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Coil Blower - is it necessary?


PhilbertZ

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Hi guys,

 

When I got my 280ZX the owner pointed out this blower and said it was to keep the ignition coils cool under load.

 

When I did a recent valve adjustment, I took it off. I noticed that there was no air coming out of the blower while the engine was running. Is this thing even needed - it hasn't been doing anything it seems...and it's ugly IMHO. Do I need it?

 

This is what I'm talking about (not my car - grabbed this off ebay):

 

datsunenginebay.jpg

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Hi guys,

 

When I got my 280ZX the owner pointed out this blower and said it was to keep the ignition coils cool under load.

 

 

datsunenginebay.jpg

 

 

:lmao:....... Sorry I had to do that...... That's the Auxiliary cooling fan. There's a reason you didn't feel any air coming out when the engine was running. The fan operates after the ignition switch is turned off to cool down the temps of the fuel inside the injector and fuel hoses. After you turn the ignition switch off at an engine coolant temp above 221* the fan operates. If the coolant temp is below 221* when the ignition switch is turned off the fan will come on only if the temp increases to 221*.

 

This aids in restarting a car in hot weather driving,ect. I would not take this off no matter how "ugly" it looks.

 

 

LARRY

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I've been outed as a n00b!!

 

Thanks both of you for letting me know what this is for. the mounting bracket (plastic crap) was already broken so I was hoping I could just "lose" this...but I guess I'll have to fab something up to make it mount back on.

 

 

"ignition coils".....pshaw!!

 

Thanks for the good natured ribbing - you guys are so much nice than the BMW forums for dumb questions like this - much appreciated!

 

Phil

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depending on where you live it isn't all that important. I am in the Pacific Northwest and have taken it off all my vehicles. Never had a start problem. It really is only a problem if you drive hard and fast then stop at the pit stop on the interstate and want to go on again in a couple minutes. if it ever becomes a real problem pop the hood and let it cool off that way.

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The auxiliary cooling fan was intended to cool the injectors to prevent the buildup of deposits on the injectors. When the engine is shut off the injectors undergo "heat soak". Fuel in the injector nozzles evaporates, leaving residues behind. Heat bakes these residues (coking) into hard varnish deposits which over time, build up and clog the injectors.

 

However, that was mainly a problem with the gasoline being used back in the 1980’s. Nowadays fuel suppliers add fuel injector cleaning detergents (additives) to their fuels to help reduce the buildup of injector deposits. In 1995 the EPA mandated legislation requiring such additives as clogged injectors can affect emissions. As a result such cooling fans disappeared from engine compartments.

 

So, you may remove your injector cooling fan and associated components from your 280ZX without concern.

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I live in Texas. I've had mine off for Years and the only time I ever thought that it would help was when I was in Colorado in the Rocky Moutain National Park, on a steep road, on the side of a mountain. My car vapor locked in the thin air up there. The fan might have helped in that situation, might not, but I got the car going again by putting snow on the fuel rail.

Other than that, never noticed it was gone.

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I live in Texas. I've had mine off for years and the only time I ever thought that it would help was when I was in Colorado in the Rocky Moutain National Park, on a steep road, on the side of a mountain. My car vapor locked in the thin air up there. The fan might have helped in that situation, might not, but I got the car going again by putting snow on the fuel rail.

Other than that, never noticed it was gone.

 

Because the fuel is pressurized, cars with fuel injection will not vapor lock. Pressurizing a fluid results in having its boiling point being raised.

 

However, vapor lock can occur in fuel injected vehicles that are not running. Normally (because of the check valve between the fuel pump and the fuel rail) there is sufficient pressure remaining in the system (residual pressure) after engine shut down. However, the residual pressure can drop due to leaky injectors or a leaky check valve. Low residual fuel pressure can cause hard starting and vapor lock during hot weather especially at higher altitudes.

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Geez Zcar.. way to be a walking Z dictionary and information source.. lol.

 

The blower really isn't that much of a deal.. Did quite a few stops back from texas.. car was running 20 hours straight.. doing 80 the whole way and stopping at stations periodically and letting it cool.

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Even though the injector cooler sort of "dates" the engine compartment, I think it might be cool to find a way to keep it and make it look a bit better, sort of a "sign of the times" type thing, I suppose. Something to do with a really boring afternoon, I guess. The look of the stock unit is cheap and rough. Has anyone seen this done?

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I assume that your answer was so moving that there was no reason to say anything else;).

I did not weigh in on this topic because as a novice I removed mine thinking yeach...never had a problem. Did not know why yeach untill Brapp pointed, or drew, it out clearly:)!

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Guys don't take this wrong but when I answered this same question a couple years ago there was only a couple replies. I'm glad to see the interest this time in the "coil blower" question...:2thumbs:

 

 

 

LARRY

 

Hey at least I didn't say "flux capacitor" - take it easy on me :wink:

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I asked this same question before and what i ended up doing is unpluging it and didn't notice a difference so I removed it. I live in southern California and I'm guessing my car doesn't get that hot enough, but I never go from "racing" the engine to off i always let it sit a for a bit if that matters.

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