Thermostat on oil cooler fan?

[alping45]

I see alot of people are adding fans to their oil coolers, but has anyone tried using a thermostat with one? I got a SPL 4" fan on the way and saw they have a wire harness with a temp sensor and relay for it, its only another $30 and I don't think it would be too hard to rig up but don't know if it would be worth it. The temp sensor trips on at 195 and off at 175, or they have one from 185-165. Anyone done it?

[Young_Gun1]

i don't think i've ever seen it done but it always made sense to me to do it that way

[Wheelie]

The fan doesn't draw enough amperage to require a relay, a toggle switch works fine. If the temp relay is the probe style, I think it would be a bad idea due to the impact and vibration a quad sees. It could cause damage to the oil cooler in the long run.

Would it hurt to let it run all the time?

[alping45]

Originally posted by Wheelie
The fan doesn't draw enough amperage to require a relay, a toggle switch works fine. If the temp relay is the probe style, I think it would be a bad idea due to the impact and vibration a quad sees. It could cause damage to the oil cooler in the long run.


The temp sensor is not the probe type, its a 3/8" npt fitting that I was thinking of hooking up by adding a t-fitting between the tank and the line so I woudn't have to cut anything.

[alping45]

Originally posted by SuicideMFNdoors
Would it hurt to let it run all the time?


I'm sure it wouldn't, but I think it would just bug me if it was...:mad:

[Wheelie]

The fan's are noisy, it would get old to hear it running all the time. Warm up time would also be increased with the fan running all the time.

[alping45]

Originally posted by Wheelie
The fan's are noisy, it would get old to hear it running all the time. Warm up time would also be increased with the fan running all the time.


Yeah thats what I'm thinking, didn't even think about warm up time though, thats a good point!

I wish I had a fan after warmup and maybe 30 minutes of riding i would probally turn it on and leave it on the whole rest of the day. Switching to a colder plug helped out and I recomend that to anyone if they have any of the following: advanced timing, higher compression, larger bore. You will lose some low end power and might foul the plugs if you dont have something done that increases heat. 10 degree timing advance makes temperatures 70-100C hotter which is the range for the next colder plug. You dont have to do it but I recomend it. I would like to upgrade my oil cooler and get a fan eventually since I intend on keeping this thing until its a pile of broken parts. Cooler temperatures just open up more opportunity to make the motor faster.

[Wheelie]

E85 does wonders for cylinder head temps.

Originally posted by Wheelie
E85 does wonders for cylinder head temps.

yep, wish it was more available around here. Theres only a couple places in the state right now that offer it. Heck we probally have more hydrogen pumps here.

Originally posted by alping45
Yeah thats what I'm thinking, didn't even think about warm up time though, thats a good point!

never thought of that... I'm bout to install one and will probaly just use a toggle.

[sc400ex_rider]

YA i did it and its sweet. also putting the fan on is one of the best things you can do to the ex. i mean a fan on an air cooled engine who would of thought right. my motor is built to the hilt and was unrideable after 30 mins without race gas. this little fan has cured all the spark knock and just a hint i think it helps most after you been riding for a while and stop to talk/rest cause it runs for like 5 mins untill its really cooled off. i think this is when most of the heat soak accures. its working so good im going to put my high compression head gasket back on. heres the post from last summer.

http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360319&perpage=13&highlight=92MM&pagenumber=5

[brian76708]

Originally posted by sc400ex_rider
YA i did it and its sweet. also putting the fan on is one of the best things you can do to the ex. i mean a fan on an air cooled engine who would of thought right. my motor is built to the hilt and was unrideable after 30 mins without race gas. this little fan has cured all the spark knock and just a hint i think it helps most after you been riding for a while and stop to talk/rest cause it runs for like 5 mins untill its really cooled off. i think this is when most of the heat soak accures. its working so good im going to put my high compression head gasket back on. heres the post from last summer.

http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=360319&perpage=13&highlight=92MM&pagenumber=5

i knew someone had did that i just couldn't find the thread. nice job i got to do something like that soon.

