RE: [DML] My personal experience with my fanzilla and a fan fix.

["Shain" <dsmguy@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Dennis,

I have had the same experience with past fuse holder sockets like you
mentioned.  The plastic around them is constant melting.  After working on
semi, and some race cars I work on we stopped using them.  The class style
fuses are just so much more reliable, providing you by a decent holder.  I
tried over 18 different holders when I built my fan unit, and let me tell
you not all holders are the same.  To find one that can hold 25 amps of
current,  with decent contacts is quite hard to find.  Although my original
prototypes I had built used the same style connector.  I had wanted to use a
fuse style that was readily available,  and in use in the car.  But after
talking to rob during the final stages of development he persuaded me to
change.  And although it takes me an additional 35 minutes or so to build
the unit,  additional machine of the case (although machine shops job),  I
believe it is a more reliable solution.  

I also agree in trying to rely on one or two good vendors.  Some parts are
better than others,  for instance John Herveys brake lines IMHO is much
better than the goodridge? version that broke on me later.

-Shain

-----Original Message-----
From: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
dmc_5180
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2005 7:13 PM
To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [DML] My personal experience with my fanzilla and a fan fix.

Group,  

I'm not trying to jump on any band wagon here, I'm just giving my own
experiences.

A very recent experience at The Evansville autofest a month ago. The Owner
of a very 
familiar Yellow D was mentioning his car had been running hot during the
trip to the 
show. So, I asked him if his fans were working. He wasn't sure so I had him
turn the A/C 
on because that will force the fans to work. I did a quick check under the
front end and it 
appeared only one was working. So we opened up the relay compartment to see
if a fuse 
had blown. Well, not exactly, what we found was one of the fan fix fuse
holders had 
completely melted down including the fuse. So what was happening was high
resistance 
caused the fuse terminals to get hot and loose contact.   Just to verify
that it wasn't a bad 
motor. I took my Fanzilla which I had bought at the Cleveland DCS show from
my car and 
put it in his. Everything worked normal. So I removed the fanzilla unit.
Fortunately 
someone else in the group had a spare double fuse link set up so we stuck
that in his car 
to get him going again.

The above experience would concure with a statement Rob Grady had said about
the Fan 
Fix fuse links being used. Maybe it just needs a better quality fuse holder
installed. It's a 
cheap simple fix.

Something I should mention about my fanzilla unit. Somewhere along its
installed life in 
my relay compartment, I had a very high resistance wire from the fuel pump
curcuit laying 
against the fanzilla box. Well, this wire got so hot that it melted the
plastic case of the box 
leaving a permanent wire impression in it and deforming the case around
where it was 
touching it. The unit still works as good as ever, even though it looks like
it had a 
meltdown. The bad wire was replaced and has caused no further trouble. If I
ever get a 
digital camera I will post a picture so you can see what I have.  BTW: I
mentioned this to 
Bob Zilla at Pigeon Forge. He told me he would replace the case for 15 bucks
if I sent it to 
him. I just never got around  too it. Someday I will though.


Also if a relay sticks, which causes the fans to continue to  run, just
change the relay and 
you should be good to go again. This statement is in response to Mike Packs
experience. 
Unless it is sealed inside a plastic case ofcoarse.

BTW:  Rotate your parts purchases too all the vendors that support us. It
will keep them 
alive and  well for a long time. :-)


Dennis




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