I am in the process of changing the York compressor on my 1974 280C to a Sanden.

I located a great bracket which adapts the Sanden 508 to the MBZ AC bracket. Here it is on eBay. It worked perfectly:

Sanden Compressor Mounting Bracket Converts York Style Compressor to Sanden | eBay

Here is the problem, the York compressor's clutch is flush with the compressor's drive belt pulley. The Sanden compressor clutch sticks out about 5/8" beyond the drive belt pulley

That 5/8" protrusion is just enough to hit the fan blade. I can make the Sanden clutch work if cut a 3/8" x 2" notch out of the tip of my aluminum fan blade. Will notching the fan blade have any material negative consequences?

OR, if you have done this conversion already, does Sanden make a low profile clutch?

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1974 280C MBZ
1995 BMW 840 Ci
1999 996 Cabriolet Porsche
2005 Toyota 4Runner
1974 VW Westfalia camper P27

I would like to hear the answer to this also. I don't think notching the fan is a good solution.

Do away with the clutch fan and go electric. You'll need a temperature control device.

You can get a low profile electric to mount behind the radiator or mount a high flow one in place of the existing auxiliary fan mounted in front of the condenser.

Here's a listing from JEG'S just to give you some ideas.
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/KeywordSearchCmd?storeId=10001&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&Ntk=all&Jnar=0&Ne=1%2B2%2B3%2B13%2B1147708&searchTerm=low+profile+cooling+fan

or
http://www.the-fan-man.com/shop/size-pull-part-0400-p-223.html?osCsid=d38f6896f5ddbe35a5aa91aa2587a1ce

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If there's clearance between the fan and radiator you could mount a spacer on the nose of the water pump and use longer bolts to reattach the clutch and fan--I've actually used bolts with 13mm heads to replace the 10mm little nuisances.

It's tough to beat the stock setup of fan, clutch and auxillary fan. Notching the fan probably wouldn't be fatal--they don't spin more than 2000 rpm or so



Tim Kraakevik
kraakevik@voyager.net

There is very little room between the radiator and fan blade. In fact just barely enough to slide the AC belt itself down to pass over the crank pulley.

What little is there I want to maintain as cushion space between the fan blade and the radiator.

And I am not sure I want to install an electric fan, since I will have to rig up water temperature sensors, relays etc.

By the way, the bracket I bought is really nice. It's much nicer quality than the other one which is welded up from metal pieces and WILL NOT adapt to the M110 engine without reworking.

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1974 280C MBZ
1995 BMW 840 Ci
1999 996 Cabriolet Porsche
2005 Toyota 4Runner
1974 VW Westfalia camper P27

I've put Sanden's on both my M130 250C and my M110 280SE. I found that I had to use a piece of threaded rod to attach the Sanden to the adapter bracket, and using a combination of bolts and washers to provide the spacing to correctly position the compressor. In other words, it's not a drop-in replacement but it works fine with a little tweaking.

Perhaps there's a thinner aftermarket fan that would mate to the fan clutch--or perhaps one from another Mercedes model.

Notching an old aluminum fan would be something I'd try--some of my fans were missing chunks from various mishaps and ran for years without any problems.

I also used an old rear dome-light switch to manually control the auxillary fan--the switch just fits in the "Fasten Seat Belt" slot in the center console


Tim Kraakevik
kraakevik@voyager.net

I have seen the bracket most people use. On an M110 motor you do have to use washers etc because the MBZ compressor bracket bolted to the M110 head interferes with the "universal" York adapter bracket. The bracket I used is a perfect fit and does not interfere with anything.

The problem is the Sanden compressor clutch interferes with the fan blade. The Sanden clutch is longer than the York clutch and sticks out in front of the pulley further, so it hits the fan blade. You would have to add 3" of washers / bolts to hold the compressor clutch out of the way of the fan blade. Then you would probably be hitting the battery, and I don't like the idea of 3" of washers and bolts.

A lower profile fan blade would probably work, but at this point, in the absence of knowing of one, I think that making the tip of the fan blades "low profile" may be the simplest solution.

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1974 280C MBZ
1995 BMW 840 Ci
1999 996 Cabriolet Porsche
2005 Toyota 4Runner
1974 VW Westfalia camper P27

You'll obviously have a slightly smaller airflow due to the less efficient blades, but I don't think that's significant. What is significant however is the balance. The end of the blades sweep a pretty large radius at a significant speed. If you can take the exact same amount out of each blade I think you'll be fine... but that could be really tricky. Think of the amount of vibration a small out of balance condition on a driveshaft can have and then scale that effect up to a radial distance of the fan.

I just don't know how you would check the balance after the surgery.

So on that basis I say don't risk it.

Probably not worth it, but you might be able to relocate the batter to the trunk, a la the later 107s

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I knew there was probably something I probably wasn't thinking of, balance of the fan!

Well, maybe a low profile electric fan is in my future, but that becomes complicated, but easier than a battery relocation.

I could notch the fan and see how the balancing turns out too.

__________________

1974 280C MBZ
1995 BMW 840 Ci
1999 996 Cabriolet Porsche
2005 Toyota 4Runner
1974 VW Westfalia camper P27

cefalu:

In 1992 I did that installation with a self made compressor bracket.
I notched the blades in a lathe, with the final cut made by a die grinder mounted on the tool post.
Still running today, no vibration.

One reason notched or imbalanced blades may not be perceptible could be that the viscous coupling senses excessive vibration as it does high rpm and allows the fan to "windmill" once the thermal or rotational threshold is met--I've never replaced a fan clutch or aluminum fan in six M110 114 sedans or coupes in nearly forty years



Tim Kraakevik
kraakevik@voyager.net

We seem to have a pretty steady supply of mid 70's mercedes in our local pick n pull junkyards. I will take a visit and see what kind of fan blades I find. Maybe a lower profile one will show up, or worst case buy one I can do surgery on.

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1974 280C MBZ
1995 BMW 840 Ci
1999 996 Cabriolet Porsche
2005 Toyota 4Runner
1974 VW Westfalia camper P27

The bracket is the same as on my 280 se. There should be enough space to move the compressor back with some washers. Between the bracket and compressor.

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Britton McIntyre

68 280 SE coupe 'Hairball'
70 280 SL
71 280 SEL - RIP May 2010

I'm not sure what you mean by "back". To me back means to the back of the car, and if you moved it back the compressor pulley would be misaligned.

And if you moved it laterally, in other words away from the drivers side, you would need 1-1/2" of washers to clear the fan blades.

Do you have a pic you could post ?

__________________

1974 280C MBZ
1995 BMW 840 Ci
1999 996 Cabriolet Porsche
2005 Toyota 4Runner
1974 VW Westfalia camper P27