Fitting AU Fans In A VK Commodore

[MY_84_VK]

Hey,
Just wondering if anybody out there has done the conversion of AU fans into there VK Commodore?
If so interested to learn how they are wired up, which colour wires do you use from the original Ford loom?
Can get my hands on a thermatic switch relay easy enough just need to know which wires go where?
Any help would be much appreciated....

[DANNY8]

I got AU fans in my VK (think they're AU fans).....haven't wired them up yet tho but will let ya know how I done it afterwards.

[MY_84_VK]

Awesome, would really help alot!

[ari666]

i wrote a response but wasnt sure if you wanted to read it or not, so i will write it again.

"i wouldnt do it till you have improved your alternator and electrical system" the stock AU delco alternators are 100A and your stock VK is 55-60A. no where near enough juice to run thermos. even if you run a thermo switch it cuts the fans out at high speed (when you have high volts) and enables them at low speeds (when you have low volts) which means that your temp will run higher that if you just stick with your stock fan and radiator.

there i just said it.

[delcowizzid]

yeah both running at once uses 40ish amps or more well at least the mondeo ones do i know that much doesnt leave much charging left

[ari666]

yeah 40A is a nightmare. i think AU's may be a touch higher than that too cos they are prwetty big and spin really fast. we installed my mates so its on with ignition 'on' constant and he basically couldnt drive on rainy nights cos the car would conk out with the wipers/heater/lights on. then you got the problem of wire not handling that kinda current and melting, have to run good solid 25A wires for each fan, so times 2, then dual relays because (as we found out) a relay can easily cope with 40A, but the fuse attached to that relay melts... that right, it melts. it doesnt blow, it actually gets so hot the plastic body and holder melt. then after all that crap we salvaged a delco alternator from the wrecker off an AU just to cope with the current draw.

so it took about two weeks to get it working, and thats with two boys (me and him) who think we know about cars.

[MY_84_VK]

Thanks for the heads up, already have an 80amp alternator installed at the moment which I thought would help with my stereo cut out issue but it turns out that was because I had it wired into the original harness that went through the brake light switch. Now that I have wired it straight to the battery it works perfectly fine and not sure whether or not the 80 amp alternator was needed.
I'm doing a motor switch soon to a 202 that has big valves, roller rockers and a stage two cam in it, so didn't know if i would have overheating issues. But i wanted to incorporate thermos as I'm trying to get the car up to streeter show quality and thought the thermos would give it a more modded look.
If I did upgrade my alternator to the 120amp would I need a new battery with higher CCA?
And do you think that the alternator and battery could take running the car, the AU thermos and a sound system that comprises of (head deck, 2 6", 2 6 x 9", an amp running a 12" sub + thinking of adding an additional 2 10" subs?

[DANNY8]

And do you think that the alternator and battery could take running the car, the AU thermos and a sound system that comprises of (head deck, 2 6", 2 6 x 9", an amp running a 12" sub + thinking of adding an additional 2 10" subs?

We use to run 3x JL 12" subs using a stocko alternator....never had a problem.

[ari666]

already have an 80amp alternator installed at the moment

yeah i reckon and 80 should do it, but you will be running close on rainy nights. a bigger battery wont do bugger all really, they run at 12V and you really need up around 14.5 for everything to run properly. the idea is that every electrical device in your car should be fine with just the alternator. the battery is just there to start it.

as far as the stereo goes, one amp and a head unit isnt all that much of a drag. prolly 15A max between the two of them with it turned up loud(depending on the amp of course) so 40A for fans 25A for lights and 15A for stereo and your all good. i know it isnt meant to be worked out like that, there is some spastic wattage formular you need to calculate, but bugger it. my way sounds like it works

edit* sorry, back to the topic, how many wires in the plug and what colour are they?

[v8commy]

yeah i reckon and 80 should do it, but you will be running close on rainy nights. a bigger battery wont do bugger all really, they run at 12V and you really need up around 14.5 for everything to run properly. the idea is that every electrical device in your car should be fine with just the alternator. the battery is just there to start it.

as far as the stereo goes, one amp and a head unit isnt all that much of a drag. prolly 15A max between the two of them with it turned up loud(depending on the amp of course) so 40A for fans 25A for lights and 15A for stereo and your all good. i know it isnt meant to be worked out like that, there is some spastic wattage formular you need to calculate, but bugger it. my way sounds like it works

edit* sorry, back to the topic, how many wires in the plug and what colour are they?

his rite listen to him i bought a 140amp alt for 275 its chrome aswell

[And_ROOS]

My amp in my VC has had it, is there a better, newer model amp i can have in it, just a straight swap one? Theres one here from a VT will that suffice?

[ari666]

amp? as in car stereo? or are you talking alternator. if so the pulley wheel is different on the VT's so no, unless you change the wheel.

[drewVHSS]

VT Alternator is a good choice, it's idle speed amps are 60A and 120A at full load.
Change your pulley from serpitine belt to original v belt.
Get an old injector plug from a dead harness and use it to connect to the reg.
The pin marked S is the sense wire that goes direct to the battery to detect voltage level at the battery (you can cheat and loop this to the main output on the alternator)
the T pin is the idiot wire, crimp a blade terminal to it so you can plug it direct to the original idiot light wire.
On a early v8 commodore the main charging wire to the battery is rated at 60 amps, i'd advise running a thicker wire in place of it.
VT alternator will supply enough juice at idle to run thermo's, headlights, blinker and wipers (worst scenario at traffic lights) long enough to not have issues.

AU fan assy seemed to wide to fit into my vh ss so i modified a VS single fan assy and mated that to my radiator, dont use pre VS fans (vn-vr) as they're too thick to fit.

[vktorana]

some great info here! def like the idea of a bigger alt. im now considering thermos on me vk. how much cooler do they actually make it like is there a big difference or mainly to look tidyer?

[ari666]

they dont make it any cooler. the just make it loads easier to remove your radiator and they free up some of your engines revs cos the fan isnt tugging away at the crank all the time. having said that the water pump is still connected so the difference is really marginal.

also if you fit fans and dont upgrade alternators you are robbing yourself a bit of 'off the line' power cos the electrical system is struggling.

[vktorana]

yea ok cheers for the info. i think il do it later down the track just to make the engine look a bit tidyer! :P hey while on the topic of radiators n shit! i have a radiator i cant get out of me old vk cos it has alloy pipes going to i think the air con or somethin and they require hose spanners. now i got the hose spanner and tried like wd40 and shit to free it up but they still stuck tight! any little tricks to get em off?

[ari666]

i used a hacksaw on mine.

[vktorana]

yea i ended up gettin the grinder out! but still cant get the ****ers un done! do ya think the heat could have like welded the threads together? it is only alloy after all!

[ari666]

they are just sealed with the powder from years of leaking air cond. gas. cut a line across the bolt/thing and hit it off with a hammer and cold chisel.