Anything and everything Spitfire.

As some of you may have been following the new 13" Kenlowe Fan Kits (Series 2000) do not fit the standard Spit 1500 radiator. A 10" kit is required, as the fan requires to seal against the rad core. I discovered this around the 24 Aug and am still waiting for a 10" kit to be provided by Kenlowe.

I have lost the rag and penned the following:

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: 17 September 2003 18:20
To: 'sales@kenlowe.com'
Cc: 'trgbltd@btconnect.com'
Subject: Spitfire 1500 Kenlowe Fan Kit (Series 2000 Blower)
Importance: High

Dear Sir / Madam

I used to run along fine, sometimes getting slightly hot under the collar but never boiling up and over. Well not until recently........

I have a Spitfire 1500, it likes going out in the sun, and isn't so keen on the the cold and rain. In the tropical weather that we have been having of late (yes even in Scotland), I decided that I would treat the car to one of your electric cooling fan kits, you know the ones that you sell for use in my particular car.

I have had many dealings with TRGB during the restoration of my Spitfire, and so gave them a call, in order that they could despatch a kit forthwith. All the times I've used them they have been super helpful and deliver the parts nice and quick. It was no surprise to discover the kit was in stock and it would be despatched that very day (06 August 2003 - for your records).

It arrived the following Monday.

I couldn't fit it the first weekend (us tinkerers can only work on our Spits at weekends when we don't have other commitments), so It wasn't until the 24th August that I stripped out the radiator and set about installing your lovely fan kit. I should advise, that the supplied kit was a 2000 series 13" blower fan, you know the new model type that you recently launched and advised your suppliers to keep supplying the same size for Triumph Spitfires (the penny's dropped know - I bet).

Anyway, back to the tales from the riverbank.

Imagine my surprise, when the lovely fan didn't fit the radiator and sat proud of the top and bottom tanks. Dam and blast I muttered (well actually my neighbour came round to see if I was alright!). No problem I thought, I'll give TRGB a 'bell' on Monday. Looking at your website in advance of Monday's telephone call identified that the kit for my car was a 10" and not a 13" kit. I spoke with TRGB and they later came back (having spoken with someone at your end ) to advise that indeed the 2000 series fan kit for the spitfire should be a 10" kit - apparently you had launched your new fan but failed to advise your stockists that some of the sizes previously supplied would no longer fit. TRGB confirmed that you would dispatch a 10" kit to them forthwith and they would forward it on me in due course (that was around about the 26 August). Its now the 17 Sept (yes 17 Sept) and the radiator has been out of the car since the 24 August - still following this? Why's the radiator still out of the car I hear you ask. Cos I am still not in receipt of the 10" fan kit. Why's this I hear you ask. Well its not the fault of TRGB, there still waiting for you to deliver it the kit to them.

I take it that my fan kit is being hand crafted, that it will be a masterpiece. It must be the time its taking for you to deliver it. Perhaps you could give me the name of the craftsman who is fabricating it, so I can call him and offer him an incentive to finish the job. Maybe I can auction it on ebay as a 'one off', making a vast profit.

As you can probably detect my own cooling system is starting to boil, but unfortunately you don't do human cooling, merely warming of the blood by your incredible lack of pace. Lets not forget, it wasn't me who ordered the wrong kit, it wasn't TRGB that supplied the wrong part, but you, yes you who changed your design and failed to notify your stockists that the old 13" kit previously supplied for the Spitfire would no longer fit.

So, how's about it, why don't you personally arrange for a 10" kit to be dispatched by 24 hour courier to TRGB. If you don't have there delivery address to hand contact Gary or Chris on the above email address.

When I come in tomorrow, I expect to see a reply with confirmation that a 10" 2000 series Blower fan kit has been despatched to TRGB.

Regards
David

p.s. Maybe you could supply the kit FoC (thats free of charge) for all the messing about and inconvenience your company has caused to me and my Spit.

What happened in the end?

The kit finally arrived in Nov last year!
It was fitted to the spit and everyone's running temperature was reduced!!!

The 10" kit, although it fits, is still in my opinion slightly too big for a standard 1500 radiator. Therefore it does not seal efficiently onto the core, as suggested in the fitting instructions.

All in all, still a worthwhile fitment.

