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 v12s Origin
The v12 Analogy
Fan 101 Guide
Do you sell OEM parts?
Minimum order value for International orders.
Do you offer paint matching for shrouds?
Will a v12s fan system fit my radiator?
Which type of fan system is best?
Does my car need a v12s fan system?
What are 'Normal' temperatures on a V12 XJS?
The difference between flat & curved blade fans?
Do I need a fan shroud?
The difference between 'Dual' and 'Twin' Fans?
The difference between 'Electric' and 'Electronic' Fans?
Should I use a thermostatic switch with a relay?
Will my engine run cooler if I remove the shroud flaps?
Should I use colder thermostats?
Should I use radiator hose filters?
My car gets hotter the faster I drive?
Other modifications to keep my engine cooler?
Does v12s install parts?
Does v12s take phone or fax orders?
Does v12s take checks/cheques or money orders?
I live outside the USA - Do I pay VAT, Duty etc?
Fan System Warranty
Customer Feedback Rating
Copyright, Prices, Shipping Notice, Contact/Address Information.
Certification.
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v12s Origin I always wanted a Jaguar, in fact I always wanted an E-type, then an XJ6 and then an XJS because they just looked so good. In 2001 I bought a 1986 XJS V12 with 70,000 miles on EBay from a guy in New Jersey. The EBay listing said that it was 'near mint' - this turned out to be true as the car was located near the Philadelphia Mint. I flew down to NJ to drive the car home, paid in cash at the airport and was now the owner of a shiney red XJS. The seats and interior of the car were a little damp, apparently, the previous owner claimed, the windows had been left open when going through the car wash. I usually stay in my car when going through the car wash, they must have a fancy new 'unattended' car wash in NJ. The previous owner was kind enough to lead me to the freeway to drive home to NH, we waved goodbye and I was on my way, the car shaking a little at 40 mph, shaking more at 50 mph and whole lot of shaking going on at 60 mph. "I'm sorry officer I had to do 80 because the car shakes at 65". I decided to stop for gas as the needle was jumping between empty and full, apparently it was near empty when I filled up, it was just $1.18 a gallon then. The needle was steady when the tank was full. Back on the road I decided to start playing with some of the buttons and dials in the car, I turned on the radio, the aerial raised itself half way and stopped, providing clear static on each radio station. Then the radio/cassette swallowed and jammed my cassette tape, it would be a peaceful drive home. The A/C was apparently set to hot, then hotter and finally hottest, so that was turned off. Skies were darkening so I checked the wipers, amazing that they couldn't wipe the dust off a clean windshield with the aid of an 80 mph wind, luckily they worked a little better once it started to rain. I felt a little water leak coming from the driver side door, then a little leak from the passenger side door, then a larger leak from all four corners of the windshield. The carpets were getting My wife called me on my cell phone "how's the car?" she asked, "it's unbelievable" I said. I was looking forward to visiting NJ again sometime in the future. Later that day, as I finally ended my adventure and drove into my driveway, the radiator gushed with excitement. Coolant was everywhere, just no longer in the radiator. I thought "Jags really are a great third car". ... and so v12s was started.
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The v12s Analogy Think of a v12 engine as you would think of a freight train. If you were driving a Freight Train you wouldn't put the brakes on when you get to the station, you would put the brakes on a long way before you get to the station. This concept applies to the v12 engine. You wouldn't start your cooling fans when you reach operating temperature, you would start your cooling fans before you reach operating temperature. There's a lot of metal and a lot of fluids that need to be cooled and it can't happen instantly.
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Fan 101 Guide by v12s or Truth vs Marketing Some fan sellers appear to defy Ohm's Law when describing their fans, apparently they haven't heard of Ohm's Law. As an example, a 14 inch fan with a 90 watt motor draws approximately 7.5 amps, not 10.2 amps, at 12 volts DC. The same 14 inch fan with 90 watt motor draws approximately 6.7 amps, not 10.2 amps, at 13.5 volts DC. Check out Ohm's Law to determine if the fan seller's claim's match the fan being sold. Some fan sellers promote CFM as being the only important consideration, but it's not. As an example, a 16 inch fan with a 250 watt motor (apparently only 10 amps at 13 volts?) - is claimed to generate over 3600 CFM at zero static air pressure- that's 3,600 Cubic Feet of Air Per Minute, or presented another way - enough power to move all the air out of a room that measures more than 22 feet by 20 feet with an 8 foot ceiling in just 1 minute - what load of bull! Here's another good joke - a 13 inch fan with an 8 amp fan motor (about 100 watt motor) claimed to pull 2900 CFM, more bull, divide the CFM by 2. I would welcome fan manufacturers enlightening me with their scientific proof but they ignore requests for independent lab data showing their CFM figures, in fact one fan manufacturer specifically told his sales rep not to talk to me - they can't handle having their BS claims challenged. A word about quality: there's plenty of cheap $5 fans available that look the part but are nothing more than mere inferior copies of brand name fans. Did you know that the plastics used in cheaper fans are inferior polyproylene mixes? This makes these inferior fans less impact resistant and less capable of coping with high temperatures - ie. brittle. Quality cooling fans are made with plastic composed of glass-filled nylon. You get what you pay for, right? Some people don't care about what they sell to you, we do, we give a lifetime free replacement warranty, every fan supplier should give a lifetime free replacement warranty - don't buy a fan without a lifetime free replacement warranty. I've built over 2,000 electric cooling fan assemblies for v12-engined cars and others, so I have some experience in choosing the right electric fan and weeding out the fact from fiction. My fans are 70% more powerful than the common fans available elsewhere. So, here's what I look for when choosing fans. Firstly, some things to think about before buying an electric cooling fan:
