Carbon Fiber Fan
03-22-2019, 07:02 PM
#1
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Carbon Fiber Fan
So I was at the Porsche Museum today and noted that one of the 60’s racecars had the engine fan made from a fiberglass. It got me to thinking, has anyone attempted making a carbon fiber version of the fan and wouldn’t that have lots of advantages as compared to the standard fan as far as rolling resistance? Is the cost prohibitive?
03-23-2019, 12:42 PM
#2
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Well, the weight loss would be negligible I think. You would have to balance the fan since it spins pretty fast and small imbalances would create stress, something carbon never liked. I think cost / benefit ratio is not there unless you are chasing ounces to shave off.
03-23-2019, 03:51 PM
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Weight savings would be the primary goal but if it’s not that significant then I agree it wouldn’t make sense. I’ve never held the fan in my hand but it’s appearance gave me the impression it had some heft hence my question.
03-24-2019, 04:16 AM
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Still awaiting the Plastic Fan
This is what inspired my question:
03-25-2019, 10:48 AM
#7
Burning Brakes
Whilst searching the net for CF decklids and hoods, I'm sure I've seen some pics of CF 964/993 engine fans...
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03-25-2019, 11:06 AM
#8
That fan is so essential to operations on an air cooled car, that I would be EXTREMELY hesitant to replace it with something that wasn't factory sanctioned for a street or maybe endurance race car.
Think of the range of speeds, heat conditions, heat stress, exposure to the elements, exposure to oils, road grime, chemicals, etc. that these fans are exposed to. Yet they perform correctly for decades. By contrast, a failure could mean serious engine damage.
Think of the range of speeds, heat conditions, heat stress, exposure to the elements, exposure to oils, road grime, chemicals, etc. that these fans are exposed to. Yet they perform correctly for decades. By contrast, a failure could mean serious engine damage.
03-25-2019, 12:44 PM
#9
Burning Brakes
I went one better....
I just cut all the blades off my factory fan. That way I reduced not only the weight but the wind resistance as well. PLUS I am able to maintain the factory reliability of the aluminum part.
I just cut all the blades off my factory fan. That way I reduced not only the weight but the wind resistance as well. PLUS I am able to maintain the factory reliability of the aluminum part.
03-27-2019, 09:31 AM
#10
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I believe Bob Linton made one for the America GS. Pretty much anything that could be made from CF is on that car.
We were looking for a FG flat fan for a 962 project my friend is working on and what we came up with is nobody is able to reproduce the old FG fans without them breaking apart after a short amount of time. The mag fans are fine and if properly cared for will last a lifetime or more. It is the lack of proper maintenance of the protective coating that does these in.
We were looking for a FG flat fan for a 962 project my friend is working on and what we came up with is nobody is able to reproduce the old FG fans without them breaking apart after a short amount of time. The mag fans are fine and if properly cared for will last a lifetime or more. It is the lack of proper maintenance of the protective coating that does these in.
03-27-2019, 01:49 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
I believe Bob Linton made one for the America GS. Pretty much anything that could be made from CF is on that car.
We were looking for a FG flat fan for a 962 project my friend is working on and what we came up with is nobody is able to reproduce the old FG fans without them breaking apart after a short amount of time. The mag fans are fine and if properly cared for will last a lifetime or more. It is the lack of proper maintenance of the protective coating that does these in.
We were looking for a FG flat fan for a 962 project my friend is working on and what we came up with is nobody is able to reproduce the old FG fans without them breaking apart after a short amount of time. The mag fans are fine and if properly cared for will last a lifetime or more. It is the lack of proper maintenance of the protective coating that does these in.
Thank you.
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Railmaster. (04-28-2020)
03-27-2019, 03:59 PM
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Basically the fans need regular cleaning and will also need touch up to prevent extensive corrosion. I have been using a microfiber dampened with quick detail spray and wiping the surface after every couple of drives.
My fan looks new but while detailing it a few months ago I noticed a very very slight hairline crack at one of the casting points. It hasn’t propagated in over 1700 miles but I’m watching it very closely.
I’m not surprised that FG isn’t available either, it likely requires a very specific way to build just like CF.
My fan looks new but while detailing it a few months ago I noticed a very very slight hairline crack at one of the casting points. It hasn’t propagated in over 1700 miles but I’m watching it very closely.
I’m not surprised that FG isn’t available either, it likely requires a very specific way to build just like CF.
03-27-2019, 07:51 PM
#13
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^^ as Afshin said. Touching up the chips along the edge created by debris helps to keep the magnesium from exposure to the elements. Also a big mistake many make is putting a screwdriver or pry bar between the blades to tighten or loosen the fan belt. This can crack the blade at the base and can lead to premature failure. Believe it or not I have seen mechanics do this which is a huge mistake.
04-27-2020, 10:02 PM
#14
Carbon Fiber Fan
So I was at the Porsche Museum today and noted that one of the 60’s racecars had the engine fan made from a fiberglass. It got me to thinking, has anyone attempted making a carbon fiber version of the fan and wouldn’t that have lots of advantages as compared to the standard fan as far as rolling resistance? Is the cost prohibitive?
