Taurus Electric Fan Install on a Fox COMPLETED

[oatburner99]

Ok so after reading a RETARDED amount of threads all over the interwebs, I figured I'd tackle this mod.

Installation of a Early 90's model 2 speed Taurus electric fan on my 90 Notchback.

Parts:
Taurus Fan:

Hayden Fan Controller:

75 Amp Relay :

40 Amp female fuse:

Radiator zip ties:

10ft of 8 gauge wire
10ft of 12 gauge wire
Butt splices
Ring Terminals
Zip Ties
Electrical tape

Ok so I picked up my taurus fan for 28 bucks at our local wrench a part. The weekend before I picked up my 3g alternator for 28 bucks also.
Anyway, Here is my horrible wiring diagram, with my chicken scratch writing. Before I did anything, I wrote this down.

Had a few spots where I just couldn't figure out. The write ups that are on the net vary so much, that you don't know who is right/wrong blah blah blah. So after a call and
long chat with a professional who doesn't do this for a living, finally got things ironed out. So first I did the wiring for the fan itself.

Installed my 40 amp fuse:

Installed my 75 amp Relay:

Grounded the relay:

Now that that's all installed, time to rip out the old stuff. Pulled out the mechanical fan/clutch/shroud and overflow bottle. Reinstalled the 4 water pump bolts back
into the pulley.
Like every other write up, most talked about using weather stripping. I went the same route. 3/8 x 1/2 roll of weather stripping. I'm going to redo
mine. I think that I can do something better. But this will get me by for right now. The bottom of the fan fit's nicely into the bottom (factory) shroud
clips. But leaves you scratching your head for securing the top. Some write up's had you flip the fan upside down, and trim this piece off and
grind here. I didn't want to do that. So I mounted it the way it was stock. Went to the parts store and got some radiator pull through zip ties for the top
install. Talk about a pain in the ass. I would strongly recommend that you pull your radiator support arms (that hold the radiator in place) off so you can
lean the radiator and fan assembly forward so you can tighten up the retainers. So I installed the fan:

The picture above also show's where I mounted my controller. Figured I'd keep it there, that way I could adjust it if need be. Didn't really
have any other place to put it. All in all it worked out pretty good.

Fan installed:

For the overflow bottle, I still need to work on that. But for the time being I have two of the radiator pull through ties holding it on to the radiator. Hopefully
I'll make something out of sheet metal that will support it on the bottom.

The controller install was pretty self explanatory, I chose to only use the high speed side on the taurus fan. Flow's just fine and keep's my car @ 190 degree's with the
a/c on max and it's 105 outside. Pay attention to color wire's and look really hard at the factory wiring and where you going to tap into. I ended up wiring the fan the wrong
way and it was blowing air into the radiator instead of pulling. I missed the iddy biddy red strip on the wire. I tried to shrink wrap all my connections, some of them I just didn't
have the right size, so I made due with what I had. One note, as far as how to wire up the controller's 12v constant hot, and 12v "KEY ON" I didn't want my fan to run after I have
shut the car off. Things happen and mechanical/electrical parts can crap out. So I wired my controller's 12v constant hot and 12v "KEY ON" hot together to a 12v "KEY ON" source.
Which ended up being the PURGE SOLENOID connector. Both wire's are black so your going to have to figure out which wire is hot and which is ground.

Picture of purge solenoid (borrowed from another forum) which is located on the passenger side below the airbox, and inboard of the frame rail. you can't miss it.

The rest is a piece of cake. hope this helps, like I said there are SOOOOOO many write up's out there, and it can get kinda overwhelming on which one to do.
Any questions/suggestions lemme know. This is a rough install. I want to dress the wiring up better, seal the shroud on the radiator better....so by no means is
this completely done, but then again when is our mustang projects EVER done! ;D

 

[mob]

cool, clean work, good writeup.

 

[4rdnut]

I have learned through experience that you have to solder every wire terminal connection. You can't rely on crimping the terminal with that heavy plastic yellow collar around the terminal wire end, you have to remove the plastic, crimp, then solder every wire connection, then wrap with rubber self bonding tape, crimped only connections with high amp surge electric fans won't last very long, they will arc and blow fuses and trip relays. I would also remove the white plastic on the hayden controller wires and solder those terminals. It will pay off in the long run.

 

[oatburner99]

I have learned through experience that you have to solder every wire terminal connection. You can't rely on crimping the terminal with that heavy plastic yellow collar around the terminal wire end, you have to remove the plastic, crimp, then solder every wire connection, then wrap with rubber self bonding tape, crimped only connections with high amp surge electric fans won't last very long, they will arc and blow fuses and trip relays. I would also remove the white plastic on the hayden controller wires and solder those terminals. It will pay off in the long run.

Totally agree with you. Unfortunately I wish I had the time to do that for this install. Plan is to do that. Just was under the gun. As far as the white plastic on the controller? What are you referring to ? Inside the actual controller itself? Thanks for your input!