A 10 inch fan with an 80 watt is fine for most applications where only a 10 inch fan could fit - this excludes all V8, V10, V12 and bigger engines. A 14 inch fan with a 90 watt motor (most 14 inch fans on ebay) that spins very fast may be OK if you have a thin radiator and no A/C condensor or other coolers in front of it - it's not OK for a V12. If you have A/C then I would choose a fan that has a 120 - 160 watt fan motor. If you have an A/C condensor and another oil cooler in front it then you would want to use a fan that has a 160 - 225 watt fan motor. When you bought a shop vac what did you buy? The weakest or the most powerful? Of course current draw is important, but that doesn't mean sacrificing engine cooling. If your classic doesn't have enough amps to get the job done properly then buy a more powerful alternator and battery. Destroyed engines due to a lack of cooling, especially in classic cars, are an expensive and foolish error. And what about curved blade fans versus straight blade fans? The patent for curved blade fans only claims that they are quieter than straight blade fans, there are no claims of more airflow (all things being equal). In conclusion, this Fan 101 isn't meant to cover everything but it is meant to highlight some fact from fiction.
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Q. Do you sell OEM parts? A. Check our Useful Links page for OEM parts.
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Q. Minimum order value for International orders. A. US$50 (excluding shipping) is our minimum order value for all International orders.
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Q. Do you offer paint color matching for shrouds? A. No. You can order all Jaguar paint colors at towerpaint.com.
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Q. Will a v12s fan system fit my radiator? A. Yes, all our fan systems are designed to fit a standard OEM radiator. We can make small adjustments to our fan system during fabrication if you tell us in advance that you have an aftermarket non-standard radiator. The key is to let us know in advance not afterwards. Some radiator manufacturers aren't terribly accurate with their ruler.
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Q. Which type of fan system is best? A. We only build fan systems that draw air through the radiator, sometimes referred to as 'puller fan systems'. This is most efficient. Systems that try to push air through a radiator face two problems: 1. they're only about 80% efficient because the radiator deflects at least 20% of the air, and 2. the fans themselves actually block the airflow to the radiator, whether the fans are running or not. Our fan systems work better.
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Q. Does my car need a v12s fan system? A. Check your trip computer 'average speed' - is the average less than 35 mph? If yes, then your car would benefit from a v12s fan system. If you always drive at highway speeds then probably not - cars don't need fans about 35 mph.
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Q. What are examples of 'Normal' temperatures on a V12 XJS? A. These temperatures recorded after a normal drive - summer, 880F.
Use an infrared thermometer (minitemp NAPA) and compare your temperatures. Back to top of page |
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Q. What's the airflow difference between flat and curved blade fans? A. How long is a piece of string...? - there are too many variables to give a definative answer to this question. The patent for curved blade fans (S-Blade) only claims that the fans are quieter than flat blade fans; but the number of blades, the pitch, the strength of the motor and other features could make a curved blade fan output more airflow or less airflow. We quote the standard manufacturer's fan motor wattage figures.
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Q. Do I need a fan shroud? A. Yeah, you do, and anyone that tells you that you don't is only saying that because they don't have a fan shroud and just want to sell you an electric fan. Our electric fan systems are complete with a handcrafted shroud. A fan shroud will allow your electric fans to draw air across the whole surface area of your radiator. If you simply attach one or a couple of electric fans to your radiator core without a shroud then you will reduce your ability to cool your engine by at least 30% - 40% or more. Using those zip ties is a butcher's job of attaching an electric fan. Do any car manufacturers have fans on their cars without shrouds these day? No of course not! Does any car manufacturer use zip ties to attach an electric fan to a radiator? No they don't.
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Q. What's the difference between a 'Dual' and 'Twin' Fan System? A. A twin fan system has two fans that are identical in size and performance, a dual fan system has two different size and performance fans.
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Q. What's the difference between an 'Electric' and 'Electronic' Fan System? A. Fan motors are electric, they are mechanical, they are not made of semiconductors. So, the answer is: there is no such thing as an electronic fan.
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Q. Should I use a thermostatic switch with a relay? A. Yes. Our optional Thermostatic Relay Systems include thermostatic switches. A thermostatic switch to control your fan relay(s) will: 1) allow faster engine warm-up, 2) prevent battery drain by cycling the fans on and off, only as needed, and 3) extend the life of your electric fans We don't recommend any type of 'probe' fan switch controller - too inaccurate.
