Cooling fan motor covers

[chevynut]

I have been working on my radiator support and mounting the dual 13" Derale fans. I don't like the looks of the motors so I was thinking about making some covers for them. I'm concerned about the cooling of the motors, and I've sent Derale an e-mail asking about whether a cover would be a problem but they haven't answered yet. There's not really any obvious cooling holes or fans on the motors unless they're someplace where they're not visible. Looking in the holes on the back of the motors I don't see anything obvious and no cooling passages. So I am wondering if it's okay to put covers on them or not. Maybe I should leave a space between the motors and covers?

Here's what they look like...

[chevynut]

I noticed PRC sells covers for the SPAL fans, and Flexalite sells covers for their fans. I can't tell if they allow room for airflow or not. Seems like these motors would need cooling.

[JT56]

I have the PRC unit and my fans have covers on them...no fan failures in 4 years! I probably put around 1500 miles a year on mine.

[chevynut]

JT, do the covers allow air to circulate, or are they tight-fitting? These fans draw 265 watts EACH so it seems like they would need some cooling air. It puzzles me that none of the fans I've looked at seem to have motor cooling vents.


Description
This high performance primary cooling fan kit combines two high output 265 watt Bosch motors with stator flow directors and an OE-quality injection molded fan shroud with pressure relief vents to produce one serious dual electric fan setup. Designed for puller applications, it's perfect for muscle cars, street rods and heavy duty trucks, this combination produces 4,000 CFM while each fan draws 24.8 amps. Includes through radiator mounting system and two high amp relay harnesses.



Specifications

• CFM fan 1/2: 2000/2000
• Amp draw fan 1/2: 24.8/24.8
• Width: 31-3/8"
• Height: 15-3/4"
• Depth: 1-3/8"
• Overall Depth: 3-1/4"
• Mounting: 12-7/8" x 28-7/8"
• Distance between fan housings: 2-7/8"

Features

• Designed for primary cooling
• Injection molded shroud with stator flow directors
• High output 265 watt motors
• 4000 CFM
• Ultra-quiet patented skewed blade design
• Multiple mounting options
• Puller (engine side) applications only
• Fan Kit includes complete mounting kit with a dual relay wiring harness (also available in a Thermostat Kit #16034)

[Fladiver64]

When I was at Turkey Rod run i looked at several fan/shroud setups and none of the motor covers had any spacing for ventilation. I agree seams counter intuitive as at 265 watts they are going to put off some heat, but it does seam like they are designed for limited airflow.

[JT56]

[QUOTE=chevynut;28914]JT, do the covers allow air to circulate, or are they tight-fitting? These fans draw 265 watts EACH so it seems like they would need some cooling air. It puzzles me that none of the fans I've looked at seem to have motor cooling vents.

CN are there any holes on the front end of the motor, similar to the ones on the back side? I will look at mine when I get home.

[chevynut]

JT, no there are no holes in the front of the motors.

[JT56]

i was wondering if there was holes to allow air to go through...let me check on mine!

[JT56]

Laszlo, I didn't see any holes on the back side of my fans. I turned them on without the engine running and didn't feel any air coming around them either? When you think of an electric motor, whether its a open drip case or TEFC you can see and/or feel the where the air would come out...I dont have a logical explanation for this. However, I can say they have worked flawlessly without any failures.