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Performance Upgrades - Maintenance - Modifications - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street Trucks. Covering the Explorer, ST, Sport, Lincoln Aviator, Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Aerostar. Featuring H.I. - Human Intelligence.
Someone on this forum claimed that they removed the engine driven fan and replaced it with an electric one from a taurus and they saw a 3 mile increase in mileage. Is this a mod that is documented here on this forum? Can anyone give me any feedback on this?
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Yeah, I saw this thread a few months ago, which prompted me to buy the Blackmagic 180 without measuring my radiator. Big mistake. Definitely did not fit (too big), and no way to make it fit. Luckily, amazon.com allowed the return with a full refund. After carefully measuring the core during this process, I believe the Blackmagic 155 will fit, and after more research will probably do this in June. I'll be watching the Taurus fan mod as well.
BTW, when I had my fan and clutch assembly off last January, I drove around a bit just to see what the difference would be...it was quite noticeable, better acceleration, more power, and quieter.
But how do you set up the electric fan to keep the engine in the right temperature range? If the engine runs a little too hot or too cold, it will affect fuel economy.
Didn't Rick try an electric fan years ago and couldn't make it work properly? Not enough cooling, as I recall, although he does live in Arizona.
So I've "read" 2 of the main threads on the electric fan/install and haven't seen any numbers on the mile per gallon (i am blind so that may be it). But I was wondering if any one had a confirmed number. It seemed like the Taurus, BM 150, and 180(?) performed pretty much the same way.
Question for folks in high country areas...ie Colorado. Has any one 'round here done this and seen much improvement in both areas (effective cooling/MPG/HP)?
Energy is not being created or destroyed, but SAVED AND STORED!! By saving gas, he is 'saving' potential energy (gas) that will turn into kinetic energy when it (gas) enters the engine.
Energy is not being created or destroyed, but SAVED AND STORED!! By saving gas, he is 'saving' potential energy (gas) that will turn into kinetic energy when it (gas) enters the engine.
Driving down the road the stock clutch fan is hardly pulling any power from the engine at all. When the electric fan is used it still must pull power from the alternator which is also will take more power to turn when required, in most situations there will be no difference and if there is it will be very small, certainly no where near 3MPG, more like .5mpg at best. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Driving down the road the stock clutch fan is hardly pulling any power from the engine at all. When the electric fan is used it still must pull power from the alternator which is also will take more power to turn when required, in most situations there will be no difference and if there is it will be very small, certainly no where near 3MPG, more like .5mpg at best. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
If you use a switch you can just keep it on when your idling at a stop light or something. Fans arent on over 35mph anyway. With a mechanical its still drag on the engine even when its off. With an electric fan it won't be drag on the engine at higher speeds.
we just need to get an explorer that has NO modifications, put an electric fan on it, and see what happens with the mileage. there's to many arguments, i think it works, i'm doing it this summer, so i'll post my results here.
aldive did it, and he got a mileage boost as well.
i've recently been looking at the f-150's lately, from around 99-00 or so, and i was wanting the v8 till i realized they came with the sohcv6 like aldive has, i was like 'I COULD GET BETTER MILEAGE!!!'. only real difference i can make out is that the f-150 is a 4.2 V6 instead of a 4.0, but it should still see some gains.
But how do you set up the electric fan to keep the engine in the right temperature range? If the engine runs a little too hot or too cold, it will affect fuel economy.
Didn't Rick try an electric fan years ago and couldn't make it work properly? Not enough cooling, as I recall, although he does live in Arizona.
I am thinking of using the Fan out of Lincoln Mark VIII or a Taurus both have excellent fans. That mustang folks have been using for years.
I just need to do some measuring to make sure they will fit.
One may even be able to use the factory shroud to contain the fans. Again I need to do some measuring which I plan to do whenever it stops raining.
On my '95 which is effectively a 1st gen with the fancy new duds and front suspension I put a fan off an '92 Buick Century on mine. Mine was/is box stock and I run both the electric and the clutch fan depending on the weather, though the electric gets used from September to May/June as it can't provide good A/C performance in traffic. I've never overheated it while in traffic with the electric but it does not pull enough air across the A/C condenser to make it work effciently. This in Texas summers. when it hits about 90-100 outside is when A/C peformance starts to suffer.
Having said that, there is a notable increase from about 12 in town to 16, and on the road, you can hear the clutch fan (replacement fan clutch) kick on and stay on and mileage goes from 19 with the clutch fan to about 22-24 with the electric fan.
I have no mods other than that, I've lowered mine an inch but it's the stock OHV 4.0 as Ford built.
I have an E-controller in mine that turns the fan on and off as needed.
If you ever replace the factory fan clutch you will find that the clutch stays on for way longer than necessary and you have to rev it to 4k to get it to disengage and freewheel, not much help on the road when you are tooling along at 70mph and can't drop it into 2nd to kill the fan. Mine at least roars like a jet when it's engaged and when it finally releases it quiets down and you can feel the power surge.
The electric fan never has that effect on mine, you just have to notice that the voltmeter drops when the motor starts (I have the factory 90A alternator) otherwise you never hear it or notice it turning on and off. That's the reason I went with an OEM electric fan than going for the Black Magic, I've heard enough of them to know I didn't want the angry hornets nest sound.
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On my '95 which is effectively a 1st gen with the fancy new duds and front suspension I put a fan off an '92 Buick Century on mine. Mine was/is box stock and I run both the electric and the clutch fan depending on the weather, though the electric gets used from September to May/June as it can't provide good A/C performance in traffic. I've never overheated it while in traffic with the electric but it does not pull enough air across the A/C condenser to make it work effciently. This in Texas summers. when it hits about 90-100 outside is when A/C peformance starts to suffer.
Having said that, there is a notable increase from about 12 in town to 16, and on the road, you can hear the clutch fan (replacement fan clutch) kick on and stay on and mileage goes from 19 with the clutch fan to about 22-24 with the electric fan.
I have no mods other than that, I've lowered mine an inch but it's the stock OHV 4.0 as Ford built.
wait wait wait wait. you run both fans? how/why? and explain your mileage, cause it's confusing me. it goes up with the electric? and goes up further? that makes no sense. explain further please.
I have an E-controller in mine that turns the fan on and off as needed.
If you ever replace the factory fan clutch you will find that the clutch stays on for way longer than necessary and you have to rev it to 4k to get it to disengage and freewheel, not much help on the road when you are tooling along at 70mph and can't drop it into 2nd to kill the fan. Mine at least roars like a jet when it's engaged and when it finally releases it quiets down and you can feel the power surge.
The electric fan never has that effect on mine, you just have to notice that the voltmeter drops when the motor starts (I have the factory 90A alternator) otherwise you never hear it or notice it turning on and off. That's the reason I went with an OEM electric fan than going for the Black Magic, I've heard enough of them to know I didn't want the angry hornets nest sound.
