Has anybody replaced the hydraulic radiator fan on their 2002

Transporter

Transporter

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Thunderbird Year
2002
Has anybody done this or looked into it? Is there even room to remove what is there and maybe install dual electric radiator fans? When it is 95 degrees outside and one has been idling in traffic, pulls into the garage and the fan is running full speed until what, you run off the engine. No run on like electric thermostat controlled fans. I can think of a few other times I would rather have dual electric fans.


Moderator Note 2020- Instructions are in this thread- https://forums.fordthunderbirdforum...raulic-cooling-fan-conversion.8605/post-55266
 
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The hydraulic fan in these cars has to be near the top of Ford's dumbass ideas. If or when mine dies it's coming out and an electric fan is going in. The A/C would work better, it would cool the radiator after shut down, reliable and no engine pump.
 
Netconn said:
The hydraulic fan in these cars has to be near the top of Ford's dumbass ideas. If or when mine dies it's coming out and an electric fan is going in. The A/C would work better, it would cool the radiator after shut down, reliable and no engine pump.
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Exactly, so I am hoping somebody has already done this and has some ideas or pointers. Reliability and increased A/C efficiency would be great.
 
Hydraulic cooling fan? I had no idea. So where does the fan get the fluid to run, power steering reservoir??? Things get more complicated every day, don't they.
 
Elsie said:
Hydraulic cooling fan? I had no idea. So where does the fan get the fluid to run, power steering reservoir??? Things get more complicated every day, don't they.
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Don't worry, they figured out how stupid of an idea it was in the first place and only the 2002 has this dumb idea! No it has its own reservoir up front where most cars would have a starter battery (as if there was room for a battery up front which is why it is in the wheel well where the other stupid idea is, the rent-a-spare!). There is barely room for the reservoir with how tight things are with how much space the 238 CI motor takes up.

The first time the better half went to refill the windshield washer fluid, she had already taken the cap off the fan reservoir before I caught her about to pour Prestone Bug Wash into the fan reservoir.
 
Removed all the hydrolic crap off my 2002, installed a 100" belt, and flex a lite controllermand a flex a lite #188 fan with shroud. In the testing process, seems to run good. The 188 fan is 3300 cfm puller fan
 
The hydraulic fan motor and pump in my 2002 was a Jaguar carry-over, as the English had a serious distrust of anything that was powered by Lucas electrical systems. Lucas were known for being barely sufficient to power a simple car that had headlights and windshield wipers, much less a cooling fan. So they relied on hydraulic systems. I had to replace mine as either the pump or the fan motor disintegrated and destroyed the other, requiring the replacement of both, costing $3K. I've had other english cars, and the Lucas systems in them were a prime example of criminal negligence at the very least.
 
Anyone try any of these replacement options and which is best the electric? My 2002 is in the shop now and ford cannot find a pump or solenoid that controls the pump anywhere, Please Help it has been in the shop for 5 weeks and I really miss it.
Russ
 
Russ656 said:
Anyone try any of these replacement options and which is best the electric? My 2002 is in the shop now and ford cannot find a pump or solenoid that controls the pump anywhere, Please Help it has been in the shop for 5 weeks and I really miss it.
Russ
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Velvet just got a new one and they got it from a place in Overland Park, Kate (Bob Allen Ford) brand new. Phone number: (913) 381- 2229... I feel your pain! Go set her free!
 
I replaced the hydraulic fan, pump, and solenoid on a friends car that was overheating, and total
cost was right at $442.00. Car has not overheated since. Took 4 hours for the first car I have done.

An electric fan is not going to make that much of a difference when you turn the car engine off because
the water pump no longer pumps water through the engine, so how much can an
electric fan help cool the engine after engine is turned off.

In 17 years my 2002 Bird has never gotten temp above the 1/2 way mark, and I am in Texas where
we have 104 degree days.
 
Elaineinwa said:
That is Kansas... not Kate!
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Can you tell me, what is the part/parts number?

I have the 2002 that when runs right, the temp is at 50% all the time, regardless of ambient temp. Thirteen months ago, I had to have the hydraulic fan pump and power steering pressure switch replaced because the car temp was going to 100% and the red light came on. Here I am a few thousand miles later and the same thing is going on. The car was at the mechanic's but they cannot find the part again. They have done a nation-wide search, but are told that it's on national backorder. It's been about three weeks.
 
Transporter said:
Has anybody done this or looked into it? Is there even room to remove what is there and maybe install dual electric radiator fans? When it is 95 degrees outside and one has been idling in traffic, pulls into the garage and the fan is running full speed until what, you run off the engine. No run on like electric thermostat controlled fans. I can think of a few other times I would rather have dual electric fans.
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For my 2004 TBird I just paid $1,545.00 to have the whole fan replaced. My tech tried two other aftermarket fans, none of them would fit. They called the dealer and the dealer said there was not an aftermarket fan for these cars. My tech said the dealer charged him $825 for the fan assembly, which i thought was highway robbery. In any case with their labor that was my bill. Sadly, i just had the radiator replaced at $760.00, and 2 weeks later $1,400.00 to have every hose, o-ring, thermostat & housing, water connection replaced, as the car was overheating constantly. That's $3,705.00 in overheating repairs in a 60 day period. I'm waiting for the water pump to fail now, that's the only part not replaced.
 
Wow that was a steep bill for cooling. We sure do have to love these darn T-Birds!
 
There are threads on this site which mounts a electric fan system off a Dodge Ram that fits the thunderbird radiator. Flex-a-lite 183 Kit comes to mind And uses a controller. Another thread takes you through the process of removing the hydraulic bits then installing the electric.
 
04tbirdjerry said:
For my 2004 TBird I just paid $1,545.00 to have the whole fan replaced. My tech tried two other aftermarket fans, none of them would fit. They called the dealer and the dealer said there was not an aftermarket fan for these cars. My tech said the dealer charged him $825 for the fan assembly, which i thought was highway robbery. In any case with their labor that was my bill. Sadly, i just had the radiator replaced at $760.00, and 2 weeks later $1,400.00 to have every hose, o-ring, thermostat & housing, water connection replaced, as the car was overheating constantly. That's $3,705.00 in overheating repairs in a 60 day period. I'm waiting for the water pump to fail now, that's the only part not replaced.
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I hat to tell you but you got screwed. Just buy your parts with a google search and stay away from dealers. There are plenty of aftermarket fans.
 
The Flash said:
I hat to tell you but you got screwed. Just buy your parts with a google search and stay away from dealers. There are plenty of aftermarket fans.
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I halfway think the tech i used (not dealer) did not repair it right the first time; they don't like rework, so they always find something new that's wrong.

medurham said:
There are threads on this site which mounts a electric fan system off a Dodge Ram that fits the thunderbird radiator. Flex-a-lite 183 Kit comes to mind And uses a controller. Another thread takes you through the process of removing the hydraulic bits then installing the electric.
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In my case the car was in creep mode across the street from the service place i have been using, so i drove it in there and was pretty much at their mercy.
 
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