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Q. Will my engine run cooler if I remove the rubber shroud flaps? A. No. It'll actually get hotter because the fans will draw air from these 'open' flaps instead of drawing air through the radiator core.
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Q. Should I use colder thermostats? A. No and don't remove your thermostats either! Your engine was designed to run at a specific temperature for emissions, performance and fuel economy. If you install colder thermostats then your engine will take longer to warm up, creating carbon deposits and more emissions, perhaps fail state DMV inspection (Emmission test failures are listed on CarFax reports - do you need this?).
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Q. Should I use radiator hose filters? A. No. If you change your radiator fluid on a yearly basis then you don't get dirty radiator fluid. Adding filters moves the blockage to another location but certainly doesn't help your engine from overheating. Do you want to protect your engine or your radiator? If you insist on using a coolant filter then use a transparent one such as the Gano product and check it often.
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Q. My car runs hotter the faster I drive, will your fan system fix this? A. Absolutely Not. Cars don't need fans when driving above 35mph. If your engine starts getting hotter as you drive faster then your engine or radiator has a serious problem and an electric fan system won't help you. Check your radiator. Have your engine oil analyzed to determine whether you have engine damage before spending any money on fixing overheating problems. Try titanlab.com for do it yourself oil and fluids analysis services.
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Q. What other modifications can I make to keep my engine cooler? A. 1. start with a cooler auxillary fan switch, our 820C is ideal, 2. if you have an automatic (most XJS) add a seperate transmission cooler - this will drop radiator coolant temps by about 100C, 3. relocate your engine oil filter to a remote cooler location, 4. consider an electric water pump - it eliminates heat soak after you turn off your motor and provides consistant cooling at low revs, not to mention that you regain lost horsepower, 5.Lastly, add a quality aluminum radiator - check the 'Useful Links' page for quality Aluminum radiators available in the USA and UK (don't waste your money on another 'OEM' standard radiator), before you buy an aluminum radiator ask if your standard OEM fan shroud and fans will fit, if they say no then don't buy it.
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Q. Does v12s install parts? A. No. We design and handcraft products to sell via the web. We are not a dealership, nor are we a retail store, we don't take phone orders nor do we provide technical phone support - if you have a question, please email. You must have tools and mechanical and electrical ability to install one of our fan systems or LED upgrades or suspension products or fuel injection products, if in doubt go to an experienced technician and/or auto electrician. Incorrect installation, as with any part on a vehicle, may result in serious damage, injury or worse.
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Q. Does v12s take phone or fax orders? A. No and no. All orders are via the v12s website ONLY. You need a credit or debit card, your own card, to order via the v12s website. We ship to confirmed addresses only, it's pretty simple - if your address is incorrect you must correct it before you order or your order will be rejected. We do not accept wire transfers. We do not accept fax orders.
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Q. Does v12s take checks/cheques or money orders? A. We accept personal checks or money orders, by prior arrangement, in US$ payable on a US Bank only. We do not accept bank checks or cashier checks. All checks have to thoroughly clear before we ship anything - no exceptions.
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Q. I live outside the USA. Do I have to pay VAT, Duty etc.? A. We design, fabricate and source our materials and components locally in the USA. Our products are shipped from tax-free New Hampshire.
All items entering a foreign country are subject to customs inspection and the assessment of duties and taxes in accordance with that country's national laws. Customs duties and taxes are generally assessed if the merchandise is dutiable and the value of the item is above a set amount determined by that country's laws. These charges may be due at the time of delivery and they are separate from shipping charges. We won't ship items as 'gifts' or 'scrap'.
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Fan System Warranty We warrant our electric fan system and relay products to be free from defective material or workmanship for a period of 90 days or Lifetime Warranty from 1/1/2007 for as long as you own the vehicle - (0 days for vehicles used in race events) from the date of purchase. Warranty applies only to electric fan system and relay products. Warranty is limited to repairing or replacing of electric fan(s), electric fan system or relay ONLY. There are no other expressed or implied warranties. Warranty is null & void on electric fan system and relay products installed incorrectly, damaged through abuse or modification, shipping damage, repairs, alteration or disassembling by unauthorized persons. We reserve the right to change specifications, design, price or discontinue electric fan system and relay products at any time without notice and without incurring any obligation. You, the purchaser, agree to assume all liabilities for any damage and/or bodily injury which may result from the use or misuse of our electric fan system or relay products, whether installed directly by you or your employee or agent or mechanic. Warranty is NOT transferable. All electric fan system and relay products returned for warranty must have shipping prepaid and include a valid Return Authorization number.
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Fuel Injection - Electric Wire Harnesses v12s Copyright © 2001-2011 All Rights Reserved. v12s and the v12s logo are ® trademarks NOT affiliated with Jaguar, Ford, Ferrari, FIAT, Porsche or any other car manufacturer in any way. Specifications, Design, Components and Prices subject to change without notice. All electric fan systems are an exclusive proprietary design. Photos are examples of fan systems only. Contact: v12s, PO Box 812, Portsmouth, NH 03802-0812, USA info@v12s.com |
