Reverse Fan

   / Reverse Fan #1  

garth466

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
162
Location
Arlington, WA
Tractor
John Deere 3120
This thought just came to me through another section after I got some flak for posting a picture of my tractor with a dirty grill. I swear that grill is like a vacuum cleaner and I find myself clearing it when I'm working in debris a lot.

The idea I have is a button that reverses the fan for about 5 seconds when you hit it. Just blow it all out. I usually lift the hood and let it slam back down. Anyone heard of such a thing?
 
   / Reverse Fan #2  
Electric fan? Well most electric radiator fans work by creating a slight vacume inside the inner radiator shroud. They move quite a bit of air thru the radiator this way(high volume, low pressure), but because they are not in a cylinder, they don't blow much air. I don't think it would work very well, but it would be easy enough to test.
 
   / Reverse Fan #3  
I've seen a reverse fan (blades have oppisite pitch) put on a Ford 4000 for just the same reason. I think it came from a NAPA or such. It worked GREAT. Never any crap build-up on the radiator at all. If I rember right, the guy had to go to a slightly cooler thermostat because the fans suck better than they blow...I think that was it. Anyway, it worked. Mike
 
   / Reverse Fan #4  
vallyfarm said:
I've seen a reverse fan (blades have oppisite pitch) put on a Ford 4000 for just the same reason. I think it came from a NAPA or such. It worked GREAT. Never any crap build-up on the radiator at all. If I rember right, the guy had to go to a slightly cooler thermostat because the fans suck better than they blow...I think that was it. Anyway, it worked. Mike


So what keeps the crap from clogging the back side of the radiator? The stuff that clogs the grill, screen or radiator passages is airborne. Even if you reverse the airflow fulltime, you still have airflow that comes from somewhere around the tractor so I think you would have the same problem, only in an area that is more difficult to clean... A short reverse flow might help unclog the grill, but I wouldn't reverse full time...
 
   / Reverse Fan
  • Thread Starter
#5  
That last point makes sense. I would just have stuff to clean on the inside of the grill.

Okay, now that idea is out of my head. I won't have to worry to much about that stuff here in the NW for a while. It's going to rain from now until July 5 so everything will stay too wet to be airborn.
 
   / Reverse Fan #6  
Well, since you have dismissed the idea, I guess I just won't mention the commercial product that does pretty much just what you described in your initial post. :)

BTW, as soon as I get some time, I am going to build my own version for my Power Trac's hydraulic cooler, which regularly gets clogged with chaff on its intake side.
 
   / Reverse Fan #7  
Ford offered fans for either direction on older tractors (I'v seen a 9n with a factory reverse fan). I could see how it would be better, as you are in direct contact with tall weeds (like goat weeds) from the front and not from the rear. Also, it would be much easier to wash out the core from the front to back than from the back to front.
 
   / Reverse Fan #8  
I like the idea of a reverse fow fan, too.

The only other prob with it is the possibilty of cooking your battery,
as it would get the direct blast of air off the hot radiator. This is
assuming your battery is in front.
 
   / Reverse Fan #9  
I would bet the battery won't get as hot as the one under the hood of your car/truck, it's getting the cooling system heat, the AC system heat, and the heat of the exhaust system and thats 1000* hotter than anything from the radiator.
 
   / Reverse Fan #10  
It was not uncommon for people to reverse the fan on the old 8N Ford tractors when it was time to run the bush hog thru weeds and such that would clog the radiator in short order. Yes it would plug up the rear side too, but not nearly as soon as the front in high weeds and seeds, so it was a good trade off.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

UNUSED LANDHONOR DDSL FUEL TRANSFER PUMP (A50460)
UNUSED LANDHONOR...
CURTIS RS75D E25C ROTARY SCREW AIR COMPRESSOR (A50460)
CURTIS RS75D E25C...
2002 53ft. Enclosed T/A Reefer Trailer (A48081)
2002 53ft...
2004 Ford E-250 Cargo Van (A50323)
2004 Ford E-250...
UNUSED Hook & Eye Turnbuckle Set (A50860)
UNUSED Hook & Eye...
2012 Freightliner Cascadia - Class 8, 6x4, Detroit DD13 (A50397)
2012 Freightliner...
 
Top