Electrical radiator fan switch position, (otter switch)

[rick]

Hi, Does any body know why lotus put the switch in the hot side. (in the piping just before the rad on an esprit). On all my other cars I have the switch on the cold side so if the rad can’t cool down the water enough the electric fans will start to help.
But on the hot side? Starting the electrical fans before the rad cools down the water? Am I missing something, hope somebody can explain this to me as we are looking for a system in the gt40 replica a friend of my is building and because the little lotus is also a mid engine car we are just thinking what to do.

thanks, ricl

 

[Dimi Terleckyj]

Hi Rick

It is much better to be measuring the water temp straight out of the motor and to switch on the fans earlier rather than later.

It is much harder to drop the temp once it has exceeded a certain level than it is to prevent it getting there in the first place.

If the water is a bit too cold after going through the radiator the thermostat will control that but once it is too hot it is hard to get it back down and your cooling system will be working overtime to cope.

Dimi

 

[rick]

thanks that makes sense to me, the problem I had in my mind is in winter conditions: the very cold air cooling the water to very low temp. and the fans still working hard because of the hot water from the engine strait on top of the temp. switch.

so this is good for the gt as well.... now I am just wondering how many of us have it this way on the gt40's

cheers, rick