Check Your Fan Blade!!!!!

[desertsky]

I just installed a Contour fan on my '99 4wd Auto. It fit great and is being controlled by a Flex-o-lite PWM controller. They are rated at only 30 amps but measured current draw is only 22 amps on full. The fan only comes on when sitting still or crawling in hot traffic (also when AC is on). The temp gage never goes above mid point.

BTW, Summit Racing beats the heck out of every other place I could find for pricing. Almost everywhere had the controller for $199 plus shipping. I got it from Summit for $99 plus shipping. i went 2nd Day Air as I needed to do the work quickly and the total was $122.

 

[Xeek]

anyone really confirmed the part number for the metal fan? doubt it makes a difference but its for my 4.0 ranger. my fan is cracked way worse then general x's pics.... i just dont trust it now that i noticed it the other day.

 

[RufusExpo]

Where can you find a metal fan. Every explorer i have seen always had a plastic one the v8s having metal makes since but is there one for a v6, also i know some people have switched to a electric fan saying it brings up the horses and milage is that true?

 

[desertsky]

Electric fan

The performance increase is noticeable but not dramatic. I like the fact that the engine isn't spending HP driving a fan when it isn't needed. And, it is also a lot more quiet when the electric fan isn't running!

 

[SoNic67]

When the engine is cold, the fan clutch is barely engaged, so the power loss is negligible.
You see the fan spinning, but that doesn't require any "HP" with a cold engine bay. Spin it with the hand when engine is stopped - there is not too much effort needed to spin. See below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YSwY4cShWE
If your clutch is defective and locked on, then, yes, you will waste power to spin the fan. Usually thou, the clutches wear to the opposite way - they become less strong.

I was planning to swap the fan with an electric one but I am not convinced of the benefits (versus costs).

 

[desertsky]

In THEORY that is true. In actual practice, the fan is eating a bunch of power even when cold. The difference in how quickly the engine revs without that parasitic fan is very noticeable as is the lack of fan noise! Here is something to try if you dare: Hold the fan when you start the engine and see how much energy it is using.

 

[Maniak]

When the engine is cold, the fan clutch is barely engaged, so the power loss is negligible.
You see the fan spinning, but that doesn't require any "HP" with a cold engine bay. Spin it with the hand when engine is stopped - there is not too much effort needed to spin. See below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YSwY4cShWE
If your clutch is defective and locked on, then, yes, you will waste power to spin the fan. Usually thou, the clutches wear to the opposite way - they become less strong.

I was planning to swap the fan with an electric one but I am not convinced of the benefits (versus costs).

That does depend on the fan clutch. A hayden severe duty fan clutch still spins at 30% the shaft speed even when not needed (heavy duty version is only 20% the shaft speed, but most people get the severe duty). Also, in very cold climates the viscous fluid thickens up and actually over cools the motor.. I have not seen that last point myself, that is just from anecdotal info from other members.

There are a few other threads on here discussing if/how an electric fan "can" benefit. In short, When the fan isn't needed at all it does help, when it is needed its not helping and might actually be worse than the mechanical fan depending on what is used for the electric fan. It all depends on how much drag the mechanical fan is putting on the motor when its not needed.

~Mark

 

[SoNic67]

I was talking about the stock clutch/fan. I think that the fluid inside gets thicker with raising temperature, don't know if at below 0F will act different...
In AZ, having an electric fan might be worse, you cook that motor with the 120F air going in

 

[Maniak]

I was talking about the stock clutch/fan. I think that the fluid inside gets thicker with raising temperature, don't know if at below 0F will act different...
In AZ, having an electric fan might be worse, you cook that motor with the 120F air going in

Still the same temp air using an electric or mechanical fan.. The biggest issue in Az with electric fans (retrofit) is getting a fan that can move enough air. Some have tried the Black Magic (and extreme) fans and they just don't move enough for 105f+ weather, especially on a vehicle driven off-road.

