Fitting Electric Fans

[Maru]

I am to replace the stock fan on a RB25 engine, just have a few questions regarding the thermostat.

Here's what I've been thinking so far; I'm guessing the water pump draws coolant from the bottom of the radiator right? So I figured I'd place the thermostat right at the outlet there, since there's also a good plughole right there (it's an aftermarket radiator) and that way it would measure the temperature on the fluid that's just about to enter the engine - good idea, no?

Also, what temperature thermostat should I use? Been looking at one for 85° now, but there's 92° or 95° ones around too.

Any thoughts around this would be most appreciated!

[blind_elk]

Based on my own experience of using thermatic fans in Skylines, my advice has to be

DON'T.

That being said, it really doesn't matter where you mount the thermatic sensor. You should use the highest temperature switch available. It doesn't matter that the engine gets quite hot - it will only get to these temperatures generally in stop-start traffic, when there is minimal air flow through the radiator to cool the coolant. Once the car gets moving again, the air flow of the car moving should bring the coolant back to "normal" temperatures.

It is a waste to use a thermatic switch that turns the fan(s) on at near "normal" operating temps - all you have done in that case is shifted to load on the engine from the original fan to the alternator. (the purpose of the thermatic fan is to remove some load from the engine)

[Maru]

Duly noted, and believe me I really wouldn't bother with these fans if it wasn't for the fact that the bonnet can't be closed all the way now. I fitted a larger intercooler on this car and the pipe goes where the fan is, so to speak. Unfortunately the bonnet has a scoop that pokes down into the engine bay exactly there as well, so the original fan would have to be trimmed down til not very much at all hehe, and the shroud would have to go too. But this electric fan shroud kit fits right onto the radiator and allows enough space for the bonnet to be closed, so at the end of the day I just thought that'd be the best option.

This seems like a very sensible point, I shall disregard the 85° sensor and pick one of the higher temp ones.