Cooling is one of those systems that gets ignored until the day it lets you down. On a mild commute, a factory fan usually does exactly what it was designed to do. Add boost, a bigger radiator, sustained high loads or an Australian summer in stop-start traffic, and the gap between a genuine OEM fan and a purpose-built aftermarket unit starts to matter. That's where SPAL fans have built their reputation.
This article looks at how OEM fans and SPAL fans differ in design intent, what brushless technology actually changes, and when an upgrade makes practical sense for a street car, a weekend car or a dedicated track build.
What a genuine OEM fan is actually designed to do
Factory cooling fans are engineered around a very specific brief: keep a standard engine, with standard power output and standard airflow, within temperature across the manufacturer's expected operating range. They're designed to a cost target, to a noise target, and to package neatly inside a shroud that was designed around the car on the production line.
That brief produces some real strengths. OEM fans usually fit perfectly, plug into the factory loom, and integrate with the car's existing temperature control strategy without any additional hardware. For a standard vehicle, there's very little reason to change them.
Where the OEM brief starts to run out
- More heat than the factory ever planned for. Forced induction, larger injectors, aggressive tunes and long high-load periods all add heat load the original fan wasn't sized for.
- Changed radiator dimensions. Fit a thicker or wider aluminium radiator and the original shroud and fan may no longer match the core, leaving unswept areas.
- Low-speed and stationary airflow. Pit lane, grid, dyno queues and city traffic all remove ram air, leaving the fan doing 100% of the work.
- Age. Motors wear, bearings dry out and blades go brittle. A twenty-year-old fan rarely moves what it did new.
How SPAL fans differ
SPAL is an Italian manufacturer that has supplied cooling fans to automotive, commercial, agricultural and motorsport applications for decades. Rather than designing a fan around one specific vehicle, SPAL designs high-performance fan assemblies to hit airflow and duty-cycle targets, then offers them in a wide range of diameters, thicknesses and blade profiles so builders can match a fan to the radiator and the space available.
Practically, the differences enthusiasts notice most are:
Airflow per square millimetre of radiator
SPAL publishes airflow figures for its fans, which lets you select a fan on data rather than guesswork. On a performance build with a larger core, that means you can choose a fan (or a pair of fans) that actually covers and pulls through the core area you've fitted, instead of hoping the original unit is close enough.
Blade design and shroud integration
Curved and skewed blade profiles are used to move more air for a given amount of noise and current draw. Many SPAL fans are supplied as complete shrouded assemblies, which matters because an unshrouded fan only pulls air through the area directly in front of it — a shroud forces air across the whole core.
Duty cycle and build quality
Motorsport and commercial applications expect fans to run for long periods at full load. That design expectation carries across to the performance range, which is a large part of why SPAL fans are so commonly specified on track and competition builds.
Brushed vs brushless: the bigger jump
The most significant technical difference between many OEM fans and the current SPAL range is the move to brushless motors.
A conventional brushed fan motor is essentially on or off (or has a couple of fixed speeds via a resistor pack). Brushes are a wear item, and the motor draws substantial current at start-up.
A brushless motor uses electronic commutation. In a cooling fan, that brings several benefits:
- Variable speed. The fan can ramp smoothly with coolant temperature rather than slamming on at full noise, which reduces electrical spikes and makes the car far more pleasant on the street.
- Lower current draw for a given airflow. This is a genuine consideration on older cars, cars running standalone ECUs, or builds with limited alternator headroom and a lot of electrical accessories.
- No brushes to wear. Fewer consumable components in a part that may run continuously during a session.
- Soft start. Less stress on wiring, relays and the charging system.
Brushless fans do require appropriate control and wiring. SPAL supports this with dedicated harness adapters and temperature control sensors, so the fan can be integrated properly rather than wired as a crude on/off circuit.
Controlling the fan properly
A performance fan is only as good as the way it's triggered. Getting control right is what separates a tidy install from a car that either overheats in traffic or runs the fan constantly.