Not wanting to put the cat amongst the pigeons and all but I have a 1500 engine in my MkIV spit. It has a standard radiator as I assume a lot of the club cars do. As far as I'm aware the MkIV and 1500 rads are the same size. The question in my mind is 'why does anyone need an electric fan?'. My car ran very hot when I bought it but a quick coolant change along with a Halfords rad flusher fixed the problem. I've since had a replacement engine (before you ask, not because of any cooling problem). The new engine (in my car anyway) barely gets above half way on the temperature guage (during normal running, obviously when sat in traffic it runs hotter). It's running cooler still once I lowered the number plate by 1/2 inch and more so now I have mounted the bonnet at the correct height thus allowing more air in (the gap between the bumper and bonnet is there for a reason). I took the car out during hottest day of the year last year and no problems at all therefore back to a variation on the original comment 'is an electric fan REALLY needed?'. Discuss

*gets off soapbox*

Cheers!

Further to all of thread which discusses 13" vs 10" fans.

I acquired a Spitfire 1500 recently and decided to fit a Kenlowe fan (not necessarily for reasons of improved cooling, but for the noise / efficiency / reduced engine loading benefits). I ordered the kit from the TSSC shop, and it duly arrived on Friday 30 April.

At that point, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at the message board to see if there is a commonly used place to install the control unit, and a common circuit to wire it into, but instead I came across the debate about fan size.

Checking the box I established that it was the 13" fan which had been delivered, so (to try to cut a long story short) I called the TSSC to ask why that was the case if it was too large and if indeed Kenlowe had now recognised that a 10" fan is correct. I spoke to Nigel (very helpful), who said that although he had not read any of the messages, he had been aware that Kenlowe had looked at this issue, but decided that a 13" fan was the right one after all.

He followed it up with Kenlowe, however, and later that day, a very helpful chap from Kenlowe called me at home to discuss. He said that although they had considered a 10" fan , the effective area of the 10" fan is only 78" sq (less the motor), whilst the 13" in fan area is 134" sq (less the motor). Their conclusion is that although you might lose 20% of efficiency because it is oversize and sits above and below the core, that is better than losing 40% of the fan area by using a 10" fan.

The upshot is that Kenlowe do in fact still recommend a 13" fan, even though it is too large, because it is still about twice as efficient as a 10" fan.

Hope this helps.

Ian

My car runs fine as standard, but I am looking to fit an electric fan at somepoint. Have you ever tried running your car without the fan? You'll find that the engine runs a lot more shoothly and quietly, and fuel economy is meant to improve too.

The fan is really only necessary around town when the car isnt moving. However, on a motorway, the fan is probably turning at 3500 rpm to no real benefit. Electric fans can be controlled to come on only where necessary, and are therefore more efficient. A viscous coupling does pretty much the same thing, but an electric fan improves over that design, so why not make the most of modern technology?

Anyone else got any views?

Phil

If you take a good look at the instructions, they do say that a little fettling may be required to ensure an proper fit.

The following worked for me:

1) File a flat on the bottom of the fan shroud.
2) Using the flat to align the fan on the bottom tank, mark the top overhang.
3) Hacksaw the excess off the top, so the shroud fits neatly and snugly between top and bottom tanks.

It now fits perfectly, with a good seal.

I've only got a 1300, that ran cool anyway (runs a lot hotter now after setting up in line with instructions, but gets 30 seconds of fan when it touches 3/4 and drops back so spot on), but don't see that a 1500 would require massive amounts of extra air.

Following on from the last post re the 13" fan being the right one (according to Kenlowe) I would comment as follows:

If you read the instructions supplied with the series 2000 blower fan, you will note that they are supposed to operate most efficiently when the sealing ring mates with the radiator core.

In the case of the 13" fan the case sits pround on the both the header and bottom tanks, thus not sealing at all with the core. i.e. blown air can escape past both the top and bottom of the rad, as opposed to being blown 'through' the rad core.
Also with the blade whizzing about outwith the radiator I wouldn't like to get my overalls or fingers trapped should the fan decide to come on!

When you consider the area of the cooling area and compare it with the rad 'Quart into a pint pot' springs to mind in relation to the 13" fan!

Personally, I think the 10" fan gives a better fit when using the series 2000 type fan. If you've got the old type (i.e. with metal mounting bars ) probably better with the 13"

As ever its a case of personal taste!

Section : Cooling

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Followups :

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower

Kenlowe Electric Fan Kit Series 2000 Blower