Has anyone tried converting to an electric fan to improve perfomance and fuel economy? I can hear my fan engaged almost all the time and I know it is killing my HP and Fuel economy..Especially on this 4.2.


------------------
BLACK 99 F-150 XLT Supercab, Flareside. 4.2 auto 3:55. K&N Airfilter and soon to be Superchipped (as soon as I can overcome the no-start problem)

 

Good question. I've looked at some in catalogs. The best I can tell is that the correct size needed depends on your horsepower rating. I have never seen one advertized for an f150 though.

------------------
98 SC/XL/4.2/5 speed/3.08/MoonLight Blue Metalic/Mobil One Synthetic/235.70S.16 Michelin XC LT4/AR-136 Wheels/Chrome Nerf Bars/Bug Shield/Aluminum Tool Box/K&N/Superchip/NOS maybe. Soon.

 

Well, I almost regret posting because I used the valuable search option after posting the topic and found that several people have already done the mod. However, most of the posts were a while back and I am curious to see if folks are still happy with it. I live in Dallas, Texas and we just came off more than two months of 100F plus days. My fan is always running and I can feel the truck accelerate better when the fan (finally) disengages.

I would have to install one (or two as th case may be) fan/s that would be very reliable because of our heat. I would also have to make them come on when the AC is engaged. I dont think this will be a difficult install, I just worry about the reliability of the electric fan motors as opposed to the factory, belt driven fan.



------------------
BLACK 99 F-150 XLT Supercab, Flareside. 4.2 auto 3:55. K&N Airfilter and soon to be Superchipped (as soon as I can overcome the no-start problem)

 

Please remember an electirc fan only runs on hot days around town.
At highway speeds enough airflow goes through the radiator naturally.
I converted a belt drive to an electric on an old chevette because it would overheat around town.
I got the fan out of a FWD car in a junkyard cheap $10-$15.
I bought a temp switch at a car parts store.
This car did not have a/c so wiring in a relay was not an issue.
It worked great.
I don't think it had any noticeablebetter gas mileage or power, but then again we must consider the kind of car we are talking about.

------------------
99 XLT 5.4L reg cab
4x2 120" Wheelbase
4 wheel disc brakes/ABS
5 star larait style wheels
Toreador Red/Silver
3.55 gears 255/70/16 OWL
Delta toolbox
Eclipse 5340 cd player
Memphis ARCS50 component speakers w/tweeters mounted flush in the door panels (excellent sound)
Sherwood 35x2 RMS amp for components.
Jensen 50x2 RMS for subs.
2 6.5" Bazooka tubes
Lowering shackles?
Columbia SC

 

Hi Steve!

Haven't seen you around for awhile, nice to see you back!

Yes, you can indeed pick up some rear wheel ponies by converting to an electric fan, that's one of the reasons the automakers do it! Electric fans run *anytime* their turn-on temp is exceeded, whether it's intown or on the highway. For example, when following another vehicle on the Interstate, it's common to have one or more come on due to less airflow coming thru the radiator while following another vehicle, it happens to me frequently.

I have no idea what percentage of today's vehicles have electric fans, but every vehicle I've had for the past decade has had them from the factory.

Just to ease your mind, they are very reliable, and should provide you with ample cooling in the hottest weather, and better than the regular old-style fans. I would set it up with a thermostatic switch, and all of these components are readily available at either Jeg's or Summit Racing, and of course other places too.

Good luck, and please let us know if you do it!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 09-14-1999).]

 

Mike T:
Wrong thread for me but good topic.
Do you have an opinion on switching from the large and often erratic visc. drive clutch fan to one or two electric on the 99 Lightnings?

I only ask because we are also running a separate system for the water/intercooler for the blower. I for one would only want an OEM or better alternative due to the potential cost of frying a really expensive engine.

I am sure it seat of the pants only, but we have had the same weather here as in Texas, and the truck really seems to bog with the clutch fan engaged. I am also concerned a bit with belt loads when the SC comes on real strong and the fan is fully or even partially engaged.

Thoughts?
Bill


------------------
Bill Murray
Current year Lightning
Oxford Muy Rapido White
Tow Package CD Player
Superchip GTech Meter
HobbyTownUSA Graphics
Identical 1/10 Scale Tamiya RC Truck incl. graphics.
Truck interest e-mail:
fastwhitey@myf150.com
Two decals

 

I replaced the engine-driven fan with an electric many months ago. It's been working great. Do a "search" for the topic "electric radiator fan".

------------------
Danny
'98 F-150 Std., RC, SB, 4x2, 4.2L, 5-sp, 3.08, AC, speed control, rear slider
with Syntec engine oil, MTL trans fluid, Edelbrock shocks, 50 Series Flowmaster, K&N with airbox mod, electric radiator fan, Superchip on-order!

 

Correction, On the Chevette it only came on in town/ on the highway it never ran.
F150 may be different.
All FWD cars have electric fans.
Most cars are FWD.