Also, AFAIK, even the stock fan clutch on the explorer is still spinning and adding drag even when not used. I don't have any numbers for how much though. So, it is possible that the stock fan clutch may only spin at 10% shaft speed but it is still a load compared to an electric fan (when not on).

Of course, this 10% (or so) shaft speed load isn't much but if you drive on the freeway most of the time it will add up. Having lived in both Eastern USA (Philadelphia area) and in the Western part (Arizona, Nevada) I can say the driving style is completely different.

In the west, I drive 50mph, in town (without speeding) and if I want to go to the next town its 50 mile+ drive. When in the East, most places the speed limit is lower and there is much more traffic and stop/go and if you were to drive 150 miles you would be in another state where out here I'd just be a couple towns away.

~Mark

 

[desertsky]

I converted to the Contour fan and electric controller. I also drove through Nevada and Utah pulling a 2000lb trailer and never had a bit of trouble either idling in traffic (the fan would come on for about 10-20 seconds and shut off), or at 70mph. I think it makes a difference which radiator you have. My Ex has the towing package with the larger radiator. The temp never went over half way pulling my 3100lb boat over 10,000 ft mountain passes.

 

[desertsky]

I was talking about the stock clutch/fan. I think that the fluid inside gets thicker with raising temperature, don't know if at below 0F will act different...
In AZ, having an electric fan might be worse, you cook that motor with the 120F air going in

I don't think that the temperature of the air will have much effect on the motors. Pretty much every car sold today has electric fans. Also, the temp of the air after the radiator is a lot hotter than 120F. Some cars with transverse V6 engines even have the fans right next to the exhaust manifold (with some protective shields, of course).

 

[Flash]

What nobody has mentioned, that I saw anyway, is that when the electric fans are on there is a higher parasitic drain from the alternator.

I've use straight mechanical fans, clutch fans, clutch fan with electric backup and straight electric. Some straight electrics were OEM some after market.

Straight electric gives the best mileage and performance and is reliable as long as it's set up properly.

My BMW has a clutch fan with a 2 speed electric back up, I disconnected the clutch fan for a while and just ran straight electric and it worked fine at 100 degrees in stop start traffic with the air on.
I found out later I had a better tube and fin type radiator.

 

[SoNic67]

Of course electrical is not "free lunch". All the electricity comes from alternator and that takes the power from shaft. Efficiency is less than 100%, IMO, similar with the losses in vascous coupling...

 

[nmos]

I've had two of these fans come apart in my 92 X. The first happened at high rpm and essentially chopped the upper radiator hose off of the nipple where it connects, damaging the radiator in the process. The second happened 4 years or so later at low speed and only finished off my already damaged shroud. The oem fan had been cracked for many years before it finally exploded and the replacement started cracking within a year. I looked at several 1st gen X's at the junk yard and all of them had cracked fans. As best I can tell, cracks on the hub portion of the fan are completely normal but if you ever see those cracks start migrating up onto any of the blades it's time to replace the fan immediately.

 

[crunchie_frog]

They had a run of 97-98 5.0s at the local pull a part so I pulled 4 metal fans and replaced 3 of the 4 plastic ones. Below is a picture of the worst of the 3 I replaced.

 

[mr cribb]

That cracked fan isn't bad.

You should have seen the fan off of my 92 with the original fan from the factory. There were cracks between every blade.

 

[crunchie_frog]

yes, probably could have gotten away with not replacing any of them but when I saw all those nice metal blades in the junk yard I couldn't help myself.

 

[mr cribb]

Yeah, I don't blame you. I just haven't been lucky enough to find a metal blade in my local junkyards.

 

[1998Exp]

Has anyone tried the 9-blade Dorman metallic fan (just the blade assembly, no clutch included)? Rock Auto sells it for around $60.

 

[JimMadsen]

I just got a new plastic fan off of ebay, said to fit the 5.0L v8 Mounty that I have. Got it in, fan is same size, but the bolt holes for the clutch are spaced further apart than the new blade allows for.

Did I get a bad part? Or is there a diff between 4.0 fans and 5.0 fans?