[sc400ex_rider]

ya its made my quad enjoyable and fun to ride again. i took my super thin head gasket off and put the thick stock ex gasket back on trying to get it to stop spark knocking. i polished my combustion chamber to a mirror finish. i tried e85 gas nothing cured it accept race gas. i mean it sucks riding around and not being able to give it more than half throttle or it would sound like a diesel.

[brian76708]

Originally posted by sc400ex_rider
ya its made my quad enjoyable and fun to ride again. i took my super thin head gasket off and put the thick stock ex gasket back on trying to get it to stop spark knocking. i polished my combustion chamber to a mirror finish. i tried e85 gas nothing cured it accept race gas. i mean it sucks riding around and not being able to give it more than half throttle or it would sound like a diesel.

what compression are you running?

[sc400ex_rider]

11.1 wiseco it should be a little lower cause of the ex's + 0.040" deck height. thats why i was running a .010" head gasket to compensate. the ex's head gasket is also thicker than the xr400's. so i took my ex head gasket drilled out the three rivets that hold the three peices together and just used one of the thin ones = .010"

[alping45]

Ok I'm def gonna add a temp switch when I put the fan on. I've seen a few places that have inline thermostats, if I can just find one with the same fittings as the lines on the oil tank this will incredibly be simple!

Heres one on ebay I think will fit but I will have to check when I get home: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Darale-13021-In-Line-Fan-Control-Thermostat-JEGS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116 QQitemZ350168532530QQptZOtherQ5fVehicleQ5fParts

[skillet]

i went over to the local ktm shop, and bought one of there spal fans that they use for the eduro kit. comes with the fan, and temp sensor that turns on the fan. the fan mounts to the radiator, and the fan switch would screw into the radiator. mounted the fan and plumbed the sensor into the oil cooler line. i mounted the the toggle switch on the ground side. turn the switch on, and it completed the ground and when the sesor gets hot enough it turns the fan on. turn switch off kills ground fan turns off.

[alping45]

Originally posted by skillet
i went over to the local ktm shop, and bought one of there spal fans that they use for the eduro kit. comes with the fan, and temp sensor that turns on the fan. the fan mounts to the radiator, and the fan switch would screw into the radiator. mounted the fan and plumbed the sensor into the oil cooler line. i mounted the the toggle switch on the ground side. turn the switch on, and it completed the ground and when the sesor gets hot enough it turns the fan on. turn switch off kills ground fan turns off.

Yeah thats about what I plan on doing. But instead of a toggle, I bought a rocker switch with an led indicator on it so that when the fan comes on it will light up telling me its on.

[alping45]

Well I got everything installed today and it is awesome! It works great, the fan kicks on for a few minutes here and there, the blue LED on the rocker switch lights up when the fan kicks on, its pretty slick! I will get some pics next time its warm enough to wash it down, she got pretty dirty today after the install. Now its time to put in my sparks key!:D

Is everybody trimming there gas tank shield? Will a razor blade trim it just fine?

[Wheelie]

I had to trim the gas tank shield on mine, used a dremel.

[alping45]

I had to take a little off mine, I used my belt sander

A razor blade should take care of it then.. thanks kiddos.. my spal fan is on its way

[spivey643]

how big is the fan ? my brother-inlaw just put a 440 kit and cam on hes he is wanting to put one on hes thanks

they're 4 inches... I just installed mine last weekend.

[smokindw]

how do u hook them up and where can i find one?? Could i use this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-HONDA-TRX450-TRX-450-450R-RADIATOR-COOLING-FAN-SPAL_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1171Q7c66Q3a 4Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c293Q 3a1Q7c294Q3a200QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZit em290309368003QQitemZ290309368003QQptZMotorsQ5fATV Q5fPartsQ5fAccessories

[02silverpile]

The temp switches went from 185-175 or whatev it was. My ? is, I thought the oil in the tank was ranging from 200 - 240? If thats the case, I feel the fan would never turn off. Where are you plumming the oil temp switch? Pics?

[sc400ex_rider]

these fans move a lot of air, it will cool it down, i have my temp sensor mounted to my head and it shuts off after 5 minutes. not only does it cool the oil and cooler it cools the head.

[Young_Gun1]

no that fan will not work becuase it is much to big