should I remove the fan in front of the radiator?

[Dylan JZ]

I noticed today that it hasn't been plugged in presumably since 3 years ago when my swap was being done.. and my A/C hasn't been functioning in quite some time, which is actually fine at this point.

any detrimental effects? I read that the JZA70 didn't even come with A/C or aux fans (on some or perhaps all models).. so.

 

[te72]

Well, if it hasn't been plugged in in 3 years and you haven't noticed anything by now...

Honestly though, if a fan isn't spinning to pull/push air, then is it anything but an obstruction to airflow?

 

[Dylan JZ]

I thought it was common sense to remove it but wanted to ask to see any other opinions.. in fact, I did removed it right after posting this for the reason you cited above.

after browsing pics of jap JZA70s and not seeing it present, I figured well that pretty much does it.

 

[3p141592654]

If you live in Tokyo, then it makes sense, if you live in the U.S., then its a dumb idea... Toyota adds cost to its cars only when there is good reason.

 

[Dylan JZ]

It actually gets pretty warm in some parts of Japan.. especially in places such as Kyushuu or Okinawa.

I asked an exchange student if it's hotter in Florida or where he's from in Japan, and he said Japan is slightly worse to my surprise. I have been told this numerous times now..

In other words, I live in a climate similar to the southern regions of Japan.. not Arizona.



I understand the point you are making, but are you taking into account that all U.S. market supras were MA70's with fan systems for that motor? I have a 1J.

 

[Poodles]

Doesn't matter if you have a 1J or 7M.

Power = burning fuel = BTU's

The secondary fan in front was added in some markets, it's not a USDM thing but an region thing. Personally it's sitting there, I'd figure out how to wire it back up as it should have the wiring there somewhere. Can't go wrong with extra cooling.

 

[Dylan JZ]

I'd argue that export markets were also MA70's.. but you do have a point as far as cooling in general.

the reason I removed it is because I was under the impression that the fan was for the A/C.. I know they had another variation that had fans on the back side of radiator for the A/C IIRC.


anyhow, main point is my car does not have functioning A/C (hasn't since 3 years ago), if it did then I would put the fan back in because it would function rather than obstruct flow.

now, if that fan just kicks on at a certain point to keep engine temps down, that is quite a different story than the one I assumed.. and yes, the harness is still intact.

 

[Poodles]

MA70 makes no difference, you're assuming the 7M runs hotter than the 1J when in fact the 1J has more power resulting in more heat (in stock form).

IIRC that fan is wired the the small aux. fans that are setup as pullers. They kick on when the A/C is turned on, or if you start to overheat.

 

[Dylan JZ]

nah, I'm not getting at the engine so much as the difference in those models.. for some reason, the JZA70's didn't have them, but perhaps that's because they had the hydrofan versus mechanical. I have a mechanical fan, so that changes the way we look at things in that regard. in other words, there are too many variables in my case to continue the argument in that direction. my car was originally an MA70 and that's a fact.

but as you said, and as I have read prior, these aux fans kick on when the A/C is on. I have no need for something of that sort.. if and when I do, the fan will be re-installed.



I must say I do appreciate the help though, many times I meander through my own trials without reaching solid results. thanks for talking some sense and giving your opinion..


(My car never had the smaller puller fans on the backside of the radiator, only the lone fan working as a pusher in front of the radiator was present in stock form)

 

[Poodles]

MA70 makes no difference, you're assuming the 7M runs hotter than the 1J when in fact the 1J has more power resulting in more heat (in stock form).

IIRC that fan is wired the the small aux. fans that are setup as pullers. They kick on when the A/C is turned on, or if you start to overheat.

 

[destrux]

I'd find the relay for that fan, hook a switch up to activate the relay manually, and keep the fan there just in case you ever get stuck in traffic and need the extra cooling. Then again, if you've been stuck in heavy traffic in really hot weather before and the car didn't overheat I'd just ditch the fan and not worry about it. Fans (electric or mechanical) don't do much above 45mph. Above that the car moving pushes more air through the grille opening than the fans can (the fans pretty much just coast or are spun by the air as it blows through them).

Maybe they put the auxiliary fan there because they heard most Americans don't change their coolant often enough and anticipated some partially clogged radiators. Stranger things have been (correctly) assumed about our market.

 

[3p141592654]

The pusher fan is on all US MA70 automatics (which dump extra heat into the rad through the trans cooler), and some manual turbos according to some (the parts catalog seems to disagree on that point). It switches on when the coolant temp exceeds 100C. It is not only for the A/C, although the A/C certainly loads the cooling system. If you have any mods to your IJ, then you are already pushing your cooling system beyond the factory design.

I don't know where you live nor do I care, but I can assure you it gets hotter in parts of the US than it does in Japan. Sometime humidity can make it feel hotter than it really is in Japan.

---------- Post added at 02:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------

Okinawa? Its not as hot as Arizona, and its barely part of Japan anyway!

 

[Dylan JZ]

these are all pretty valid points.. my car was originally an '87 Turbo, so while the autos may have had them standard throughout, this car definitely had one factory.

perhaps I should put something (stock or an aftermarket e-fan?) back in that position that runs constantly..

 

[Poodles]

I wouldn't leave it on constantly, but plugged in correctly to trip if you overheat is good protection.

 

[Dylan JZ]

I wouldn't leave it on constantly, but plugged in correctly to trip if you overheat is good protection.

well, I might just put it back in for the time being.. my issue is whether or not it will come on when it's supposed to. I read that it's wired to a temp sensor on the 7M in stock function, so that doesn't exactly help me too much.

I'm thinking I'll have to modify it regardless of what I end up doing.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

Get an aftermarket one to replace the old one. Then wire it up to a relay and to kick on the relay, use a thermostatic switch.

You can get a switch that kicks on at any temperature, so a 200F switch would be good, since the 7M, 1JZ and 2JZ run at 190F-195F from the factory. The 7M kicks on the AUX fans above 212F, so that should be a good reference point. Tap the waterneck and install the thermostatic switch and wire it to the relay. The switch should be hooked up to the signal on the relay.

That is what I did. I used a 200F switch and stuck in traffic on 95F degree day with A/C on and no overheating. It is a good setup for extra insurance. Cooling overhead is always good.

 

[Dylan JZ]

that's exactly what I had in mind.. did you use a 10" in the factory location? Anything larger would have fitment issues I assume.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

I used a 10" fan and mounted it on the condensor using brackets I made. The zip ties with the circle locks and they work good too.

 

[Poodles]

Why use an aftermarket fan when you have a stocker sitting there? In the case of fans, aftermarket as a general rule, suck.

 

[IBoughtASupra]

Ok, to please poodles. Get a new Toyota stock fan or if yours is in good condition and not bent in any way, use it. Any bends will cause vibration.