 

Yes , making the switch to an electric fan will p/u around 10 ponies, due to less parasitic drag. I live in Homestead Fl. so it gets pretty hot & humid down here. My temp. gauge stays in the same place driving around town without the fan on and even in traffic. I only really turn it on when I run the a/c, because without the fan on no air is drawn over the condenser, thus no cold air.

------------------
98 Nastruck, air box mod, tps set, k&n filter, superchip, shaved throttle blade shaft,silencer removed, hellwig rear sway bar, flowmaster, lowered 4", undercover strobe kit, 5" autometer silver face tach, motorsport headers, electric fan, front window tabs, rear glass straps, nascar rear spoiler.........Bluedefens@aol.com

 

One thing that has always bothered me about electric fans is that most of them stop when the engine is shut off. I know this happens with belt driven fans, but, this seems like a lost opportunity to cool the engine when it is hottest. There is a time delay between when the engine produces heat and when the cooling system can remove it. When the engine is shut off this heat is trapped. On a hot day I would guess that the hottest coolent temperatures would occur ~5 minutes after shut-down. I've noticed some fans, like the VW Rabbit/Golf, coming on after shut down. What's the reason all vehicles don't do this?

 

Usually there is no need for the fan to be on after engine shut down. The only reason I could see the need for it is if the cooling system trapped heat and would risk blowing the pressure relief valve. If your rad is big enough and/or far enough away from the engine, heat should naturally radiate away from it. The only down side to an electric fan I could see is a warranty problem if the fan or related sensors should fail and cause damage to the engine. Of course the Triton engines come with the fail safe cooling and a functionning temp gauge so one should see the problem coming.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

------------------
On Order: 99 F-150 XLT SC Flairside 4x4 4.6 w/5spd
using: Wife'S 99 Explorer till arrival

 

My Mitsubishi used to do that too.. My guess is that on smaller cars, it is okay to use a smaller fan because of the smaller radiator. Smaller fan=Smaller fan motor=less current draw. I was reading an add for a fan that would fit my F-150 somewhere that claimed only a 3.5 amp draw. Well, at 12volts, that is almost the equivalent of leaving a 50 watt ligth bulb burning off of your battery. Also, I would imagine that because no water is moving, and there is a significant increase in cooling volume, a fan staying on (if it is switched by temp and not time) in our trucks after the key has shut off would tend to stay on for a while.

Dunno, it is my $.02 worth anyway.. Either way, I am convinced to put an electric fan on my truck now.. Thanks everyone! And thank you Mike. Your advice is always very helpful.

I will let you all know how it works out


------------------
BLACK 99 F-150 XLT Supercab, Flareside. 4.2 auto 3:55. K&N Airfilter and soon to be Superchipped (as soon as I can overcome the no-start problem)

 

Well guys, the only electric fan I see worth putting on our truck is the Flexalite #250 which pushes over 5000 cfm with dual 14" fan. But the darn fan is especially made for the Shovey Suburban.RATS!
It is a direct replacement for that thing(shroud,thermostat,wiring and all).
I'm gonna wait till they make one for F-150 trucks only. DON'T FORGET, YOU MUST HAVE A FAN RUNNING AT LEAST 2500 CFM on our V8 engine.

------------------
1997 XLT Supercab emerald green,4.6 auto superchip, rear dual exhaust, Atlas wheels w HP 275/60/17 tires, Lund steps and quarter window shades, Outland grille guard w KC daylighters (for sale cheap), piaa 1000 in bumpers openings, Trenz billet grille, edlebrock ISA shocks, Powerslider, stainless steel fender trim, fluidyne cooler, Airaid kit, Gentex electronic compass dimming mirror,Downey SST tonneau cover(for sale cheap),A.R.E. lid,
AAR hood next.

 

Dear Bill Murray,

Yes, I sure would agree with putting an electric fan setup on the new Lighting, you bet! I wonder why Ford didn't do it themselves, so many of their other vehicles are equipped with them.

As far as belt wear, yes, it seems it is increased on these supercharged engines. The last one Ford did, which was the 1989-1995 Thunderbird Super Coupe, wore it's belts quicker, and not just the blower belt either, almost all of them (my 94 SC had 3 or 4 belts, I forget) would wear quicker. There is a standard for how many cracks per inch are OK in these serpentine (sp?) belts, and I forget what that spec is. I replaced all my belts in the SC at 40K miles, and they were shot. However, the new belts looked OK at 70K, so maybe it's just a matter of buying the best belts money can buy! Just keep an eye on the cracks, I have no idea how long to expect Lighting belts to last.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

 

Dear DHFerguson,

My experience has been mostly just the opposite, meaning, most of the vehicles I've seen with electric fans *do* come on after the engine has shut down, but then it may very well be just the types of vehicles, like you said. Most FWD vehicles do this, for example. It helps to even out the heat cycle, and I agree with you, it's a good idea. Helps to combat the normal "heat-soak" that happens when you shut the vehicle down. I have no idea if this is something that has anything to do with metalurgy, I.E. to better protect aluminum engines, for example, that would be one guess.

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 09-15-1999).]