Hello Dave,

Actually, I tried a number of different fans including the Triumph
fan clutch system and various flex fans but none of them cooled like
the stock Amphicar fan. The problem with the Amphi fan is that it
gets incredibly noisy at high speed. The best solution that I've
found is the larger water pump pulley (from a later (about 1972)
Triumph Spitfire)and the original Amphicar fan. The larger pulley
slows the fan down enough to greatly quiet it at high speed and it
doesn't seem to affect the cooling at idle.

I haven't heard about the engine "temperature personality" that you
mention but it does explain some differences that I've run into with
different engines.

All the radiator guys that I've talked to say they could build me up
a radiator that would surpass the regular Amphicar radiator for
cooling but I haven't found that expense to be necessary.

Electric fans that I've come across all seem to be noisy anyway and
they're noisey all the time. Yuk.

Larry and Nancy Solheim are in the area and we got together for a
swim today. The weather was pretty but the temperature was only
about 70 degrees at the lake. Ha ha. I'm sure glad I don't live in
Chicago anymore.

John Friese
Santa Barbara, CA

67 White
67 Red




--- In amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com, "David Chapman"
wrote:
>
> I wrote a bit about the fan in a recent club newsletter. I think
there is potential to reduce noise / increase power. An electric
solution probably is the way to go (assume you have done alternator
mod) but remember that you have to overcome the fact you are
decreasing overall efficiency by converting motion to electricity to
motion.
>
> Amphicar engineers spoke to Triumph people a lot about overheating
and did lots of testing to be ready for the Florida launch event in
61/62. I think as a consequence the standard fan (which is much
bigger than the Triumph item) overcools the engine. Also the Triumph
engines each have a "temperature personality" and some will run hot -
or cool - no matter what you do.
>
> There are electric water pumps available (Google triumph spitfire
electric water pump ) and with an electric fan that could work well
but the key is running the car as standard first and measuring from
lots of temperature sensors and then seeing if you can achieve same
level of cooling from a quieter fan. Also remember that engine
coolant temp is just a small part - the fan has to throw air all the
way to the underseat area to cool the transmission oil.
>
> If you use Amsoil you could possibly risk running the transmission
a little hotter - of course in theory you could fit an oil cooler to
the transmission but that is not easy and what do you do with the
radiator for that cooler. It's about this stage I normally decide
it's all too difficult and keep it standard - or do what John F has
done on his 1300, bigger pulley and different fan.
>
> David C
>




        
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