Quote:
Originally Posted by dlssmith
I put a new vacuum pump on the 87 the other day and then drove it around without putting the metal fan or viscous clutch on. It is cool here - mid 60s - and the engine temp didn't get much above 80. But I realized that the absence of the fan meant she was a lot quieter than usual. My question is, why is there an electric fan and a normal engine fan with a clutch? Why not just electric fan or fans like later cars? My electric fan is big, seems like it moves a lot of air. And it seems like it should be sufficient even in the heat of a Las Vegas summer as my 211 gasser stays cool all the time.
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Because there wasn't enough room between the engine and radiator to fit an effective electric puller fan with the technology available at the time. The PWM controlled electric fan from the W211 won't fit in the om603 engine bay. The pusher fan in front of the condenser is again too weak to be of much use. The only E fan I've found that is both thin enough and powerful enough for the om603 came from a first gen Prius. The dual puller fans are much quieter than the viscous fan and move a lot more air, especially at idle.