Temperature control sensors
SPAL offers variable temperature control sensors in different ranges, allowing the fan to start ramping at a temperature that suits the engine and thermostat you're running. A lower range suits engines running a cooler thermostat or builds where you want the fan working earlier; a higher range suits engines designed to run warmer and avoids the fan cycling unnecessarily.
Harness adapters
Rather than cutting into a factory loom, SPAL harness adapters provide a defined connection point for the fan and its control input. There are dedicated adapters for the BEAST 3700 series as well as general brushless applications.
Cooling fans draw significant current and sit in an environment full of heat, vibration and moisture. Installation and wiring by a qualified professional is recommended, particularly where a brushless fan is being integrated with an ECU output or an existing factory circuit.
Street use vs track use
Street
For a street-driven car, the main pain points are traffic, air conditioning load and summer ambient temperatures. A variable-speed brushless fan is a strong fit here because it can hold coolant temperature steady with a gentle ramp instead of a loud on/off cycle. It also reduces the electrical hit at start-up, which is worth having on a car with an older charging system.
Track
On track, the fan matters most when the car is not moving: grid, pit lane, cool-down laps and post-session idle. Heat soak after a session can push coolant and intake temperatures well above anything seen on track. A fan sized to the radiator, with a proper shroud, helps pull those temperatures back down before the next session rather than leaving the car sitting hot.
Track cars also tend to have modified front ends — relocated intercoolers, oil coolers, aero and ducting — which change airflow through the radiator. A fan chosen to match the actual core, rather than the original factory core, is usually the right approach.
Choosing the right SPAL fan
A few practical points to work through before ordering from the SPAL range:
- Measure the available depth. Between the radiator face and the engine, pulley or crank snout. This is usually the limiting dimension.
- Measure the core, not the shroud. Fan diameter should suit the swept area you're trying to cover.
- Decide puller or pusher. Puller fans (behind the radiator) are generally more efficient. Pusher fans are used when there is no room behind the core.
- Check electrical headroom. Consider alternator output and existing loads, especially on older vehicles.
- Plan control early. Decide whether the fan will be driven by a temperature sensor or an ECU output before you buy the harness components.
Is an upgrade always necessary?
No. If a vehicle is standard, the cooling system is in good condition and it holds temperature in traffic, the factory fan is doing its job. An upgrade earns its place when the heat load has changed, the radiator has changed, the original fan has aged out, or the car regularly operates at high load with little airflow. In those cases, a correctly sized SPAL fan with proper control is a considered engineering choice rather than a cosmetic one.
FAQ
Will a SPAL fan fit my factory shroud?
Some will, depending on diameter and mounting arrangement, but many SPAL performance fans are supplied as complete shrouded assemblies designed to be fitted to the radiator directly. Measure your core and available depth, and check the specifications for the fan you're considering.
Do I need a brushless fan, or is a standard SPAL fan enough?
A conventional SPAL fan can be more than adequate where airflow is the only concern. Brushless becomes attractive when you want variable speed, lower current draw or reduced maintenance — particularly on cars with limited electrical headroom or that spend long periods idling hot.
Which temperature control sensor range should I choose?
Match it to your thermostat and target operating temperature. A lower range brings the fan in earlier and suits cooler-running setups; a higher range suits engines designed to run warmer and avoids the fan working when it isn't needed.
Can I wire a brushless fan straight to a switch?
Brushless fans expect a proper control input rather than a simple on/off feed, which is why SPAL supplies harness adapters and control sensors. Installation and wiring by a qualified professional is recommended.
Do I need one fan or two?
It depends on core dimensions and available depth. Wide radiators are often better served by twin fans to cover more of the core, while a single large fan can suit narrower or taller cores. Coverage of the core area is the key consideration.
Need help choosing? Contact our team at sales@chicaneaustralia.com.au.