I have an 84Z28 that came without electric fan(s). I went to ac mechanic yesterday for a top-up and he said that to increase the efficiency of the ac system that I should install an electric fan in front of the radiator that is linked to come on when the compressor kicks in. My car has the new gas (134) and he says that the gas is more dense that R-12. Would I get more performance from my ac system if I installed one or two? Also thinking that if I did do this then I may put a manual over-ride switch to use for cooling if necessary. Help please?

 

If your going to go spend the cash, go find a fan setup from an fbody and swap it in- and in the same time, get rid of the belt driven fan.... will free up about 8hp, and int he same time, increase the amount of cooling.

However, If you want to with a new setup with a built in tempo switch, check out jegs and summit, they have some nice fan setups with temp sensors built into them so you do not need to worry about setting up a tempo switch or having the fans on all the time. this would be the best way to go in my opinion! If you look around, you can find the right fan for a decent price.

 

I am in Australia and the prices for these special fans would be pretty expensive. Are the ones from EBAY worth the trouble or have they outlived their use by date? I have no trouble with keeping the temperature of the engine down, its only that the mechanic says that it would help on the cooling side with the air conditioner. May still yet go with the electrics and get rid of the manual one. thanks for the input. Would you recommend 1 or two.

 

ahhh my bad! lol... didn't notice you were from down under!

i would say just get one that fits the best for the price... take some dimensions down of the core size, and see whats availiable to you. twin fans are nice, but not at all necesary... i have a 430hp motor on a stock cooling system, single electric fan... no cooling problems in 105* heat at all.

black magic fans i know are good setups... though i think they are a bit on the pricey side...

 

Does that sound reasonable? That the extra fan in front of the radiator would help give me better efficiency for the ac.? I really dont need it for the cooling capacity of the engine only for the air conditioner. Thanks.

 

well think of this...


sitting in traffic, you're car is near idle... its not pulling much air in with that mechanical fan.

you're sitting there, and the AC isnt as cold because theres not alot of air moving across it....


once you start moving, it wont make a diff since theres air going across it now..... but if you get stuck in traffic alot, your AC wont be as cool as it could be...





and btw, speaking of the world down under..... a friend of mine mailed me some vegimite (not sure on the spelling)

it tastes like crap! how do you guys eat that stuff!? :lala:

 

A lot (hell of a lot of Aussies) love Vegimite. It is probably like peanut butter to an Aussie. Only one thing is wrong with that, I am an American. I have been here for 19 years and was born in South Carolina. I have a 84Z28 and belong to the Chevrolet Car Club of Victoria. I love driving a Yank car around. I understand what youre saying about the moving air. I could use that extra bit of cooling for ac sake. Covering up that tee top with a shade also helps. Thanks for the comment Mate lol.

 

lol, well if you ever come back to SC, people get a "kick" out of the punching kangaroo pens, but please, leave the Vegimite there..

btw, if you manage to find a electric fan setup(or even a dual fan), you're going to need a thermal turn on switch and relay(s), but its no big deal.

if you can scrounge one up from the junkyard, it could save ya some change... just take a measuing tape and get the size of your radiator, then go down there and find one with a shroud thats about the same size.... thankfully, GM keeps the inlet and outlet in the same place 90% of the time, so it shouldnt be too much trouble to find one that fits...

then your engine and you will stay cool in traffic

plus a elec fan saves horsepower compared to a mechanical one.

 

I had an electric fan on a pick-up that I had here and I know what you mean about them doing a good job. The pick-up had had a front end bingle and when I put it back on the road the manual fan was a little close to the radiator. I put the electric fan on to save space and it worked great. What would you think if I would install a smaller type one in front of the radiator without a shroud only to use for the ac? I will also think of having the proper one for the Camaros over time and having it shipped over here. I am sure that one of the local types would serve the purpose on a complete replacement.

 

Catch this, I only realized that you are from S.C. I was born in Kershaw and then moved to Columbia and truly loved it. All my relatives are there and I visit every several years. Thank yall for the response.

 

i think it would be more efficent to put one big one with a shroud on the other side, pulling the air thru.

the fans are more efficent as pullers then pushers...

but yea, that could work.... i just dont see it as the "best" solution, unless you get the smaller fan really cheap and cant get a bigger one..