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Electric fan back to belt driven fan

opfor2

opfor2

1/2 ton status
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Oct 28, 2002
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Location
Ventura County, CA
How many of you out there have changed back to the OEM belt driven cooling fan and fan shroud from an aftermarket electric fan set up. Just curious..

Dan..
 
I did. Installed two 14'' fans in the pulling position with an automatic thermostat. Sitting in traffic would cause the engine to overheat. I think that the thermostat was probably kicking on too late. I have been toying with the idea of turning them into pusher fans to see if that would help any. After switching back I haven't had any problems. The electric fans are still there with a manual on/off switch.
 
I did. During my shakedown run, myself and two other Jeeps attempted to cross this gooey gully. The Jeeps got stuck, but I was able to cross by using the 388's go-pedal. I then went back and pulled out one of the Jeeps. After I had him free I shut the truck off since temp gauge was pegged from the high engine rpms. The truck then puked about 2qts of tranny fluid out. The electric fans just couldn't keep the engine and tranny cool at high rpms but slow speed.:doah:

I switched back to a factory shroud and clutch fan and have not had ANY overheating probs since. In fact, I couldn't even feel a difference in performance when using the factory "horsepower robbing" set up.;)
 
I did. I remounted the electric fans in front of the radiator so I would have a back up. I really never need it but it's good when your crawlin and you want to help cool down the power stearing cooler.
Here's a pic that shows them pretty good...................THE FANS GUYS, THE FANS! :D
1486DSC08808.JPG
 
Storm Trooper said:
I did. I remounted the electric fans in front of the radiator so I would have a back up. I really never need it but it's good when your crawlin and you want to help cool down the power stearing cooler.
Here's a pic that shows them pretty good...................THE FANS GUYS, THE FANS! :D
1486DSC08808.JPG
Click to expand...

What fans??:D
 
I also went back because the electric fans would blow fuses like crazy and the thermostat sensor never really went on when it was supose to which lead to over heating the engine 6 or 7 times. The only thing I did different was put on a big block clutch fan this time and have had no problems sence.
 
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Beast388 said:
I did. During my shakedown run, myself and two other Jeeps attempted to cross this gooey gully. The Jeeps got stuck, but I was able to cross by using the 388's go-pedal. I then went back and pulled out one of the Jeeps. After I had him free I shut the truck off since temp gauge was pegged from the high engine rpms. The truck then puked about 2qts of tranny fluid out. The electric fans just couldn't keep the engine and tranny cool at high rpms but slow speed.:doah:

I switched back to a factory shroud and clutch fan and have not had ANY overheating probs since. In fact, I couldn't even feel a difference in performance when using the factory "horsepower robbing" set up.;)
Click to expand...

Just fyi, you shouldn't shut the engine off if it's overheating. That's a good way to cook a tranny or warp a head.
Let it idle and crank the heater on full blast to pull more heat away.
 
im going to electric when i put the 454 in.i killed 4 fan clutches last summer due to water crossings. i like deep water lol. the fj60 i built has a taurus fan on it set up with a manual switch from a key on power source running stock fj60 radiator with a 383 in it and it has never overheated but we also dont have to deal with temps over 80 usualy.
 
goldwing2000 said:
Just fyi, you shouldn't shut the engine off if it's overheating. That's a good way to cook a tranny or warp a head.
Let it idle and crank the heater on full blast to pull more heat away.
Click to expand...

Well, remember those inadequate electric fans I was speaking of earlier?.......they weren't enough to cool the engine at idle. The temp would slowly climb. I didn't have much choice but to shut it off.;)
 
I put Summit dual electrics on my old '79 (mild 350) and it was great on the highway and I saved about 1mpg with it vs. the stock fan with a seized fan clutch.

When I got on the trail with it it would always overheat, so I put a flex fan w/ shroud on it and never looked back. The same fan & shroud keeps my moderately built 383 stroker at 200 degrees winter or summer, even on climbs

Mike
 
The PO of my truck had rigged up 1 single 12" fan that couldn't cool my lawn mower. So after being fustrated after overheating when it was about 20 dregrees in a blizzard idling in my driveway, I installed a 18in flex fan and have never had a problem over heating again. Even with no fan shroud.
 
i went back to a 18" flexfan from a 18" PAW electric fan. i had overheated two times and since switching back i have never seen the temp go above halfway. i havnt been running without a shroud also. it has been about 4 months or so. i just ordered a shroud last night though.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, I have a Duel E-fan set up in my truck that I recently installed. I'm not really happy with it's performance on the trail. I took my truck out on Sunday, ran the AC and she got HOT as sh@t. I never had a problem when I just had my flex fan and shroud set up. So I might be switching back to the flex fan like really soon before the summer heat kicks in.
 
what kind of radiators are u guys running? i never have a problem- no shroud and 100* plus pullin stuff. i have even smashed 8 vanes cause the mounts broke and it fell int to the fans.

mine is just a napa cheapie 4 core. dont think its stock to a k5 but it is a similar type (maybe a k-10/20?)
 
Roz said:
what kind of radiators are u guys running? i never have a problem- no shroud and 100* plus pullin stuff. i have even smashed 8 vanes cause the mounts broke and it fell int to the fans.

mine is just a napa cheapie 4 core. dont think its stock to a k5 but it is a similar type (maybe a k-10/20?)
Click to expand...

X2. I am running my 4x4 with two 7 blade factory GM fans off of a FWD car side by side as pullers. They are hooked through a HD relay with a temp sensor in the head and a manual switch so I can shut them down in water. I have ran the dog &^it out of it and never got over 190-200*. I am running a 4 row diesel radiator (might be the differance). My other truck was a 74 chevy stepside with a 560 hp 468. I had a factory style (new) 3 row radiator with two fans from two 85 grand am cars. ran it for 45 minutes at idle in traffic in Florida and never got over 205* in 105* weather.

With that said I have had bad luck on customers cars with these slimline aftermarket type fans. But every truck or car I have put a factory GM type fan in has never had a problem.

Oh and I also had a trans cooler with its own 9" fan on it due to the stall converter creating so much additional heat. So you guys with auto and A/C may have more problems due to the thickness of the coolers your trying to pull air through.
 
i had a single 18 as a puller. i live in SoCal where it gets hot in the summers (upto 110). i think if you want electrics you need to go dual. i had mine wired to the ignition with a switch, so it was always running when my ignition was on, but if i wanted to listen to music i would switch it off. but with it running on ignition it still couldn't keep me cool.
 
Beast388 said:
Well, remember those inadequate electric fans I was speaking of earlier?.......they weren't enough to cool the engine at idle. The temp would slowly climb. I didn't have much choice but to shut it off.;)
Click to expand...

That's why you turn the heater on. ;)
It's a judgement call, though. Have to figure out which is the lesser of two evils.
 
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