25 replies to this topic

[tiger99]

Oh, and that looks as if it was brittle.

[racingbob]

heres a minis r us one looks like non genuine wont be going back on

 

changed because running a revotec electric fan and  single blade metal fan

 

 

 

http://i1199.photobu...zpsleugcryh.jpg

[Spider]

 

 

 

Exactly the same happened to me, new genuine fan from mini spares and under the same conditions..
Only with mine there was nothing left of the blades at all, just the yellow hub!!!

Same fan!:l

 

 

Do Mini Spares have Genuine plastic fans?  The ones they've supplied me weren't genuine.

 

 

They say these are genuine Rover parts from BMH http://www.minispare...|Back to search

 

 

I can't say if they are or aren't the one's that they have supplied me in the past, I somehow don't think so as they didn't have all that blurb up when I was supplied the last I bought.

 

Anyone got one of these who can see if there's any wording moulded in to the centre hub?

[the.stroker]

I take it it came with the blades on stroker

Sure did, is now stripped like a chicken

[Dusky]

What spacer is used on carbed 1992 engines with the breather on the timing cover?
I found http://www.minispare...12.aspx|Back to

 on minispares (instead of the 4mm one I have) , but what thickness is this actually?

As 11.3mm is not 7/8" so it must be a typo somwhere..

 

Anyone got a pic to show how much clearance there should be between fan and breather?

 

Cheers guys :)

[nicklouse]

I have always regarded them as 1/2"

[carbon]

I'm pretty sure the original fans are made from polyethylene.

 

Polyethylene is the same material used to make the yellow gas piping. Very tough, and would not shatter unless it was extremely cold..

[Dusky]

Wonder if wind rushing over them at High Speed would freeze them like carb icing?

[tiger99]

Carbon, that makes sense. As you say, it does not shatter. In fact it distorts horribly and elongates out of shape when massively overloaded, but hangs together as long as possible, as we have probably all seen. It is tough rather than brittle.

 

If it was polyethylene the blades might have been hanging at odd angles but they would not have all come off, leaving something that seems to me to resemble brittle fracture. Hence I suspect that they have used a cheaper plastic. I didn't think that was possible, as polyethylene is quite simple to make.

 

Now PVC would be brittle, especially if they had skimped on the plasticiser. UPVC behaves very differently from polyethylene, and will fracture. Drain pipe is a typical example. But with a heavy does of plasticiser it is useless for making fans but ok for wire insulation, as we all know.

 

They certainly didn't make them from polycarbonate. Far too expensive, but easily destroyed by some organic solvents and stuff that may be found in sufficient concentration to damage in used oil, for example. And it wasn't PEEK, the king of the plastics family. You would just about be able to make a con rod with that, but a titanium one might be cheaper.

 

Mixed recycled junk, with plenty of dye of the right colour?

[carbon]

Like many things if you ask for much cheapness you get what you pay for.

 

Good quality polyethylene of the correct grade can be incredibly strong, some speciality grades can have tensile strength higher than mild steel (but would not be suitable for an injection moulded part like the Mini fan).

 

If the fan which failed is made of polyethylene then they have either used the wrong grade, or used cheap recycled polymer.

 

Whatever plastic they are using this batch of fans are not safe to use, and need to be taken out of circulation asap.

[tiger99]

I totally agree. On the subject of polyethylene, did you know that for some large professional firework displays the mortars used to launch the fireworks into the air are made from the poly gas pipe that you mentioned earlier, because if it fails it just splits quite passively and doesn't generate shrapnel, unlike almost all other materials? Good choice for a fan, if of the right quality.