fans vs. AF1
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fans vs. AF1
I can do one or the other of the electric fan kit from Performance or the AF1 intake. I'm wondering if anyone or Mike can give me an idea of which one I'd benefit more from for improving around town mileage and general power. I know the price of both already.
Thanks,
Randy
02 F150
4.6 3:55LS Auto 4x4
superchip
Thanks,
Randy
02 F150
4.6 3:55LS Auto 4x4
superchip
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From: MADISON, WI
I have done both mods.
If I could do only one, I would do the electric fans for these reasons: 1. The power gains from the fans is available all the time. 2. With the fans mod you get the benefit of additional AC cooling capacity when sitting in traffic. 3. Once installed properly, there is no additional effort needed by you. With the AF1 eventually you will have to clean and reoil the filter element.
The arguement against fans are basically these: fans require more installation time. Fans have higher cost.
If I could do only one, I would do the electric fans for these reasons: 1. The power gains from the fans is available all the time. 2. With the fans mod you get the benefit of additional AC cooling capacity when sitting in traffic. 3. Once installed properly, there is no additional effort needed by you. With the AF1 eventually you will have to clean and reoil the filter element.
The arguement against fans are basically these: fans require more installation time. Fans have higher cost.
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From: Virginia
Hi Randy,
Good question! Since you have the 4.6 motor, the raw peak power gain from either modification is just about a dead heat, 15 hp from the AF1 versus 14-15 hp from the electric fans.
The electric fans do give better improvement in immediate throttle response, especially in the lower rpms ranges. You're eliminating 1 form of parasitic loss altogether, the factory fan, so the engine no longer has to expend energy to accelerate that dead 10 lb. mass, making it much more willing to gain rpms as a result. Overall, you'll see more improvement in throttle response from the electric fans, and you also will pick up some mpg improvement too, 1-2 more mpg. In our 6000 lb. 2001 5.4 4X4 Lariat w/ORP driving here in the mountains, we got exactly 1.0 mpg improvement from the electric fans, and that's constantly having to drive up and down these mountains, so our driving conditions aren't exactly conducive to getting good fuel mileage. Being able to pick up 1 full mpg was a very nice added benefit.
The conversion to electric fans will take longer to install of couse, and it's more expensive than the AF1 intake, but then, the return on that investment is better with the electric fans as well. Between the power gain, the throttle response, and the mpg improvement, it's a solid winner.
If I had to choose, I'd probably go for the electric fans myself, as I like the throttle response improvement and the improved fuel mileage, as well as getting about the same raw peak power gain as the intake.
Hope that helps!
Good question! Since you have the 4.6 motor, the raw peak power gain from either modification is just about a dead heat, 15 hp from the AF1 versus 14-15 hp from the electric fans.
The electric fans do give better improvement in immediate throttle response, especially in the lower rpms ranges. You're eliminating 1 form of parasitic loss altogether, the factory fan, so the engine no longer has to expend energy to accelerate that dead 10 lb. mass, making it much more willing to gain rpms as a result. Overall, you'll see more improvement in throttle response from the electric fans, and you also will pick up some mpg improvement too, 1-2 more mpg. In our 6000 lb. 2001 5.4 4X4 Lariat w/ORP driving here in the mountains, we got exactly 1.0 mpg improvement from the electric fans, and that's constantly having to drive up and down these mountains, so our driving conditions aren't exactly conducive to getting good fuel mileage. Being able to pick up 1 full mpg was a very nice added benefit.
The conversion to electric fans will take longer to install of couse, and it's more expensive than the AF1 intake, but then, the return on that investment is better with the electric fans as well. Between the power gain, the throttle response, and the mpg improvement, it's a solid winner.
If I had to choose, I'd probably go for the electric fans myself, as I like the throttle response improvement and the improved fuel mileage, as well as getting about the same raw peak power gain as the intake.
Hope that helps!
I agree with Mike's statement but the eye candy that the AirForce One gives you is tough to beat.
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From: Virginia
Well said, Gearhead!
No matter who you are (unless you happen to be wealthy), just about all of us have to make choices on what we can afford to do right away versus what has to wait. The eye candy parts sure are hard to resist!
No matter who you are (unless you happen to be wealthy), just about all of us have to make choices on what we can afford to do right away versus what has to wait. The eye candy parts sure are hard to resist!
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I ordered my fans and a gatorback belt today! I'll make sure not to get too impatient to install them until I have a nice free day to take my time on.
Thanks again for the responses.
Randy
Thanks again for the responses.
Randy
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From: Virginia
Hi Randy,
Sounds like a good plan. The best thing to do is to read over the installation manual thoroughly before doing *anything*. Take your time, read the docs, line up your tools & familiarize yourself with what you'll be doing underhood before starting *any* of the work, and you'll have a much smoother installation. This is true with installing anything we feel, but especially those mods where there are a number of steps & procedures and a fair amount6 of work to do, so it's just good common sense.
