2.5L ('98-'01) discontinued 'radiator fan blade' solutions - 98-00

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

looks like every pick-n-pull truck has a severely cracked radiator fan blade, and replacements are no longer available on rock auto or any other websites.
what are your solutions for replacing your severely cracked radiator fan blade before it grenades itself through your engine bay?

electric fan blade instillation? requires adding in a temp sensor, yes?
fan blade adapter to a different fan blade?
expand search to 2.3l 92-97 fan blade?
do 6cyl 92-00 rangers also use the same fan blade?
what about smearing superglue all over the cracked areas, lol? or would this cause significant imbalances?

any other solutions?

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

E fan is simple.

Relay to fan and key on power. Thermostat housing to control in LOWER rad hose. Been through a lot of thermostats, American Volt ones seem to last longest.

I do mine janky by adding two aluminum bar stock sections across the rad on spacers and bolt the e fan to it. Works well. Plastic tabs suck.

Retain factory fan shroud.

Don't glue your stock one. It will fail.

Clutch fan is parasitic loss. E fan is better until towing or forced induction. YMMV, watch for uneven tire wear.

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I also may have a clutch fan off a 1997 2.3 laying around... maybe. I'll look.

 

[cbxer55]

E fan is simple.

Relay to fan and key on power. Thermostat housing to control in LOWER rad hose. Been through a lot of thermostats, American Volt ones seem to last longest.

I do mine janky by adding two aluminum bar stock sections across the rad on spacers and bolt the e fan to it. Works well. Plastic tabs suck.

Retain factory fan shroud.

Don't glue your stock one. It will fail.

Clutch fan is parasitic loss. E fan is better until towing or forced induction. YMMV, watch for uneven tire wear.

Ummmm. What does tire wear have to do with the radiator fan.

A few years ago, I attempted to put a "Plug and play" efan on my 2004 Ford LIGHTNING. First time it turned on, the fan controller and the fan went up in smoke. I mean fire. And I had no extinguisher. Fortunately, when I yanked the wires out of the controller, it went out. I'll never do an efan ever again. Plus I ain't sure the stock alternator has enough oomph for efans. And I like my fan turning full time, not sporatically like efans do. Plus, when the efan is running, it loads up the alternator, which also adds drag to the motor.

Lots of guys on LightningRodder.com, the site for supercharged V-8 LIGHTNINGs, refuse to run efans. Alternator can't handle the load, and there is no provision for putting a larger alternator on unless you modify the intake manifod. ForgetAboutThatShit!

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

Ummmm. What does tire wear have to do with the radiator fan.

One must always be vigilant concerning uneven tire wear.

 

[cbxer55]

I have a 98 3.0 Ranger with a clutch fan and 208,000 miles. So far the fan is fine. Clutch slips a bit more than it should, but I run a 160 thermostat, so it matters not. Temperature needle ponts in between the two horizontal bars at the bottom of the gauge. 160 thermostat prevents the computer from switching to Closed Loop. Runs Open loop full time. Open loop ignores the o2 sensors. Runs SWEET!

 

[cbxer55]

One must always be vigilant concerning uneven tire wear.

This I understand. Both my trucks run staggered rims and tires. So I cannot rotate front-to-rear like most. I watch them daily, and when needed, take the tires off the rims and flip them inside out. Do that about every 10,000 miles and the tires go like the EverReady Bunny.

Ranger has 245s on the back on 8.5 inch rims. 195s on the front on 7.0 rims.
Lightning has 390s on the back on 12 inch rims. And six inch wide tires on the front on 4.5 inch rims.