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MG TD TF 1500 - FAN Type

Good Day folks,

I have read enough to know that we should be looking at changing our fan to a 5 blade from the 4 blade. I was wondering about any thoughts on this and also what will it do to the "stock" status of the car itsself if we want to keep it as original as possible. Opinion re: originality versus improvement and better for the car.

Your opinion and experience if you wouldn't mind.

Thanks,

Richard
R & A Budd

TF?

My PO just decided to add an electric auxiliary fan to the outside, wired to the spotlights' circuit. It does the job too, even when stuck in traffic in 40+ deg heat.

Painted matte black, it can barely be seen through the grille. There are enough holes in the TF radiator shroud to bolt it to, without needing any new holes so its totally reversible with little effort.
Will

Look at instaling a Fan Blade from a Chevette. Fits easy, looks good, 4 blades and it's PLASTIC. It won't brake and go through the hood or rad which is expensive.
George Merson

I installed a seven bladed plastic fan from an MGB on my TD due to the severe temps we experience in the summertime (90 - 100F). The banana yellow plastic was primed and painted black with flexible bumper paints. One never notices that the old four bladed version has been replaced. The later fan makes a great difference when in traffic and at lower speeds (5 - 10C) but due to the ram air at higher speed, does not make a significant temp reduction.
Jim Merz

Richard, Good Day to you too.

Have a TD MKII, which I race. Recently installed the MGB 'yellow' fan. Ran a race weekend in August, +90 temps and humidity off the scale. The best-worst it did over the entire weekend, AT SPEED - cool down, was 90C, on the water gauge. No damage to the car, can be painted, can be reversed, it is a good thing. (for me) Am a traditionalist in most respects, but I would rather achieve the results with a fan change, than an electic add on thingie.

Safety Fast

Paul
Paul

Hi Richard, the only reason to alter the fan would be overheating in heavy traffic.

At speed the fan does not improve cooling, in fact the car will operate perfectly without a fan if you don't stop.

Increasing the number of fan blades also will increase the fan noise. From 4 to 5 would not make much difference but any more than this could get really noisy. Check out a four wheel drive vehicle to see what I mean.

Anyway you can experiment a bit as long as you don't do something irreversible.

Good luck,

Paul.

Paul van Gool

To Paul in OZ: I haved not noticed any difference in fan noise between the original and MGB. I am sure the later one is far more aerodynamically efficient than the original. By pulling more air at LOW speeds through the radiator, cooling efficiency IS improved by extracting more BTUs from the coolant. The change is completely reveresible should one desire to do so.
Jim Merz

Jim, did you have to add any shims or do anything special to fit the plastic fan? Or is it a direct bolt-in replacement for the original?
Mark B.

As the engine fan is constantly operating, after making the engine fan 'better' - does the engine warmup time also increase?

Will

Mark, the MGB fan has the same hole pattern as the TD. However, the B fan has larger diameter attach bolts so I made some short bushings by cutting pieces (1/4"? long) of aluminum tubing to fit the smaller diameter TD bolts. That was it.
Will, as long as your thermostat is operating properly, the more efficient fan has no effect on the warm up time of the engine. The only noticable difference is lower engine temps while driving slowly, as in traffic, on hot days.
Jim Merz

I thought I read that the plastic fan isn't as noisy especially at high engine speeds. Evidently, the plastic bends and flattens the blade angle. Thus it doesn't take as big a "bite" at high engine speeds.

Blake
Blake J.

Hi there,
it would seem that the popular conversion is a modified MGB fan blade. For those contemplating the switch, go to http://members.aol.com/tfrecord/page5.html on the tfrecord website for a detailed account on the upgrade. He also recommends painting the fan black. From all accounts this appears to be the most unobtrusive and least expensive way to go. There are other interesting articles on this web site
Ken
Ken Bannister

There is a good reason to replace the existing fan with an electric one: the engine runs much smoother without that extra rotating load, and delivers more power. An electric fan - I use a Kenlowe with spoon-shaped blades - comes in only when the engine starts warming up. You can then appreciate how often the original fan is not needed.

Denis
Denis L. Baggi


Unlike you folks who are painting your yellow fans black I have painted my black one yellow.

An unobtrusive spinning fan is lethal - that's why the plastic one from a MG B is made from yellow plastic.

ps am cosidering fitting an electric one in front of the rad - main reason being safety.

Jan T
Jan Targosz

This thread was discussed between 06/11/2002 and 18/11/2002

MG TD TF 1500 index

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