Have fun!
Sounds like a good plan. The best thing to do is to read over the installation manual thoroughly before doing *anything*. Take your time, read the docs, line up your tools & familiarize yourself with what you'll be doing underhood before starting *any* of the work, and you'll have a much smoother installation. This is true with installing anything we feel, but especially those mods where there are a number of steps & procedures and a fair amount6 of work to do, so it's just good common sense.
Have fun!
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One question on the install of the fan kit if anyone knows. I've read the instructions and it all seems pretty well detailed and straight forward. The only question I have is regarding the tool(s) needed to measure the coolant temp. Is this something I could easily rent or would I have to buy something. And, are they spendy?
Thanks,
Randy
Thanks,
Randy
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From: Virginia
Hi Randy,
As we mention on Page 2, paragraph 4 in our installation manual, you will need either a scan tool to show you the readout from the ECT sensor (engine coolant temperature), or you can use a hand held infrared point & shoot type of thermometer to measure the actual temperature at the probes themselves where they are mounted in the fins of the radiator, those are the 2 methods we prefer to use and what we recommend.
What most people do is either borrow a friend's scan tool if they don't own one, or simply buy one of the inexpensive infrared point & shoot type thermometers locally, and they can be found at auto parts stores, home improvement centers (used for HVAC work), etc., and are not expensive. We document in precise detail exactly how to use either method for calibrating the fan turn-on temperatures in our installation manual, and it's important to note the temperature differential between the temps as measured at the probes versus the actual ECT temps as reported by that sensor, we identify that too in our documentation.
As Gearhead_1 also mentioned, in the 1999 & up trucks, you can also turn the digital trip odometer into a number of different digital gauges, and on some of these trucks one of the readouts you can get is engine coolant temperature. Be careful if you go that route, as those readouts can be rather cryptic. A couple of things to be aware of are that the temps reported via the digital trip odometer will be shown in degrees **Centigrade,** not Farenheit, and you can end up reading the cylinder head temperature sensor readout instead of engine coolant temperature sensor readout if you're not careful, so you'll want to cycle thru each of the different readouts, maybe even a couple of times, to get the right one. We generally do not prefer to do it that way, we like to calibrate using a scan tool or infrared, but it can be done via the Trip Odo in the '99 & up trucks if need be, & thanks to Gearhead_1 for mentioning that.
Give us a call when you get a few minutes & we'll be happy to go over with you how to turn the digital triup odometer readout into the various different digital gauges (like a digital speedometer, tachomter & various other readouts) if you like, and/or go over anything else with you about this installation as well.
Good luck!
As we mention on Page 2, paragraph 4 in our installation manual, you will need either a scan tool to show you the readout from the ECT sensor (engine coolant temperature), or you can use a hand held infrared point & shoot type of thermometer to measure the actual temperature at the probes themselves where they are mounted in the fins of the radiator, those are the 2 methods we prefer to use and what we recommend.
What most people do is either borrow a friend's scan tool if they don't own one, or simply buy one of the inexpensive infrared point & shoot type thermometers locally, and they can be found at auto parts stores, home improvement centers (used for HVAC work), etc., and are not expensive. We document in precise detail exactly how to use either method for calibrating the fan turn-on temperatures in our installation manual, and it's important to note the temperature differential between the temps as measured at the probes versus the actual ECT temps as reported by that sensor, we identify that too in our documentation.
As Gearhead_1 also mentioned, in the 1999 & up trucks, you can also turn the digital trip odometer into a number of different digital gauges, and on some of these trucks one of the readouts you can get is engine coolant temperature. Be careful if you go that route, as those readouts can be rather cryptic. A couple of things to be aware of are that the temps reported via the digital trip odometer will be shown in degrees **Centigrade,** not Farenheit, and you can end up reading the cylinder head temperature sensor readout instead of engine coolant temperature sensor readout if you're not careful, so you'll want to cycle thru each of the different readouts, maybe even a couple of times, to get the right one. We generally do not prefer to do it that way, we like to calibrate using a scan tool or infrared, but it can be done via the Trip Odo in the '99 & up trucks if need be, & thanks to Gearhead_1 for mentioning that.
Give us a call when you get a few minutes & we'll be happy to go over with you how to turn the digital triup odometer readout into the various different digital gauges (like a digital speedometer, tachomter & various other readouts) if you like, and/or go over anything else with you about this installation as well.
Good luck!
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From: Virginia
Hi Gearhead_1,
I didn't realize you are M.H., with the use of anonymous screen names here many times we don't know who is who, I just happened to see it in your profile so I thought I'd say hi.
Just wanted to give you a quick thanks for helping Randy, that's very considerate of you, thanks!
I didn't realize you are M.H., with the use of anonymous screen names here many times we don't know who is who, I just happened to see it in your profile so I thought I'd say hi.
Just wanted to give you a quick thanks for helping Randy, that's very considerate of you, thanks!
