Phantom Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 I now have about 11,000 miles on the swap. New speedo is inand working fine. Car is currently a candidate for the JSR team. Major front and rear brake upgrade in progress. Hopefullly it will be done next week. Lost another cooling fan relay last week on the way to the shop. Not the same one that failed about 6-8 weeks ago. It's a little spooky that they failed that close to each other. Just on the off chance that this may be a forewarning I bought 2 relays so I'll have a spare in the glove box. The car runs fine on only one fan but I'm not going to risk an overheat by running on one for any length of time that would allow the second one to fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest plainswolf Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 You know Phantom, your "updates" are sure an inspiration to the rest of us that haven't hybridized....YET.... that is.. I was beginning to entertain putting my Z project on hold for a few years and spend thousands on a used C4... Till I talked to a few guys at work... one has a stock LT1 in an early 260 (and he's an old dude about ready to retire, and one amazing machinist/fabricator). And one of the new supervisors here at work that has a stock LT1 in a 2nd. Gen RX-7.. They both say "god you already have your 260, we'll help!"... etc... then I come home from overtime tonight and read your update... Dam that is a nice source of course correction and inspiration.. Thanks to all you guys for that!... Mark K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 Yea, I like reading the updates too. I would have thought that the camaro fans would be reliable, but I guess not. It worries me a little to use the single Taurus fan, but that is the route I have chosen. I am going to use (2) 75 amp relays for the fan and a controler hooked up to the radiator instead of the computer outputs. Is that the way you did yours? Glad to see the spedo has stopped jumping around. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 8, 2004 Author Share Posted August 8, 2004 Dale, Fans are plugged into the Camaro wiring harness and running off the ECM. Both of the original relays showed a little mechanical abuse although I'm at a loss how it could have happened. Anyway - they lasted a year before giving up so I'll monitor the new ones and see how they do. I think the fan set-up is ok - I'm just a little spooked by both relays failing within a couple months of each other and, of course, it was a 100°F day each time. Mark, Thanks for the compliments - just trying to pass on information that may help others. My inspiration is my wife - she has stood beside me and literally pushes me periodically to get the upgrades done. When the brakes are done I'm going to be redoing the interior and then going to th e sound system. It all takes time and $$ - both of which always seem to be in short supply. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love-my-V8-280Z Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 How did you get so lucky to have two men at work with v8 Datsuns. I get a look when I talk about upgrading my Z. Its slow moving but I'm working on the wiring of my LT1. work has been on the wiring. Trying to figure out how to use fuses instead of the fuesable links... I wish I was as far along as you are. If it helps you to stay motivated, I have been plucking along for 4 years and still can''t drive it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwik240z Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 My inspiration is my wife - she has stood beside me and literally pushes me periodically to get the upgrades done. When the brakes are done I'm going to be redoing the interior and then going to th e sound system. It all takes time and $$ - both of which always seem to be in short supply.Bill Bill, You are a lucky man. My wife hates my Datsuns. She can't believe I tore up a perfectly good Z car to install a V8. She really hates my 510. She calls it a Fiat and/or a Lada. She doesn't understand how anyone could like "that piece of JUNK" I have given up on trying to change her. She does like to drive fast though. Maybe once she gets to drive the V8 Z car she will change her mind. She doesn't drive stick so lucky for her I am installing the auto in the Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phailure Posted August 9, 2004 Share Posted August 9, 2004 Thanks for the compliments - just trying to pass on information that may help others. My inspiration is my wife - she has stood beside me and literally pushes me periodically to get the upgrades done. When the brakes are done I'm going to be redoing the interior and then going to th e sound system. It all takes time and $$ - both of which always seem to be in short supply. Bill Wow, Lucky you have a wife that supports you. Shes a keeper . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 9, 2004 Author Share Posted August 9, 2004 My wife, Chris, is definitely a keeper - this November will make 32 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra_Tim Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Can you not reprogram the PCM to eliminate the fans, purchase a slim fan "kit" with relay, and run a manual fan switch? Hell, I think you can even have aftermarket fans come on at certain temps now a days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Why put in another 'computer' to do what the existing 'computer' is already doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 10, 2004 Author Share Posted August 10, 2004 I second Tim. The simplest thing to do is use the OEM part with the OEM computer. They were designed to work together and have done so flawlessly. The relays, in my mind, are a separate issue. Any electric fan should be actuated by a relay so that problem will be inherent in any electric fan set-up. The option would be to come up with a retrofit kit to put a clutch fan on an LS1? - Not me. I'm all about KISS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra_Tim Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Why put in another 'computer' to do what the existing 'computer' is already doing? Alot of camaro/TA guy bypass the PCM controlled fans to run manual fan switches. Granted when they do this they are satill using the same realy, but if someone were to want to control your fan manualy and is havving issues with the factory (in this case GM) relay, then why not replace the weak link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 10, 2004 Author Share Posted August 10, 2004 Becausse then my brain becomes the weak link and I would personnally rather trust the relay! Now if you want to wire the switch in parallel to the relay so it can be bypassed as a failsafe then I'm all for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra_Tim Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I second Tim. The simplest thing to do is use the OEM part with the OEM computer. They were designed to work together and have done so flawlessly. The relays, in my mind, are a separate issue. Any electric fan should be actuated by a relay so that problem will be inherent in any electric fan set-up. The option would be to come up with a retrofit kit to put a clutch fan on an LS1? - Not me. I'm all about KISS! Which Tim "Now if you want to wire the switch in parallel to the relay so it can be bypassed as a failsafe then I'm all for that. I agree, I was just simply stating a different option from the OEM relays, which you seem to be having problems with. Could it be a possible problem with your wiring? I’ve never put an LS1 in a Z car so I don’t know what wiring is involveed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 10, 2004 Author Share Posted August 10, 2004 Nope - wiring is ok although the location of the relays may not be ideal just behind the radiator mount on the passenger side of the radiator. They may be soaking up a little too much heat. Like I said earlier though, the relays show some indicaton of external damage so they may have had their life expectancy atificially shortened. I'm not overly concerned since they've lasted 14 months and 11,000 miles including parts of two hot Texas summers. I'm more than content at this point to have put new ones in and keep a spare in the glovebox along with the spare fuses - which I haven't had to use any of yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra_Tim Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Any possible way to heat sink them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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