Got outta work early today and headed over to the base auto hobby shop. Started work about 3:30pm and was done by 7pm. Ran into a few snags but nothing major. The worst one is the bracket on the drivers side needed some grinding to clear a power steering line. Once I got that settled it bolted up to the radiator nicely. Wiring was a little tricky. Hardest part about that was finding a decent place to mount the inline fuse. I ended up drilling a hole but don't like where it is. I plan to remount it later when I get some more time. I will also hide the wires in a wire loom like the rest of my wiring. I can' t stand bare wires strung all over an engine bay. Anyways I am still fiddling to get the thermostat set where I want it. Have only driven about 5 miles but there seems to be a noticable difference in power. Nothing substantial or mindblowing but it's there. The stock fan is pretty heavy and even when the clutch is not engaged it takes some pressure to turn it. I will do a write up on this when I get some time but it's going to take me a few days. Planning a 300 mile road trip this weekend and I'll post to let you know how my mileage changed (if any) Here's a couple pics of the finished product.

 

Hello y'all,

I have been reading that some of you changed the stock fan to flex... (electrical fan). I wonder what is the advantage? or disadvantage? thanks.

 

The stock fan is driven by the motor (pulley system). This is also known as "parasitic drag" on the motor. By removing the 8lb fan, you restore the power that the fan was robbing.

You also clean up the engine bay and get rid of that annoying fan roar that you hear when the engine is hot, or you first start up.

SC'd trucks will come on to boost sooner, and N/A trucks see an increase in throttle response.

You can do a search for more info.

 

Lookin good Joey, I'll be looking forward to reading your report after your road trip!

 

I just done 4' deckplates so how about ISR mod? thanks.

 

You put a 4 foot deckplate in your truck? Dang man, I have to see some pics!

Click on my sig for info on the ISR mod. Oh, even though everyone is cool here, you should do a search. Your questions are pretty common.

 

Other advantages:

-it's lighter than the stock fan

-you can wire a switch to it to make sure it stays off if you go for deep water crossings

Disadvantages:

-electric supposedly pushes out 2500 cfm to the stock fan's 8000 cfm so might it overheat at somepoint? Maybe, but not necessarily & I haven't heard a lot of complaint.

-when it's turned on, it draws amps/power from the alternator so you may save a little mileage & feel an increase when the fan isn't running but you'll still feel it when it's on and it still takes power to run it when it's on

-Someone mentioned that they were actually louder than the stock fan (except when you first start the engine w/the stock fan), but I don't remember who

-Because the mechanical fan spins faster as you rev it higher, it follows how you drive and it pulls more air as a result whereas electric fans pull consistently less air but do it every now & then instead of all the time.

That's all I can think of right now.

Al

 

Thanks for all the inputs.

 

Looks real good. I just installed mine last Friday. However instead of grinding the drivers side braket, I just loosen the power steering hoses and moved them 1/4 turn back. Love the fact that there's no fan noise at startup. It was real easy to install, heck, I was even able to find the AC wire and tapped into it. works great.

Now lets see what else can I mod. On yeah. upgrade the headlight wiring, Gotta go order one now.

 

HBoss my fan is actually considerably more quite than the stock fan was. With the windows up you can barely tell it's running. I havent' noticed any kind of draw on power when it kicks on. During normal driving it never comes on. It'll only kick on if you sit and idle for a while. Drove out on the freeway today and getting up to cruising speed seems alot easier. Also I can actually accelerate in 5th gear now...just barely but I can..haha Overall I am pleased with the mod. RChavis I need to find that AC wire. Can you help me out?

 

Good to hear (or not hear ) that your fan is more quiet. My concern is that the fan doesn't come on during normal driving. So if you're going slowly and revving every so often (i.e. you go offroad or are in slow-moving summer/rush-hour traffic) and the fan doesn't come on to help cool things down, might it overheat or run your engine at an overall higher temperature than usual?

At freeway speeds the electric vs. stock is a non-issue because the air rushing in is enough to keep the engine cool. Plus, there's so much air rushing in that it will actually help to turn your stock fan so there really isn't any extra power loss at high speed. It's like running A/C at freeway speeds, it doesn't affect mileage & power, or very little anyway.

I'd like to hear your long-term results Joey. It sounds like it's very good so far. I'm not against the electric fans at all, but I've been doing a lot of research on them to determine whether I'll switch or not. I'm a I know, but researching stuff like this is kinda fun.

Al

 

Nice job Joey. Dont forget the highly detailed, "idiot-friendly" write-up!! This is my next mod when the wife goes back to work.... I'll need the write-up, WITH the AC wire location!!

 

Nope, this is the purpose of setting the thermostat correctly. The fan draws plenty of air through the radiator to cool things down, so as long as the fan's thermostat is set to a point at the normal engine operating temp, then things will be fine.

My electric comes on as needed. I'll sometimes notice it at a stop light, or it'll kick on as I get out of the truck after parking (I have it wired straight to the battery). It shuts off as the temp goes down, so all is well.

 

I may have to disagree on a couple points.

First, even though air is rushing in at freeway speeds, the motor still has to turn the fan. In physics, this is known as the moment of intertia. So, initial throttle "tip in" is better at any speed with the elec fan(s).

Second, I dont know about you, but when I kick of my AC while floored in 5th gear, I feel an immediate "jerk" and "gain" in power on the freeway.

Not trying to be argumentative, just making a couple points.

 

what did you guys pay for your flex-i-lites, if'n ya don't mind me askin', and where'd you get 'em?

 

$219, Summit Racing.

 

Same thing for me.

Note that they come in "fashion colors". If I remember right, Summit stocks in black and blue, but they can also order them in red and yellow.

The Flex-a-lite selection at summit is at the end of this link:

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...rt=flex-a-lite

The -210 is what the 3rd gen/3.4L's are running, and it looks like the price has gone up a hair.

 

It will be black for me. I just got a new catalog last night so I'll take a look at it then.

 

Here's a write-up on the install on a Taco:

Install

 

First, even though air is rushing in at freeway speeds, the motor still has to turn the fan. In physics, this is known as the moment of intertia. So, initial throttle "tip in" is better at any speed with the elec fan(s).

-Correct & agreed. But I only said it would help turn the stock fan, not turn it solely with air rushing in. Less resistance, less power req'd to turn it. It's like rollerblading w/the wind helping you, it's easier and takes less power/energy to make it happen.

Second, I dont know about you, but when I kick of my AC while floored in 5th gear, I feel an immediate "jerk" and "gain" in power on the freeway.

-I noticed it in my previous 4 cyl. car but not with the 3.4 V6. It remains the same from what I've felt/noticed.

Not trying to be argumentative, just making a couple points.

No worries. This is how we help each other make informed purchases.

Al