Questions about a mechanical cooling fan

[jlkuehl]

Well, here we go again, the 1992 has another little glitch that I can't live with. While taking a plug reading, I noticed the plastic mechanical drive fan blades are cracking at both the hub and through one or two blades. These look to be the original blades to the truck, and I find that to be very impressive. At first, I thought about going to an e-fan, but the cost is too much for me to justify on this truck. So, what I am wondering is this: Those of you with the 2.3L engine, if you are running an aftermarket mechanical fan, what one, and what do you think of it?
I'm not looking for a performance gain, but an aftermarket set of "performance" fan blades is not much more than a stock set around here, and we all know the real reason performance parts really make something run better is actually the speed stickers that usually come with them anyway.

 

[mentalbreakdown00]

You can get a new fan blade if and when that one breaks. I see them all the time with cracks in them and generall don't replace them until the cracks get real severe.

 

[jlkuehl]

I thought about waiting until it got real bad, but my car had a set blow apart on it without warning, and causing some damage to the radiator and fan motor. After that, I tend to not want to mess around with fan blades, if they are cracked, they need replaced. Since there are several manufacturers of aftermarket mechanical drive fans, I am hoping to hear what people are using, and what their opinions are of them.

 

[kevinsranger]

im not sure if its similar to the 4.0 fan, but i got mine from napa for like $23, i seen cracks and wanted it replaced before a fin went thru my radiator, its cheap insurance

 

[rurouni20xx]

pik n pull, i looked into a flexalite aluminum fan but thats a lot of dam money. the other deal is getting one that pulls the rite cfm, i havent found a spec for the factory fan to compare to so id kno if i got the rite one yet. mine is cracked and my motor/trans mounts are worn so my engine flexes and runs into the shroud, it ground the tips down in a v shape its kind of funny, i shaved the top of my shroud so it wont hit anymore lol.

 

[jlkuehl]

There is a nice pick-n-pull yard not too far from me, I do need to pay them a visit anyway. Sounds like I may want to take a look and see if it has any other problems that could use a touch up. Summit has replacement fans by Flex-A-Lite for around $30 to $40 that say they will fit the 92 2.3L engine. This is one of those parts that the aftermarket just looks nicer than the stock one. Hayden also makes one that is carried in the auto parts stores around here, about the same price of the Flex-A-Lite. If the plastic one has held up for 18 years, a metal one should be good for another 20 or so, right?

 

[rurouni20xx]

a metal fan if built correctly will outlast your fan clutch/engine entirely. i looked into flexalites on summit for my 3.0 trk they were 170 for some reason again this was some time ago. my only concern is the weight of the rotating mass and centrifugal force...metal is heavier than plastic in other words, and that extra weight on a slightly worn or bent fan clutch shaft can quickly eat up a water pump bearing...ive seized a water pump b4, locked up the entire engine/trans/rear end (3.0 v6 auto 4wd, my other parked truck...) doing 40 mph in traffic not kewl by any means. if they weigh the same it shouldnt be an issue and i hav no proof it can happen or if there is a difference in weight just something that is in the back of my mind. here again i look for potential problems and work thru or around b4 i spend my hard earned as ive learned bandaid quickfixes can cause some real headache down the road...in my case my dads quickfixes early in the trucks life have costed me major money after i inherited the truck 10 yrs later...

 

[jlkuehl]

I've popped a few water pumps in various cars and trucks, so it's become habit to give the pump shaft a quick shake at every oil change, and to make sure the fan clutch appears to be rotating properly (visual runout) when I check for leaks. Call me overly cautious, but it has saved at least 1 engine, and what is an extra minute compared to the cost of engine replacement. I don't see it as being a bandaid fix, since all I am doing is replacing an aging part that is starting to show early signs of failure. That a plastic fan blade has lasted this long is nothing short of amazing to me, given my previous track record with plastic fan assemblies. As far as the extra mass, I would be more concerned with the fan being belt driven and having all the tension of the belt on it all the time. Same deal, slightly worn bearings become very bad, very soon.
Anyway, I like the Ranger enough to already be thinking of a small diesel engine to drop in it when the 2.3 gives up.