My experience with the Texas Kooler:
I installed it in my BJ8 in November, 2000 and since then have 33,000 miles on
it with no problems at all. I'm very happy with it.
When I installed it, I made sure that it had clearance with the radiator by
turning it by hand before trying to start the engine. Fortunate that I did
that, because the blades were hitting the header tank. My recollection (dim,
now) is that there was a spacer on the water pump flange for the previous fan
and after removing it I had plenty of clearance. I may or may not have
re-adjusted the radiator forward for clearance as well.
I had a series of stainless and non-stainless multiblade fans on my car after
the Moss Chinese 6-blade fan threw a blade due to fatigue and took out my
original radiator (2-inch hole in the header tank, fan guard also with 2-inch
gash and knocked loosed from the tank. My homemade fan shroud attached to the
radiator and fan guard prevented any damage to the bonnet). Moss replaced the
radiator and sent me a stainless 6-blade fan that had a lot of high-frequency
noise (whine) associated with it, so I got rid of it and replaced it with the
Kooler. I do not notice any noise from the Kooler.
As it sits right now, the Kooler blade arc overlaps the lower edge of the
header tank by about 1/2", and I have 1/2" minimum clearance between the
blades and the tank.
In response to the question about how to find cracks in metal blades: the
best technique would be fluorescent penetrant, which would require removing
the fan, and then removing the paint. Cracks are most likely to appear where
blade cross section is smallest, especially at changes in cross section, and
particularly where the change is sharp. My Chinese fan manifested potential
cracks by chipped paint exactly at the site where the cracks were developing.
It should be possible to see any crack by eye before it becomes critical and
the blade comes off, but the question would be: how frequently to inspect it?
I got only 2500 miles out of the Chinese fan before it threw the blade.
Happy Healeying!
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
Havelock, NC USA
----- Original Message -----
From: Al Adams
To: Healeys
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2005 11:13 PM
Subject: Re: running Hot
Don,
I've had great success with Texas Cooler fans on both Healeys I've owned.
I've never heard of them failing due to fatigue. What period of time do you
suspect they start to fatigue? Does anyone else support this theory?
I tried the 6 blade SS fan after Moss recalled their 6 blade fan and found
the noise it made obtrusive before switching to the Texas Cooler. I've been
running cool in the High Desert of California ever since.
Al Adams
BJ7
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don" <don@anglesey.us>
To: "'Leonard Berkowitz'" <drberkowitz@hotmail.com>
Cc: "Healeys" <healeys@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 9:58 PM
Subject: RE: running Hot
> Leonard,
> After trashing my Texas cooler because they fatigue with age I found
> that BCS (the Nocks) sold a 6 blade 90 degree SS fan. I have it
> installed on my car and it will cool as good as the Texas cooler if not
> better and it doesn't flex forward so it will never take out your
> radiator unless the pulley flies off.
> Don
> BN4
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