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Old 04-06-2008, 12:23 AM   #9 (permalink)
bennelson
EV test pilot
 
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Oconomowoc, WI, USA
Posts: 4,435

Electric Cycle - '81 Kawasaki KZ440
90 day: 334.6 mpg (US)

S10 - '95 Chevy S10
90 day: 30.48 mpg (US)

Electro-Metro - '96 Ben Nelson's "Electro-Metro"
90 day: 129.81 mpg (US)

The Wife's Car - Plug-in Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
90 day: 78.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 17
Thanked 663 Times in 388 Posts
Hey everyone,

I finally got to working on ecomodding the S10.

There is a big cover over the fan. I removed that and got a look underneith.

This truck has kinda a big funnel to make all the air going through the radiator get sucked through past the fan.

I removed the mechanical fan. After starting the truck up, the first thing I heard was the noise of something falling off, immediately followed by the serpentine belt.

Turns out the nuts that hold the fan on also hold on the pulley the belt runs around.

I put the pulley back on with the nuts and a couple of washers to space them out (threads didn't run all the way down)

I did a zero carbon run over to the auto parts store and picked up a new serpentine belt. The old one wasn't broken, but looked like it must have been the original belt on the truck.

Figured if I have everything apart under the hood, I should at least replace that belt.

I pulled the electric fan off the Metro's radiator.
I put it in the S1o right against the radiator and zip-tied the top of it, then drilled a hole through a plastic part on the bottom of the fan frame and put a long screw through it to hold it on the bottom.

Now I need to figure out how to wire up the fan. It has two wires on it. I noticed that reversing the power leads reverses the fan direction.

I will need to make sure I get the suck/blow thing right on this. Radiator fans suck, right? Air goes through the radiator from the wind and driving fast. Fan should also suck so air is going IN through the radiator. Do I have that right? Just don't want to screw up and fry my engine!

What's the best way to power the fan? The truck has very few accessories - no airconditioning.

Should I run a wire through the firewall to a high amp DC switch I can install in the dashboard? Otherwise, I could put a relay in and use a lower power switch. Would be the first time I have done anything with relays, but I think I can figure it out.

Any other way to wire this up? Thoughts?


Mechanical Fan removed - still old belt


Geo Metro Radiator and Fan


Geo Metro fan installed with zip-ties and a screw.
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Last edited by bennelson; 04-06-2008 at 12:47 AM..
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