe]

was it an ALPINA that you were trying to replicate?

if so, why don't you see what they did on that model to deal with the clearence issues?

[Iain]

Hmm, wow. You're kind of an asshole.

I'm looking to cut into the firewall just 1-2 inch. That's all I'll need. I can get the viscous fan in there with the engine as far back as possible, but at certain times when braking the engine will actually slide forward barely with the mounts i'll be using, so as a safety preventative, I want that extra 1-1.5 inches cut into the firewall.

You say I'm an "asshole" like it is a bad thing? :) Fact is, it doesn't matter one jot to me whether you cut it or not, but I feel that it would be remiss of me not to express my extreme concern about this.

Cutting the firewall is a fucking A-grade major deal - the vehicle's structural integrity is at play here, and with a massive lump of M30 up front in a big front-ender she'll come back and say hello to your legs in a very personable way. I guess the up-side to having your legs cut off by an M30 would be that you'd have a new nickname (stumpy).

I'm concerned that someone who is new to all this (motor swaps, etc) is wading in and cutting anything, especially when there is a better solution out there (in the form of an electric fan) that doesn't require this work.

It is cool you're building a proper 333i replica, but a good man has to know his limitations (as said by Harry Callahan) and without having ever done any structural work, that'd be yours, Chuck.

Electric fans are loud, switch operated, and in my opinion don't do as well of a job at cooling the engine as the viscous fan does. This isn't really a "keeping it stock" problem as much as it is a practicability problem.

As Danny said, you have been looking at the wrong fans. Plenty of other options out there.

I've used Spal and Subaru fans in the past on a couple of my cars (worked V8 Holdens) and they've been great in the summer over here with the temp never getting above 3/4, even on the hottest days we get (+40deg Celsius).

A drift car build I was involved in used a Davies Craig fan that was ok. It was a pretty tough 2.2L SR20-powered S15 Silvia and was off-its-tits, so it needed a big cooling system. In the end, a Subaru Legacy GT-B "sucker" fan + a Spal fixed it so the car stayed cool mid-drift in +35degC weather.

[Japandrew73]

was it an ALPINA that you were trying to replicate?

if so, why don't you see what they did on that model to deal with the clearence issues?

They went into the firewall. This isn't just for the viscous fan anyways, this is also for the fact that the farther back the engine, the better weight distribution and the better handling. The Hartge H35 had this engine position (cut into the firewall and a viscous fan) and they claimed it had the same handling specs as the stock 325i. So this would prevent the car from being front-heavy and it seems like a win-win to me. If anybody knows the distance from an e30 they have the engine out of right now, that'd be great, but if not I'll make a trip to the yard.

You say I'm an "asshole" like it is a bad thing? Fact is, it doesn't matter one jot to me whether you cut it or not, but I feel that it would be remiss of me not to express my extreme concern about this.

Cutting the firewall is a fucking A-grade major deal - the vehicle's structural integrity is at play here, and with a massive lump of M30 up front in a big front-ender she'll come back and say hello to your legs in a very personable way. I guess the up-side to having your legs cut off by an M30 would be that you'd have a new nickname (stumpy).

I'm concerned that someone who is new to all this (motor swaps, etc) is wading in and cutting anything, especially when there is a better solution out there (in the form of an electric fan) that doesn't require this work.

It is cool you're building a proper 333i replica, but a good man has to know his limitations (as said by Harry Callahan).

Right, I'm willing to do it right and put the extra work in. Of course I'm not doing this part alone. For the major parts of this swap (taking it out, putting it back in, cutting into the firewall, etc.) I have the proper help.

[der affe]

Electric fans are loud, switch operated, and in my opinion don't do as well of a job at cooling the engine as the viscous fan does. This isn't really a "keeping it stock" problem as much as it is a practicability problem.

who has been feeding you this info?

IIRC an E46 temp switch and the properly sized fan will make all your automatic cooling fan dreams come true

[tg318is]

what iain said.

[chadthestampede]

They went into the firewall.

Are you sure?

from e30.de

The cars Alpina built before 7/87 were the inspiration for Engine Position I. In this position the engine sits well forward in the engine compartment. Due to limited space, the water pump connecting pipe is cut off and the fan is not used. To achieve a proper rate of cooling, an electric fan is installed in front of the radiator. This is a popular modification to the e30 even with the M20 engine, and is used in many cars to keep the engine temperature within reason. No modifications to the firewall or the floorboards are required in this position. In fact, several centimeters gap remains between the rear of the engine and the firewall. However a special radiator (Alpina) is required. The radiator must fit within the front mask, as there is no room in front of the engine within the engine compartment. As an additional benefit to this position, the clutch can be changed without removing the engine, as access can be gained from underneath.
This engine position was used in all of Alpina's models up until 9/87, thus the aluminum engine mount brackets from these cars can be used.

EDIT: sauce http://www.e30.de/335i/06.htm

[Japandrew73]

Are you sure?

from e30.de



EDIT: sauce http://www.e30.de/335i/06.htm

Right, I based it off engine position 3 on that site. Late Alpinas/Hartge's used engine position 3 if you go off that site. I'll be using a position similar to that for it's weight distribution.

This 333i won't be an exact replica in the sense of mechanics, it will be a replica in asthetics (stress on this), and perform better than a 333i.

[Ray Smoodiver]

I guess the up-side to having your legs cut off by an M30 would be that you'd have a new nickname (stumpy).

That's going straight to the pool room!



(aka my sig)