79VetteMike

Just curious. Why does everyone use the dual Spal fans? I plan to install an aluminum radiator into my '79 with dual Flexlite fans. Any thoughts? Also, what part number do you all use? Thanks

Smokehouse69

Because they are very high quality fans and move much more air than other fans. Spal rates the CFM movement of their fans bolted to a radiator, other manufacturers rate theirs in free air.
Dual 11 inch spals will adequately cool up to a 500 hp engine without any trouble. They are also very :cool: looking mounted in your engine bay!

79VetteMike

The one I saw on their website costs $300. Is that the right one? Is the shroud made of aluminum?

Smokehouse69

Go to Tom DeWitt's website, http://www.dewitts.com/pages/product...asp?ProdID=251
This is the set I have
I bought the fans and the hookup wiring and sensors from Tom, he is a forum supporting vendor and might give you a break on the price.
The fans by themselves are at http://www.dewitts.com/pages/product...asp?ProdID=211 they are $270.00
The fans do not need a shroud as the shroud is built into the frame of the fans. They have rubber flaps that allow air to flow freely through them when the car is moving at highway speeds. At 70 degrees F, the fans never come on when I'm crusing at highway speeds.

greg454

No the shroud is not aluminum, it is some sort of ABS plastic. $300 sounds a little high unless that includes wiring or mounts.

The Dude

I don't know about DeWitt's, but when I looked into SPALs from another vendor the harness was substantially extra $$. And it looked as if you could rewire the whole engine bay with it. Oh, BTW, you need TWO harnesses if you have dual fans. Oh, and a pair of relays, too.

This did not appear to me to be a DIY project.

In fairness they're really very nice pieces of equipment, though. I was just put off by all the mandatory add-ons you had to buy in addition to the $300 SPAL "fan kit."

I went with the 16", 2950 CFM Perma-Cool thing myself: http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page16.html

If you have a street car this setup might not be the best idea for you. But it works great for my application. Good luck whichever way you go.


[Modified by The Dude, 11:08 PM 2/5/2003]

OkeeGuy

"everyone" dosnt...
i run a Derale model #16516 and love it...
got it at Sumitt with a painless wiring harness shipped to my door for around $180 total...
i DO however NOT RECOMEND using those funky "push-thru" type mounts with ANY brand...
they will saw a hole thru your radiator in just a couple of hundred miles...i made a really nice bracket for mine very easily...
whatever fan you buy, if you need some advise on making a nice bracket just ask me here...i will help you...

heres the link...
http://www.derale.com/electricfans.shtml

Brettmc

Another happy Spal owner here.....I have a big block and the engine fan and stock shroud (that previous owner, Bubba, boogered up) were not up to the task of keeping my 468 cool. When I have the opportunity to do a mod on my car, I want to use the best stuff and do the job right. Spals are the best and the mounting bracket bolted right up to my copper rad with no probs at all. I didn't have to saw, dremel, pound, shake, stand on, fabricate, or cuss at all during installation. Also, the wiring with the fans is very very easy to hook up. They make it that way as the insulation the full length of the wires is stamped where it's supposed to go. Well worth the money I paid for it. I learned a looooong time ago that you get only what you pay for.

Also, I read a recent post where someone had a small electrical fire caused by electric fan wiring. Ahh, here it is:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zero...225156#5225156
Still want those "other" fans?????

Brett :thumbs:


[Modified by Brettmc, 7:35 AM 2/6/2003]

xrated

Ive just ordered Dual 11" Spal kit from Tom Dewitt. Waiting for the shipping info atm.

0Tom@Dewitt

Mike,

There are several different size Spal fans available, from 5" to 16" single fans and the most common is the dual 11" package. As stated above, the fans only are$270 on our website. The kit (SP460) includes the dual fans, plus the wiring kits (both of them) and the custom "direct fit" aluminum mounting brackets. All for $395. You need to purchase NOTHING else. The wiring kits have two relays, two pig tails, two fuse blocks and fuses, and one temp switch. It even has the ground screws and a wiring diagram.

I don't think EVERYONE uses Spal but they are simply superior in design than any other (cheaper) brand. Spal is the main supplier to Ferrari, Lamborghini, and maserati. They build the most rugged motors, which are optimized for brush life. Most manufacturers make a fan bi-directional and you simply wire it backwards for push or pull. Spal designs a special fan for each direction. The fan blade material is not sensitive to heat and will not flex, or change air flow under extremely hot conditions. Simply put, they are the best, maybe not the cheapest.

Tominator

Do you need a bigger alternator than stock?

0Tom@Dewitt

Common question! Some people tell me they work fine with the stock amperage and some say they had to up grade. The fans are 12.5a each for a total of 25amps. I know guys that added sound systems that pull more than that and they didn't up the alt. I think a 65a or better is enough but if you put it on and it drains the system, you might need an 80amp. I think the most important thing is to draw the power from the starter (direct battery) rather than taping off the alt. and possibly drawing it down. td

The_Dude

The previous owner installed Flexlites in my '80. The install looks clean and they've been doing a great job for me. :cheers: