I have the Flexalite 210 which is a dual fan unit mounted in a shroud. It mounts to the radiator core using threaded plastic rods, so installation is fairly easy. It comes as a kit with an adjustable thermostat and AC relay. I've had it on the truck for 30K miles, or about a year and a half, with no problems. The fans run only occasionally when sitting in traffic, otherwise they are never on. I've towed 2000# plus trailers in the summer heat, AC running and the temp gauge stays in the normal range. Gas mileage went up about 1mpg, and the engine is noticiably quieter without that big fan turning.

 

Another picture

 

You guys with electric fans. Any problems with the fan and big stereo systems? Or even winter driving with the headlamps and heater on? I've been wanting to do it for a long time, but worried about the voltage problems with stereo & lights while driving in the city during the night.

 

one of my best friends has the flexalite 210 model also, and it is a really nice fan, it looks good, is very flat and covers a lot of the radiator...but i still think there are vetter options out there...the $200 pricetag is hefty when you can get the permacool fan that i ordered for $88, and it flows a lot more air than the flex 210. also, an even better fan is the one that matt always talks about, a crown vic factory fan, which flows i think somewhere around 5000 cfm, and you can still get one for less than $100....just something to think about, an electric fan of any kind is a great mod, just keep your eye on the temp guage at all times

 

Yeah, What Matt Said.

Go for it!! You wont be dissapointed.

CJ

www.f150world.com/COWBOYUP

 

The Mark8 or MarkVIII is the fan that can flow up to 5000cfm. CJ aka CowboyUp has one in his truck.

Now since he does not keep his truck that clean, that sucker kicked on high when we were testing it with the hood open and instant dust storm! you could not even see the motor anymore under the dust and 3" body lift! It was insane! Then the fuse blow and the orgasm was over! So we wired it on low since we are going with basically 30amp components and on low that mark8 fan flows as much air as my crown vic fan does! A lot of it is in the design of the fan blades!

I guess CJ has no cooling issue on low which is good! If he ever did (which I doubt since we basically have close to the same CFm fans running right now and setup) then he could use the existing setup, buy a 75amp relay as mentioned on the smithmonte sight and wire the hayden controller to control the relay for the fan on high. So he has reserve if he ever needs it, like installing a blower!

Now for the question about power, lights, winter. Ford installs a 3g alternator rated at 130amps. This is the same amp rating in the mustangs, crown vics,, lincolns that all have these electric fans standard. So you will not have charging issues or lights dimming. Otherwise ford could have installed a 150 or 200 amp unit easily. You are set alternator wise!

 

The electric fans are wired so the fan comes on with the AC. Is this really needed at highway speeds. Isn 't there enough air flowing across the coils from the truck moving?

I always have the AC on (its hot here)

 

The radiator is about 32" wide x 22" deep... 704 inches^2, or 4.9 ft^2.

30 mph = 2640 ft/min

Radiator airflow = 2640 ft/min x 4.9 ft^2 = 12,936 ft^3/min or almost 13 thousand cubic feet per minute.

It is linear so 10 mph = 4,312 cubic feet per minute.

These simple computations suggest that even the most powerful fan is completely unnecessary at speeds above 15 to 20 mph.

 

Guys thanks for the tips and info. I decided to do it and ordered an Flex-a-lite #260. I know it's alittle overkill and pricey, so please no flamming here. The reason is, I tow a 6000+ lbs. Bayliner during fishing season and the mountains here in Alaska are pretty extreme. I plan on wiring one on the AC and the spare fan on a manual switch.
I also got the ASP pullies from Rodger two weeks ago, so I plan on doing that at the same time. I have my fingers crossed those two don't conflict with each other.

Bill

 

well it is for sure cooler in alaska than say florida or the southern US.

But the mark8 fan flows more air than the dual flexalite unit. That only flows about half of what it is rated. Just some info FYI.

I know that Kim is selling his 210 fan. he tried that in his stang with a 460. Does not flow even close to what the mark8 does. So he has it laying around if someone want to buy it from him. He is one of the moderators on the corral.

 

I concur with Beastrider about the need for running the fans when the AC is on and the vehicle is moving. I wired a small pressure switch in series with the AC lead to the control that opens the circuit when the truck is moving faster than about 25 to 30mph. Works well.

 

Yes Matt, the weather is alot cooler than Florida. Usually, it does get up to 85* in the summer; even in the 90's in Fairbanks. My main concern was having two fans (one for a backup). I've read alot about the Mark 8 fans, so thanks for the informative tips.

 

Bill_Aquino

You stated that you put a small pressure switch in series with the AC start circuit for the electric fan. This switch opens when air pressure increases as a indication that the truck is moving fast enough that the electric fan is not needed.

The switch would need to be current rated large enough to carry the full current of the fan and it would have to be facing out into the air stream to see the pressure increase. Great idea!!!

Do you have any details on where to get a switch like this?

 

The switch I used is normally used to detect airflow in gas burning equipment. Because it is used in the control side of the AC relay, and not on the fan side, the current it carries is minimal. The switch is a very sensitive and responds to pressure differential measured in inches of water. I ran a small plastic tube from the high side of the switch to a point in front of the radiator, and the low side in the engine bay. It cuts out the fan at about 25 to 30mph, and it comes back on at about 10mph. It's made by dungs-eclipse, but the type is fairly common and can be had at grainger or some other industrial or hvac supply. Dwyer is another manufacturer that comes to mind. If you need any more info, please contact me.

 

i ran into a bit of a problem when installing and wiring up my fan, it came with a 170 degree thermal switch which is clamped to the radiator hose right next to the water neck. i am fairly sure that we got it all wired up right, but the thermal switch didnst seem to work, so we just ran it to the fuse box so it will come on when i turn the ignition on....but i really want the thermal switch to work, so where did i go wrong? the fan motor had two wires, a red one and a black one, according to the wiring diagram, the red went to the fuse and then to the (+) terminal, and the black went to the thermal switch, back out of the switch and to the (-) terminal, however this just wasnt working...so what's my problem?
thanks in advance