Electric fan install?

[Bob Ayers]

i think you just like to argue......

No, I hate for young people to be misled about the advantages of some of these "performance mods", and they throw what little money they have away on them!

A substantial performance increase (and MPG decrease) requires major engine modifications, and big $$$. The e-fans, K&N air filters and intakes just aren't going to do it!!!

This is why I take a stand against them!!

 

[mjonesjr]

on my '97, i didn't make any major engine mods (X2, UDP, efan, catback).....along with my gears, i got a 2-3 mpg increase with the 35" tires I had over the stock tires.....the efan contributes a little more than people give them credit for.....

 

[Bob Ayers]

on my '97, i didn't make any major engine mods (X2, UDP, efan, catback).....along with my gears, i got a 2-3 mpg increase with the 35" tires I had over the stock tires.....the efan contributes a little more than people give them credit for.....

Do you have any idea how much you invested all of these mods? What was the gear change? Did you get your speedometer (odometer) re-calibrated?

Driving habits will affect your MPG more than the mods you did!

 

[mjonesjr]

Do you have any idea how much you invested all of these mods? What was the gear change? Did you get your speedometer (odometer) re-calibrated?

Driving habits will affect your MPG more than the mods you did!

Mods:
X2 - $350
efan & controller - $150
UDP - $250
Gearing (front and rear w/ installation): $350 (got the rears installed for $80 and I did the front)

the speedo was recalibrated.....


trust me, my driving habits haven't changed....

 

[Bob Ayers]

Mods:
X2 - $350
efan & controller - $150
UDP - $250
Gearing (front and rear w/ installation): $350 (got the rears installed for $80 and I did the front)

the speedo was recalibrated.....


trust me, my driving habits haven't changed....

Plus the catback.......I didn't mean to imply that your driving habits had changed, I was saying you could have changed your MPG more by driving habits, than the change from your mods.

 

[mjonesjr]

cat back was $125 new from Summit.....it is the Dynomax...

 

[Explorin94]

There are pro's and con's to having an electric fan. I have one on my 92. The only reason was because the plastic on the stock fan was cracked so bad that I no longer trusted it. A pro for the electric fan is you could shut it off when going through deep water. Cons where if it stopped for what ever and you sat for a while somewhere for any reason the motor got hot. Cons for the clutch fan, can't shut off when going through deep water. If the clutch fan froze you had to listen to the fan until the clutch was replaced. If it failed the other way it sure to go through the radiator. Pro's are if the clutch failed anyother way it had some cooling efect ebven though it was limp.
I agree with MJones with the Taurus fan and that it is one of the best you can get next to an "S" fan that cost you hundreds of dollars new. That fan was a little known secret for a while and now the cat is out of the bag. I have on on my 85 GT and I have never seen it get over 155 degrees sitting still.

 

[Bird]

Rush hour traffic in New Orleans is quite uncomfortable for people, but it only has two of four difficulties for cooling systems. These are:

1. High temperature
2. Low humidity
3. High altitude
4. Low airspeed

If you want a REAL test, try a high altitude desert pass in summer. And enjoy the white smoke and snot in the oil cap you'll get from it.

If your fan is drawing a lot of power at low speed, THAT'S WHAT IT IS THERE FOR. You need the airflow. And why the HELL do you care how much "power" you get in stop and go traffic? As for the mileage claims, you'll do a whole lot better if you don't fly up to 30 MPH in 5 seconds and then jam on the brakes.

Remember, 100 deg ambient temperatures are BALMY for an engine with a 195 deg thermostat. Humidity effectively dramatically increases the effectiveness of a radiator; it's like doubling its size if no other variables are changed. Running at 6000 feet instead of sea level is like chopping 30% of your radiator off, for comparison.

WOW MIKE - I love how you seem to know exactly how I drive.... I've had both my ranger with the electric fan and my Crew Cab Silverado all over the southwestern US, cruising and towing - puttin some of your little 6000' foot desert passes to shame and never had a problem with white smoke and 'snot' - maybe you've been doing it all wrong in the past and just don't want others to know how you failed.

My reference to the differences between a clutch fan locked up and lugging down the engine and the electrical fan allowing the engine to actual accelerate normally and also get better fuel milage ARE actual benefits - punch it through your engineering calculator and see.

This is the same old argument - someone asks about electrical fans and you and Bob get on the soapboxes spouting off 'diesel' this and 'high desert pass' that and basically ignore all the the success that others have had, even with OEM electrical fan setups - all the same old "blah, blah, blah". A diesel engine, with all it's torque, will never even see the load of an engine mounted fan and cooling technology for other engines has come a long way since the days of the dinosaurs - even the venerable Taurus fan is an antique with its horrendous current draw compared to newer motor technology.

