86 Svo

[Keith Knolmayer]

Hey Guys:

I have been reviewing this site for a short period of time now, but have been a avid fan of the SVO's for some 10 years. I finally have the opportunity to purchase an 86 with low mileage.

I would like to drive it home to NC, but the current owner says the cooling fan does not work.

There is a wealth of information out on this site. Can someone please provide with ALL the possible avenues to check in order to get the fan to work so that I can drive home rather than trailer it?

It appears that the electric cooling fans were always an issue on the SVO's.

Many thanks,
Keith

[SVOeric]

there is a TRW fan controller under the dash that controls the fan. that's what normally dies. it's a pretty quick swap. and would probably fix the fan until you can make it home

[venomizd93]

Even if its working unless you have a separate switch on it to turn it on at your finger tips, don't get stuck in traffic on a hot day..

[GAboySVO]

You could always make a temporary fix with a length of 14 ga wire and a spade connector. Hook one end to the fan motor posituve wire and the other with the spade connector you can push down into the coil connector power slot. Its the one closest to the engine. A little trick I learned from Eyelawdoc to get my NorCal car home.

If you don't want to tap into your stock wires, then by a replacement connector from Forced4 and make a similar setup as above. You will need a ground wire and I would add a fuse for safety.

[Keith Knolmayer]

Thanks.

Where can I get this fan controller from? Is the typical culprit when the fan quits working?

This forum is absolutely GREAT and you guys are super!

[chalkys_explorer]

I know Gyrhead has them and I think Forced4 do as well.

[Rob Hughes]

Mine has a switch...but to be honest with you the gauge moves (so I have a good idea it works somewhat)but on the highway at speed I can't remember the last time I even had to put it on. I suppose the moving air cools it off sufficiantly. But I could be wrong......

[svoman2300]

It most likely is the fan controller. However I would suggest hooking the fan directly to the battery to test it. it is possible the motor went out. Mine did.

[Keith Knolmayer]

Rick:

thanks.

I believe I will purchase a Fan Controller from Gyrhead send it to the guy that i am purchasing the car from and have it tell me if this fixes it.

If not, then I will rig a switch to it with a fuse for safety as GAboySVO suggested.

Many thanks to all again.

Keep the information coming.

[Keith Knolmayer]

Eric:

the current owner has replied and said he had swapped with something that i would consider as a 'used' controller. Should I purchase another one and try that, OR, is there something else that you would recommend?

Thanks,
Keith

[Gyrhead]

Thanks for the plug guys. The fan controllers are in stock. Been selling a lot of them lately. I wonder why? Keith I would also make sure your wiring to the controller is not burnt up. It can happen. There are harness replacement/retrofit kits available as well to fix that issue.

PF

[DAVEZ84SVO]

The electric fan is only good for speeds under about 25-30mph.. above that it can't pull the air any faster.. When driving at hwy speeds, you should not even need a fan.. Unless there is something wrong with your cooling system.. The fan will not cool an engine at hwy speeds, it is the moving air that does the rest.. Just fix it when you get home!!

If it is all hwy driving home, then I would not worry so much about it.. My '70 stang has a electric fan with a manual toggle switch.. I just flipped it on when I was sitting in traffic.. Otherwise, the fan was never used.. I mad a 250 mile trip with it in 95* weather & never used it.. Just my $.02..

Dave

[SVOeric]

yea -- the wiring for those fans was a little sub-standard IMHO --

that's why I have aftermarket fan controllers on both my SVO's.
Also - -the stock fans don't kick on until 228 degrees. (or when the AC compressor is on) so some people think the fans aren't working, becuase they don't kick on until about A on the gauge.

[Gyrhead]

I believe the fan circuit is basically an OK design, except for the wiring issues (replacement pigtail kits are available) and that some people complain that the 228 degree set point is too high. I agree it is a bit complicated with a dedicated temp sender to control when the controller turns on, rather than just using the CTS or the gauge sender for that signal, but it is fairly easy to troubleshoot. If you ground the 2 wire connector in the lower intake (E5SZ-8B607-A) it should trip the fan. If not, the problem is likely in the controller or the fan motor. If you ground the single wire D0ZZ-10884-A gauge sender in the block, the gauge should peg, but it has no bearing on the fan controller. I had read that the TS-236 sender replaces the E5SZ sender and it comes on at 15 degrees lower or 213 degrees which is slicker, but my interchange calls the E5SZ sender and the TS-236 to be the same. I personally would dig into the parts bin and find a lower degree sender to replace the E5SZ rather than spend $38 for the MD kit.

[Gyrhead]

(1) It's 222 degrees F (3) The 84 (and maybe some 85 models) have a single-wire fan temp switch mounted in the lower intake manifold and grounding it sends an "activate" signal to the fan controller. The later temp switch has two wires and they need to be shorted together.

I stand corrected. Thanks Mike!