Disturbed... (not the band, a state of mind...)

[AllanD]

I found something yesterday that left me feeling disturbed...

In the junkyard with the engine already removed was a hard hit 2009
4.0SOHC supercab...

what disturbed me was the cooling fan...

Not a "clutch fan"....

Not an electric fan....

It was HYDRAULICALLY driven by the power steering system...


Who thunk up that idiotic idea?

AD

 

[kevinsranger]

its weird, alot of the new construction equipment are equipped with hydraulic fans driven off the hyd pump now

 

[exbass94]

I've heard some Lexuses have hydraulic fans.

 

[straycat]

Many vehicles had it many years back, Bro. Lexus, Jeep Grand Cherokees for examples. Nothing new. You can convert yours as well.

 

[shane96ranger]

You can convert yours as well.

Just curious why he would do that when he clearly said he was disturbed by it.....

 

[straycat]

Just curious why he would do that when he clearly said he was disturbed by it.....

Because his new name is now 'Disturbo'....lol. I can't believe that disturbed him!! There is so much more to life then freaking out over a hydraulic conversion that many vehicles have used for many years and this setup goes way back many years. Ok...this bothers me....some guy puts giant exhaust stacks on a Ranger or another compact truck.....looks so dorky and stupid...but that does not disturb me....I laugh and so do my friends about it.

'I am a wack job...I saw a hydraulic thingie'....lol

 

[Captain Ledd]

Well, ok, so the hydraulic conversion is not as uncommon as we thought. But WHY?

The only advantage I could see is if you needed to move a large volume of air in a constrained space and needed the extra torque from thick ol' fan blades. But if that's the case (like with this Ranger) why not a solid mounted fan? it's VASTLY cheaper and simpler than a hydraulic setup, and would probably even work better for moving tons of air.

The only thing I can see it used for is construction or other equipment where the fan can't exactly be in front of the engine, for whatever reason.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

No idea why they would bother on a Ranger... unless they could shut it off completly when it wasn't needed and wanted to be more original than just an efan.

 

[doorgunner]

No idea why they would bother on a Ranger... unless they could shut it off completly when it wasn't needed and wanted to be more original than just an efan.

OR.....

one of ford's engine-eer's had a brother-in-law that needed to unload 10,000 hydraulic motors....

 

[Shran]

Interesting, I have never heard of that. I would guess the reason for it would be engine efficiency, if you have one less belt driven piece on the engine, it would be slightly more efficient. I'd think if you could control the flow of fluid just right it would be a nice setup, but I'd hate to clean up after a major leak, just imagine losing a line and having the fan blow ATF all over the engine bay.

 

[adsm08]

I don't think that sounds factory....

I'mma go look that up...

 

[racsan]

yet another hydraulic line to possibly leak? heck no, i wouldnt want one! have enough issues here in the salt belt with steel brake lines, powersteering lines, ect.

 

[snoranger]

They must have had a bunch a hydro fans left over from the Lincoln LS and raided the parts bin.

 

[macd7919]

FWIW, Toyota Supra Twin Turbo engines (93.5-01) imported from Japan have a hydraulic fan run off the water pump, kind of weird but it swaps right out with a standard water pump from a U.S. spec car and you just use the U.S. spec fan driven off the accessory belt in it's place.

 

[70roadrunner]

hydraulic motors last many years. probably puts very little more load on steering pump, less than a belt driven fan. my guess is to replace the fan that ALWAYS breaks between the blades, and lasts way longer than an electric motor that gets water FORCED into it when its raining