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My Electric Fan Swap

61K views 114 replies 26 participants last post by  predatorbass 
#1 ·
The electric fan died on my Jeep a couple of weeks ago.. I plan to replace it with a Ford Contour fan that came out of a 1996 model. Once ordered, it came to my attention that these fans new or used rarely come with any wiring.

So here goes... Here is the old fan that came with my Jeep. Might be a Taurus. I do not know.


Here is my new (used) Contour fan minus the wiring.
Note the factory plug that came with it, Hackfab says these are pricey!
Look at all that room!
Here is a test fit, looks good. I do not even know if the radiator came out of a CJ or something else.

I will keep you guys posted on the progress.
 
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#2 ·
I contacted the salvage yard who sent me the fan, and explained to them that I also needed to wiring for the fan(s) . I had mentioned that to them when I initially placed the order.

They seemed helpful and said they would try to find me a harness for the two blower motors.
 
#5 ·
are you keeping them 2 speed? also cut the little tabs off all the way around and itll "snap" into the radiator lip fits like a glove on mine
 
#6 ·
Your best off finding a used harness as it will have both connectors for the fans as well as the resistor. It keeps you from having to connect and solder a bunch of 10 gauge wires too. I'll see if I can find the connector part numbers and get the prices tomorrow.
 
#8 ·
it will help cool the radiator after the jeep is off but the thing is it wont circulate the antifreeze so it wont do alot of good. It will help cool the surface temps down but its also drawing on the batt when the engine isnt running. I have mine to where low speed kicks on only when key on, high speed kicks if it needs to. I have two switches in the cab one that kills low speed when in water crossings and one that will force high speed on (without t-stat calling for it). I have a dummy override in the system that will allow high to kick on when key onregardless of if low speed is shut down (I can be forgetfull). I didnt use a controller I just wired it all off the facotory wiring plus the switching.
 
#12 ·
I think I have the extra wiring harness laying around if you need it pm me i could possibly wrangle it up for you
 
#15 ·
You won't need the resistor if you wire the two fans together and use a Variable Speed Controller to run the fans.

These are the pigtails: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?carcode=1354384&parttype=2556 You may be able to acquire them from an alternative source. But based on those prices, it'll run ya around $40 for two shipped.

The plastic housings for the plugs are available from Ford, but they do not include the crimp on terminals for the wire. The part is a Delphi (AC Delco) item, but they aren't your traditional spade connectors. I searched (internet) in vain for a source and could not locate one.
 
#72 ·
My fan came with the wiring, but I have a question. I was looking at the wires that connect to the fans themselves and when I pulled the loom out from around them the two wires look to just be braided copper. Why would these not have insulation on them? Shouldn't one of the wires be + and one -? How can they not short out?
 
#16 ·
your package is in the mail if you need any help wiring it let me know I have a whopping 30 bucks into my setup (relays,wiring two switches and two surface temp switches) and it works great
 
#26 ·
I just a got countour fan set up free today, only problem is the wiring was cut off 3 inches coming out of it, what would be the simplest, easiest way to wire it, i would prefer to have it automatic but have a shutoff switch in case i ever did do a water crossing?
 
#27 ·
see above read the post above I think it was #21 its got a diagram its how i wired mine and they work great. low speed can be shut off high spped can be turned on, they both run low/ high off t-stats and high speed has an override to prevent accidental overheating
 
#30 ·
there are 3 relays you use 2 for the basic functions and the t-stat grounds the relay making contact then the em1 relay will kick high speed if I forget to flip the switch back on that kit might work if you dont know how to read the diagram above I would probaby shy away from doing that myself if I were you. Im by no means trying to put you down but If you but that kit it will have a wiring diagram that you have to follow just the same
 
#31 ·
Didn't think you were putting me down so no worry, appreciate the honesty actually, took it as you were looking out for me :) My plans are to find a kit that would work for me and i have a friend who can help me/is teaching me to do these things,. Which is awesome and am grateful for it. I did come across this kit at jegs, which i have two stores within 15 minutes of me, it is made for dual fans. http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/10570/10002/-1?parentProductId= Another reason for trying to find a kit is to make it as easy on my buddy to help me do it. He's done a ton for me and i try not to complicate things any more than need be.
 
#33 ·
sounds bad but before I had a 12" flexalite fan with no shroud and I never overheated but I have a 4 core radiator so that probably helped

now as far as buying a kit honestly have your friends look at that diagram I posted if they get itrun with it. Its super easy and MUCH cheaper then the jegs one ohh yeah more functions too just my .02.
 
#34 ·
I have a coule of questions on the swap. I purchased a 98 contour fan assembly out of a ZTEC engine and I have the same looking fan assembly but I only have 2 pin terminals on the blower motors. One is a ground and one is power. I have a resistor as well but wasnt planning on using it (what was it for to begin with??) I believe what I have is a single speed fan, which when hot wired on the floor provides 10x the amount of airflow as my current electric fan.

How many terminals do you have on your fans? looking at the great schematic that was posted it showed 3 wires per motor, low, high, and ground.

Just curious how you hooked it up.
 
#37 ·
If you have all the wiring going to the resistor and the fans, then you should have two main wires. A green with white and green with blue. If you give power to the green with white you will get dual low speed fans. If you supply power to the green with blue, you get dual high speed fans. Notice they are protected by a 60A fuse and need a minimum of 10 gauge wire.



If you are missing the wiring to the resistor then you likely have a green with yellow and a green with orange at the fans. Treat them as simple motors at that point, power and grounds, use relays. This is a good way to do it with the popular flex-a-lite controller. This would be for dual high speed fans.


And if you would like to have it wired with a three way switch for the option of on/off/auto, you would wire it like this.
 
#35 ·
Rdsk8ter - Why would you wire the EM relay in there? Looks like it would have been the same deal if you would have just left the manual off switch to run just the low fan. With that EM relay, you are bypassing the manual switch, yes, BUT it will still come on under the same conditions as the normal operation of the Hi fan. This kind of negates the whole idea of the switch on the normal Hi fan operation.

It would be interesting to find a couple temp switches, one to turn on the low fan maybe 175*, then the Hi would come on at 195* or something. This way the fan would be off until needed, like modern vehicles are set up.
 
#36 ·
Rdsk8ter - Why would you wire the EM relay in there? Looks like it would have been the same deal if you would have just left the manual off switch to run just the low fan. With that EM relay, you are bypassing the manual switch, yes, BUT it will still come on under the same conditions as the normal operation of the Hi fan. This kind of negates the whole idea of the switch on the normal Hi fan operation.

It would be interesting to find a couple temp switches, one to turn on the low fan maybe 175*, then the Hi would come on at 195* or something. This way the fan would be off until needed, like modern vehicles are set up.
the other relay is actually switched lol I figured that out and ran a switch into the cab for manual high speed on
 
#42 ·
Ned, my CJ doesn't have any shroud, only the 4 blade solid hub fan on my 258. It hasn't overheated at all, and I drove it in a couple 90* days we had up here last Summer.. I think it is still the original radiator, too. I looked in the bottom hose fitting when I had to resolder it (leaked) and the bottom of all of the tubes were really crusty and partially blocked... A new stock replacement is in the list of things for this summer...
 
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