Getting that Jones Racing Fan Sorted
Alright, so I finally decided to tackle the cooling situation on the project car. The old fan just wasn’t cutting it, especially on hotter days sitting in traffic. Heard good things about Jones Racing Products, figured I’d give their electric fan a shot. Ordered the sucker and it showed up pretty quick.
First step, obviously, was getting the old clunker out. That was a bit more of a fight than I expected. Couple of rusty bolts, awkward angles trying to reach stuff. You know how it goes. Had to wiggle it out carefully to avoid dinging up the radiator. Finally got it out and tossed it in the scrap pile.
Next up, unpacking the new Jones fan. Looked pretty solid right out of the box. Decent build. Instructions were… well, they were there. Mostly pictures. Good enough, I guess.
Mounting the New Fan
This part went smoother than taking the old one out, thankfully. Lined it up against the radiator. The mounting points were almost perfect. Almost. Had to slightly enlarge one of the holes on the bracket they supplied. Not a big deal, just grabbed the drill and sorted it out in a few minutes. Bolted it down nice and snug.
Wiring Woes
Then came the wiring. This is where I usually slow down, double-check everything. The fan came with a decent pigtail. I already had a relay kit ready to go because I didn’t want to just slap it onto the existing old wiring. Running the wires cleanly took some time. Found a good spot for the relay, hooked into switched power, grounded it properly. The instructions provided a basic diagram, which helped.
- Ran the main power wire (fused, of course).
- Connected the trigger wire to an ignition-on source.
- Grounded the fan and the relay.
- Tidied everything up with zip ties and loom.
The Moment of Truth
Got everything buttoned up. Took a breath, turned the key to accessory power. Nothing. Okay, good. Started the engine. Let it warm up, watching the temp gauge like a hawk. Right around when the thermostat should open… click! The relay kicked in and the fan roared to life. Man, this thing moves some serious air. Way more than the old stocker.
It’s a bit louder than the old fan, but not obnoxious. More like a purposeful hum. You can definitely hear it working, which I kinda like. Let the car idle for a good 20 minutes, temp stayed rock solid. Took it for a quick spin around the block, couple of stop-starts. Seems to be doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.
So yeah, overall, pretty happy with the Jones Racing fan. Took an afternoon, a bit of fiddling with the mounting bracket, and careful wiring. But it’s in, it works, and hopefully, no more overheating worries. Solid upgrade.
