Spal Fan Installation

Excessive heat under the hood of lowriders has always been an issue. Blame all of that chrome plating. Part of the problem is that engine heat is caught in the walls of the chrome finish and the antifreeze is trapped and can't do its job in keeping things cool. There are several ways that lowriders combat this cooling problem; usually by trying to find the right antifreeze mix or adding a high-flow water pump. These are a few inexpensive ways to cool off your engine.

When you have so much chrome under your hood you're always looking for a way to keep your engine cool. This means spending money, but with so much money tied into the project already what's a few more dollars? One of the ways that you can do this is by adding an aluminum radiator and or an electric fan to your ride. When you add a bigger radiator you can get more liquid volume into your engine, thus cooling it dramatically. If you add a bigger radiator, you're going to want to make sure that it is being cooled off properly. This cooling can be accomplished by adding electric fans to the existing setup. If you're like most of us and want a clean look, you'll want to make them the primary cooling fans on your vehicle.

If you want to add an electric fan setup you need to figure out what electric fan will work for you. Most of the time that will depend on the size of your radiator. Some radiators are only big enough or wide enough for single fan setups, while others can accommodate dual fan setups; it just becomes a preference issue. When wanting to add an electric fan you'll need to know if you want a "pull" or "push" style; ie, if you want your fan on the front of the radiator or inside of the engine. This is a big issue if you want to add electric fans to your vehicle as a cosmetic upgrade and you want people to see them. If that's the case, you might want to put them on the engine side of the radiator. If you want a push fan you need to make sure that you have the room for it.

This classic '58 Chevy Impala already had an aluminum radiator so we eliminated the metal fan and fan shroud and added a Spal electric fan setup. The Primedia Tech Center sponsored by Craftsman is where master installer Jason took on the task of installing this electric fan. Follow along and learn how to keep your chromed-out lowrider running cool and looking cool.

Jason had to cut and flare out the same line so that it would connect back to the AN fitting on the radiator.	After making a fan bracket that consisted of four studs attached to 1/2-inch 1/8-flat stock, the fan was bolted on to size the rods onto the radiator.	The fan was carefully put into place.
The custom brackets were marked with an ordinary Sharpie.	The brackets were cut to size with a Craftsman die cutter.	Once the brackets were sized to fit, they were pre-drilled to rivet them onto the radiator
Jason used aluminum rivets on the brackets that were set in place. These brackets were bolted on the inside of the radiator for a cleaner stealth look.	The brackets were on and ready for the fan to be bolted on.	Using an air ratchet with locking nuts and washers, the fan was bolted on so that it wouldn't come loose.
The pre-wired relay provided by Spal was hidden under the battery tray. This way, it would be easier to hide wires that need to run to the sensor and the ignition switch.	The wires were run carefully through the engine compartment and were cut to the size required. The last step was to add a terminal or crimp it on.	The temperature sensor will automatically set off the relay so that the fan turns on at 180 degrees. This will help maintain a more desirable temperature for your ride.
This Spal fan was ready to cool down the car, especially with all of that chrome.