I'm looking into getting an efan setup for 05 fx4 scab. I've read just about every thread there is on them and I am still confused.

It looks like troyer has the best fans, but one of the worst controllers. They also use a methed of pushing crap through your radiator to mount the fans.

Perma-something makes a fan that is the same as troyers, but also has a crap controller.

Mad-guy has a controller that seems to be the board favorite. I found a picture of it, and it looks like a homemade hodge podge of wires.

Can some help me decide what to get? What I'm expecting is....

two 16" electric fans with 5200 cfm
A fan shroud to hold them to the factory mounts (not through the radiator)
Two seperate controllers for redundancy. Probably two temp probes as well.

I'm looking for high reliabiality and quality. Is it possible to wire two LEDS in the cab that dual color? Basically two leds that are green/red. One for each fan. When the fan turns on (not just gets power) the led turns green for that fan. If the fan gets power, but fails to spin, the led lights up red. I work with a lot cisco and other gear, all the fans seem to support this somehow and always work without a hitch.

 

I like the Flex-a-lite 270 efans. They have a shroud and bolt right up without sticking things in the radiator. For a controller I like the SPAL or the DC Controls unit. I just don't like the idea of sticking things through the radiator.

 

Hi.

Okay - here's my take on this...

From your requirements as I understand them, looks like you need to put this one together yourself.

Get the fans from Jusnes, or wherever, build your own shroud ( search as there's a fella who did this up right). OR, get a Flexalite dual without controllers.

For controllers - your choices: DCControl or SPAL. Buy two for total redundancy.

As for your dual LED idea - that requres RPM sensing at the fan - most computer fans for pc's, network gear, etc, use fans with embedded speed sensing (three wires). No controller I know of does this, so you'd need to build your own, the whole controller from the ground up ( lots of free schematics on the Web), or an add-on rpm sensing circuit ( again, the Web) - not hard if your are an electronics hobbyist, or know one with a beer habit.

Dual colour leds (or tri-colour LED's) are readily available - polarized one way or the other to produce 2 different colours, and fed A.C to produce a third.

And I thank you for that idea - I'm gonna add that funtionality to mine .

Another option - get the Troyer kit - they've updated the controllers, and then buy & use the nylon pins instead of the brass ones from (somebody?) to mount them.

Cheers
Bubba

 

I have the troyer kit that i purchased used with about 20,000 miles. I have since installed this kit and put another 40,000 on it and have been very happy, however, i just ordered a new controller from troyer this morning to replace the one I am using because its not looking to good.... looks like one of the prongs is burnt. But I figured if it last for 60,000 miles and I can get another 60,000 out of a new one.... thats all i need.

On the DCController, im not getting into it but i am a very upset customer and dont recommend their products anymore. I bought a fan/contoller kit for my car and after just several thousand miles the controller burnt up. They do not stand behind their product and just point the fingure at the end user.

 

so if I bought a troyer kit right now, it would come with the new revision controller? But still no shroud.

I really want their kit, but the shroud thing is what's really bugging me. I like the fact that $400 gets me everything I need and full redundancy. Led part I could figure out after the fact.

Has anyone made a shroud for the troyer setup yet? I see they use 16" fans and flexlites are 15", so that shrouds no good.

What covers the upper radiator support when you switch to efans?

I'm also thinking that if I go with troyer, I can try to make my own mount like MGDfan said. Or does it makes sense to just get the Flex-a-lite. My head is starting to hurt with all these options.

 

Hi again.

Ahhh.... Found it:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...ght=fan+shroud

F150Truck'in did a great job - ask him & he may provide you the drawings.

Or you can use marine-grade plywood like redneck 'ole me

Good luck.

Cheers
Bubba

 

Looks pretty easy to fab up. I'm going to go with the troyer. I figure even if their controllers suck. There are two of them. Once it gets here, I'll figure out my plan of attack on the mount, and later the LEDs. I'm getting a two pod gauge mount, so i figure i'll tie the leds into that someone.

My only big fear with going to the efans, is having them die and not realize it. Engine overheats and I'm dead in the water.

 

You don't really need two 16" fans.. I have 2- 14" fans..

I bought them off ebay for cheap.. they each flow 2500+ CFM.

I bought the Mad enterprize controller... but after learning more, i realize, i don't really need it.

Here is my story: I wired up the fans using the Mad-Enterprize controller. After driving around all summer, my secondary fan NEVER came on. This got me wondering...
Then using the OBD computer in the dash.. the display in the speedo cluster.. I concluded that the one 14" fan did the job and it never got hot enough to need the second fan.

Only problem with this is.. the engine was never over heating, but the Air Conditioning condenser wasn't getting air flow through it while sitting in traffic... So, I wired up the second fan to a manual switch in the cab..

So when I need AC and I'm driving around town, I'd flip the switch and turn on the second fan... This way, I have Ice cold AC and the primary fan to cool the engine only when it needs it.

Over all, i spent less than $200, but If I had just nought a controller from AutoZone for $25, I could have gotten away with about $120.

I bought electric fam Zip tie mounts from O'Riely auto parts (because they were the only one around here that sold them) to mount the fans to the radiator... It's been almost a year now and they're still rock solid... I was worried at first about the zip ties wallering out the fins, but they didnt.. still rock solid. Couple Efan pics in the gallery... you dont NEED a schroud around the Efans... Its really just cosmetic.

here's a pic: https://www.f150online.com/galleries...7900&anum=7564

 

khendrix, For your ac fan, why not just wire they second fan to a relay and put it on LED that comes on with you AC. Since you already wired the switch, your pretty much done.

But that has me thinking. It does seem pretty stupid to get the troyer fans when I can get the same ones for half the price and end up with the same kit.

 

I've been waiting for awhile hoping that someone will come out with a uber kit. Two 16'' fans with two controllers in a shroud, with a great reliable controller. Starting to wonder if this is going to be it. If so i might just get the flexalite 270 kit, with the duramax controller, and run some leds in the cab. Maybe i'll wait alittle longer, or may just put some 4:10 gears in...who knows.

 

Think I got enough to make my decision on where to go. I'll have to post some info on my led kit once i figure out how and when I make it.

What's the deal with the upper radiator cover though. Is everyone just hacking their stock piece into a thin cover and re-installing it?

 

What exactly have you decided on? Your ideas are very similar to mine.

 

you could try cutting the factory fan shroud and squeezing them in there

 

Down in my sig are links to my efan set-up. I went w/the Troyer kit. 8K miles with no problems (not a lot I know). I check the mounts at each oil change. The LED's I have are just wired into the positive cable going to the fans...at least I know when there is voltage going to them.

As far as the upper radiator cover, I didn't have to modify it too much...just a notch so it wouldn't rest on the temp. probes..

R/
Craig

 

Hi.

Yeah, you can re-use the cover.

For the LED's (and I'm assuming you still want "fans-turning" confirmation)... I just thought of one possible way to do it cheaply.

Use 2 very small pc fans, each one mounted behind a main fan. When the bigs ones run, the flow will spin the little guys like generators, and use can use that output to derive a speed signal. The rest of the circuit's easy. May be kludgey, but workable in a pinch - and cheap!

A more expensive way involves some measurements to determine the running current of each fan and what they do 'stalled'. The difference betwen the two would be your "I'm running" signal.

Cheers
Bubba