It's all about getting the 'proper' equipment - not some cheap, improperly sized ebay fan and expecting things to stay cool - while you might see some increase in throttle response and mpg, you won't be cooling for long with the cheap stuff - do it right and it'll work properly for a very long time.

Again - on the hwy - either setup will work pretty much the same as most of the time, the fan isn't part of the equation.

Bird

 

[Bird]

Is your Silverado a 1500? If so, I could be mistaken about the towing package on the 1500, but the 2500 definately has a mechanical fan/clutch!

Matter of fact, if you recall Bird, I showed you a GM parts listing for a fan clutch for the 1500, and 2500!!

and yet, you completely ignored the parts list showing the elect. fan setup for the same vehicle........................I know - didn't validate your point.

Bird

 

[mjonesjr]

I think I can/will trust Bird......I have read some, used some, and been wowed by his tech articles on the 4.0, not to mention the 4.0's that he has built.....

 

[footee]

HOLY CRAP, BATMAN!!! I was thinking about putting an e-fan on my Ranger but now I'm just depressed. This is just a simple forum for people to help one another out. There's no need to fight each other because their oppinion is different than yours.

My Ranger is just a toy, only trail riding and stuff like that. All low speed. My clutch died on my fan causing it to free wheel, not lock up. In turn, I overheated every 5 minutes. Let me rephrase, it turned with the motor, just not in a locked position to draw in optimum air.

Now, I'm going to be switching to an e-fan because at the low speeds I travel, I need the added benefit of constant air flow as opposed to the mechanicals' turning "on and off" via the clutch. The aforementioned benefit of water crossing also applies.

Ok, so who's gonna come after me now?! LOL! Can't we all just get along?!

 

[michowski]

My efan works great. Wether im climbing a hill at 5mph with the motor turning 3000+ rpm, chicago expressway traffic that takes 2 hours to make it 2 miles in the middle of summer under a hot sun, my efan never failed to keep those temps down no problem. It improved my throttle response greatly and mpg I dont know. I dont really keep track of that. I say if you want one dont cheap out and buy a flex-a-lite fan kit or another name brand one. In my opinion, there as reliable and cool just as good as any mechanical fan wether its sitting in traffic for 2 hours, or offroading.

Another thing you all keep assuming is the load the efans have. There is little draw comming from it. It dont take away anywere near the power from the motor then the mechanical fan did. The mechanical fan really put a drag on it that you can notice it in the pedal. The efan doesnt. Ive had both setups with proper working clutches and all and your wrong about the load.

 

[Bob Ayers]

someone asks about electrical fans and you and Bob get on the soapboxes spouting off 'diesel' this and 'high desert pass' that and basically ignore all the the success that others have had, even with OEM electrical fan setups - all the same old "blah, blah, blah". A diesel engine, with all it's torque, will never even see the load of an engine mounted fan and cooling technology for other engines has come a long way since the days of the dinosaurs - Bird

Bird, you totally missed the point about diesels! I was trying to make a point about cooling capacity, and diesel vehicles require much more cooling capacity than ANY e-fan can deliver!!!!

If anybody can understand this, I thought you would!!

 

[Bird]

Bird, you totally missed the point about diesels! I was trying to make a point about cooling capacity, and diesel vehicles require much more cooling capacity than ANY e-fan can deliver!!!!

If anybody can understand this, I thought you would!!

No Bob, I fully understand the point - I'm just not going to apply 'diesel engine in a big rig' rationale to our regular trucks with smaller loads and engines and use that as justification to outright say something won't work when it's been proven time and time again to the opposite.


Like I said - the cooling solution has to meet the need and you can't cheap out.

Now, let's give them good information that they can make educated decisions with.

Bird

 

[Bob Ayers]

No Bob, I fully understand the point - I'm just not going to apply 'diesel engine in a big rig' rationale to our regular trucks with smaller loads and engines and use that as justification to outright say something won't work when it's been proven time and time again to the opposite.


Like I said - the cooling solution has to meet the need and you can't cheap out.

Now, let's give them good information that they can make educated decisions with.

Bird

Who said anything about "BIG RIGs"? Just look at diesel pickups!!!!!!


You will not find one with ONLY an E-fan, because E-fans DO NOT have the cooling capacity of a mechanical fan/clutch!!! Why can't you understand this?