 

[4rdnut]

no, the wires that come out of the hayden controller have the factory crimped terminals with the clear plastic over them. I don't ever trust any factory crimped connection, so i would solder those also. It takes time to solder every connection but totally worth it. I have had at least 5 cars which i have installed electric fans in and thats how i learned you have solder every connection. These taurus fans have a high amp surge when they kick on. I would get a flexalite vsc (variable speed controller) they turn the fan on slowly at 60 percent power an gradually up to 100 percent power so you don't have that high amp surge. good luck.

 

[Stever89]

Good write up, good pics. Thanks for the info, it's always interesting to see how others tackle this job. Like you, I soaked up everything I could read and went for it, same controller, same relay. I don't have AC so I took that green wire and ran it to 12V through a switch inside so I could use it as an override.

My setup quit working. Maybe it was because I didn't solder any connections but I replaced my controller with the Hayden two-speed setup, and this time I didn't use the extra relay. So far so good, I have two speeds and I also ran a green LED next to the water temp gauge. That way I can tell when the fan is on.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

You can even dab some solder on the end of those yellow but connectors if you don't want to solder the wires directly together. After a few months of excessive heat and cool downs (expansion), those connectors will be the weakest point (brittle). I'd dab some solder on the connectors itself, would be ashame after all that a 2 cent connector would leave you on the side of the road overheating.

Good work though, it's a clean install (love the diagram). I kept all the wiring off my 94GT (had the fan on a high speed push button switch) and I'm going to move it over to the 92GT and pick up one of these Taurus fans you got eventually.

Did this make a noticeable cooling difference at all? Might have missed your overheating or running hot thread.



Unrelated. If your working on your car today, can you take a picture of this? I have the wiring wrong and need a guide. I'd really appreciate it.

 

[oatburner99]

no, the wires that come out of the hayden controller have the factory crimped terminals with the clear plastic over them. I don't ever trust any factory crimped connection, so i would solder those also. It takes time to solder every connection but totally worth it. I have had at least 5 cars which i have installed electric fans in and thats how i learned you have solder every connection. These taurus fans have a high amp surge when they kick on. I would get a flexalite vsc (variable speed controller) they turn the fan on slowly at 60 percent power an gradually up to 100 percent power so you don't have that high amp surge. good luck.

Thanks for the info man. I actually found the thread for the Flex-a-lite vsc AFTER I had already got the hayden. So I was kinda stuck. As far as soldering every connection, I think I'll take you up on that idea and do it. Cheap insurance.

Good write up, good pics. Thanks for the info, it's always interesting to see how others tackle this job. Like you, I soaked up everything I could read and went for it, same controller, same relay. I don't have AC so I took that green wire and ran it to 12V through a switch inside so I could use it as an override.

My setup quit working. Maybe it was because I didn't solder any connections but I replaced my controller with the Hayden two-speed setup, and this time I didn't use the extra relay. So far so good, I have two speeds and I also ran a green LED next to the water temp gauge. That way I can tell when the fan is on.

So your just running the 30 amp relay on the controller? I would be REALLY worried about that....I bet that controller get's STUPID HOT from the current rolling through it.

You can even dab some solder on the end of those yellow but connectors if you don't want to solder the wires directly together. After a few months of excessive heat and cool downs (expansion), those connectors will be the weakest point (brittle). I'd dab some solder on the connectors itself, would be ashame after all that a 2 cent connector would leave you on the side of the road overheating.

Good work though, it's a clean install (love the diagram). I kept all the wiring off my 94GT (had the fan on a high speed push button switch) and I'm going to move it over to the 92GT and pick up one of these Taurus fans you got eventually.

Did this make a noticeable cooling difference at all? Might have missed your overheating or running hot thread.



Unrelated. If your working on your car today, can you take a picture of this? I have the wiring wrong and need a guide. I'd really appreciate it.

I had the car in the garage last night (it was 105) with MAX a/c on, just idling and the car never got above 205 (fan running) I drove it for about an hour in stop and go traffic, on the freeway...did just fine. Never went above 205. Which is where it was with the mechanical fan/clutch setup. So as far as I know it's doing what it's supposed to.

As far as your picture and the picture your needing, what is that picture of? Your starter relay? Or is that the 75 amp relay? Just let me know what you need, and I'll take a picture of it. If you want PM me your # and I can send you a picture of it (whatever it is) now (I'm at work with the car)

Thanks guys

 

[Stever89]

So your just running the 30 amp relay on the controller? I would be REALLY worried about that....I bet that controller get's STUPID HOT from the current rolling through it.

If it is, I don't feel it. The 2 speed controller has two relays rated at 50A total capacity. It's summer so if the controller goes, it'll go soon. Either way, I can override it if need be. If it fails, I'm done with Hayden.

 

[bigvino]

can the Mods sticky this excellent write up!! great job!