FORD CORTINA
FAN PROBLEMS
Q
I have a 1967 Ford Cortina MkII 1600 which I have owned since it was just under ten years old. It stopped being the main family car many years ago, and it is still in a condition slightly better than it was when I first bought it.
When it arrived into my ownership it had an Aerofan variable pitch fan fitted which, as the speed increased, levelled out the blades to allow less drag on the engine. This was on the assumption that the vehicle was travelling faster, and with more air going through the radiator, less effort was needed from the fan. The selling point in the day was its fuel saving ability. The downside was that as the fan wore, the blades became sloppy and I believe there was a real danger of a blade flying off and damaging the radiator.
I replaced the fan with a Kenlowe electric fan many years ago, and this has subsequently failed. Apparently Kenlowe no longer sell such kits and so, not wanting to fit the old original fan back, is there an alternative? Howard Masterson
AYes, I remember the Aerofan and these did as you say allow the blades to flatten out as the engine speed increased. They were very popular in the day, but I would hazard a guess that not many have survived the passage of time.
Although Kenlowe are still very much in business, you are correct in saying that they no longer supply the aftermarket kits. They do though still supply fans to vehicle manufacturers and engineering companies, and field replacements for existing specialist applications.
I am unsure if, when they mention field replacements for existing specialist applications, that would include a new motor fan assembly to replace the kit you have fitted to your Cortina. However, electric fans from Revotec are freely available from the likes of Burton Power ( www. burtonpower.com) for under £100. These are designed to fit through the radiator finning, so it would be wise to ensure this is in a good condition before fitting. Alternatively, Revotec themselves ( www.revotec.com) sell tailor-made kits that are supplied complete with all the necessary fittings and fixings, including vehicle specific engineered laser cut brackets. We couldn’t find one listed on the Revotec website, but we did find one on www.carnoisseur.com. These are obviously more expensive at £215.52.