electric fan installed!

[berman2000]

whew! good lord... ... ... like the instructions say, you'll need every bit of four hours to complete. it is an awsome piece! i love it. i only have one complaint; the wiring has a little bit to be desired. its ok, but could be a little more neat. everything went well. i took shroud, fan, and brackets off; i thought, i was going to be done in 2 hours, max... ... ... . then the wiring. the temp. sensor wires are very light guage and they give you just enough to hook to control panel from the inlet of radiator. good gravy, dont mess up that splice or your going to have a tough time reaching the control module (panel). second, the wire from the fuse box... ..... this piece should be soldered into place through the back of the fuse box not attached by a cheesy adapter. i will tighten it up tomorrow, will solder wire into fuse box and should be happy with it. the cooling is great, i noticed a 10 degree drop in engine temp. i also noticed a little less noise and it feels a little less shaky (cummins style). maybe its because i've talked myself into this as being the grand pooh bah! i will be able to tell for sure by the end of the weekend, going to the cape for a few days. hopefully it will be hot, so i can put it to the test!

 

[DValentine]

Do you have pictures? I tried it with a couple of electric fans on my 93. It didn't work for me. How many CFM are the fans rated for?

D

 

[MMeier]

Yeah, where are the pics??

 

[betterthanstock]

Electric fans were invented for FWD transverse mounted engines. They put a big load on the alternator (that energy to move the fan has to come from the engine via the alternator), so don't be surprised if in the near future you'll be replacing a few alternators(assuming that the fans are of adequate size to cool a towing vehicle).

A good fan clutch (like our trucks have)should not waste much, if any gas (diesel), as it only comes on when needed, and quickly goes off again. But when they do run, they use a few HP (I think it can exceed 5 hp) so to get that much power from electric fans you need over 300 Amp @ 12 volts.

 

[MountainMan1]

Electric fans were invented for FWD transverse mounted engines. They put a big load on the alternator (that energy to move the fan has to come from the engine via the alternator), so don't be surprised if in the near future you'll be replacing a few alternators(assuming that the fans are of adequate size to cool a towing vehicle).

A good fan clutch (like our trucks have)should not waste much, if any gas (diesel), as it only comes on when needed, and quickly goes off again. But when they do run, they use a few HP (I think it can exceed 5 hp) so to get that much power from electric fans you need over 300 Amp @ 12 volts.

I think your converting the wrong specs! It only takes a 15 hp electric motor to drive a small S-10 pickup truck to 60 mph! This is what is used in electric vehicle conversions. And they use high gear from zero mph, don't forget that max torque for an electric motor begins at zero rpm. I think your 300 amps is way off course, you're talking more like a starter motor for a diesel. Imagine the size of the cables to the fan!!!



Peter

 

[berman2000]

here it is......

it runs 5500 cfm. it is awsome. i only have one complaint. the temp. sensor (thermostat) wires are very thin guage and are just long enough to reach from the radiator to the electric module on the new fan box (aluminum). so, i fine tuned it a little bit; spliced wires so that connection wasn't so abrupt at the point of module hook-up; i was wooried about the ohms, because i used a different wire (copper and thicker guage), works fine... ... ... pictures will come soon. the temperature is in about the same range as when the stock fan was used. when it goes past the 200 degree mark on the temp guage (stock temp. guage), the fans go on and cools to about 190 degrees; just lower than when the factory fan was in use. i love it, turn the truck off , temp. at about 200, the fan runs for about 30 seconds. i notice quicker spool up and exceleration on the highway. i was in stop and go traffic on the cape this weekend in about 85 degree or so weather... ... no problems. a guy came up to me at a fuel station and picked my brain about what i did to my truck; i dont usually raise the hood; he has the same year truck. i popped the hood and he said that the fan looked awsome. i was a little embarassed about how it looked (i think it has too many wire ties and wire loom), but he said it looked clean. love no fan shroud and no fan. it looks like you have more room to work! will take photos if weather is good this week and will post. guys, i know it cost money, and since i am not very good electronically and have limited tools, i am truly excited about this piece. stay tuned.

 

[TMax]

For some reason, I thought we were not supposed to run these electric fans on our trucks? Not enough CFMs for serious towing... . that's only what I read. Maybe this in a new kit on the market? Double fans right?

 

[berman2000]

yes........

double fans. i cruised at about 73mph until i hit traffic. i think that this is a 'time will tell product'; i mean, i hope it lasts. fan will turn on when i turn off engine and will run for about 30 seconds or so... ... ... sounds cool, hope it literally is cool. will have pics by middle of week if weather holds up, which it is not currently doing!

 

[MA2LA]

The kit might not be the best or heavy towing but for many who don't tow much it would help power and milage.

 

[MMeier]

it runs 5500 cfm. it is awsome. i only have one complaint. the temp. sensor (thermostat) wires are very thin guage and are just long enough to reach from the radiator to the electric module on the new fan box (aluminum). so, i fine tuned it a little bit; spliced wires so that connection wasn't so abrupt at the point of module hook-up; i was wooried about the ohms, because i used a different wire (copper and thicker guage), works fine... ... ... pictures will come soon. the temperature is in about the same range as when the stock fan was used. when it goes past the 200 degree mark on the temp guage (stock temp. guage), the fans go on and cools to about 190 degrees; just lower than when the factory fan was in use. i love it, turn the truck off , temp. at about 200, the fan runs for about 30 seconds. i notice quicker spool up and exceleration on the highway. i was in stop and go traffic on the cape this weekend in about 85 degree or so weather... ... no problems. a guy came up to me at a fuel station and picked my brain about what i did to my truck; i dont usually raise the hood; he has the same year truck. i popped the hood and he said that the fan looked awsome. i was a little embarassed about how it looked (i think it has too many wire ties and wire loom), but he said it looked clean. love no fan shroud and no fan. it looks like you have more room to work! will take photos if weather is good this week and will post. guys, i know it cost money, and since i am not very good electronically and have limited tools, i am truly excited about this piece. stay tuned.

So, what plugs into the factory fan clutch connector? What brand did you go with? Is it adjustable as to when it comes on?... and oh yeah... PICS!!!!

 

[berman2000]

more info..........

nothing connects into factory connector, unfortunetly it just dangles. flexalite. it is not adjustable, but they do make a controller; i believe it is universal, but i will be checking into it in the near future..... pics are coming, took photos today, need to downsize files, tomorrow. pics will be up tomorrow.

 

[MMeier]

Interesting, how do you keep your A/C going then? I know its tied into the fan clutch through the hi pressure switch and something else IIRC.

 

[p-Bar]

Can you overide the control for backing up to keep the trans cooler flowing air . Oh ya pics.

 

[berman2000]

meier........

well, 75% of wiring was done by my good friend ryan dupree, i did most of the soldering; placed thermostat, ran wires to module, installed (drilled holes for attaching breaker), ran wire circuit breaker and placed wire grease on ends at module on new fan shroud, so, i was not, unfortunetly paying close enough attention! thank god he was there, because i am not, by any means knowledgable about electronics... ..... its chinese to me. as a matter a fact i am glad you brought that to my attention (ac), because i was wondering if positive or negative signal wire was attached (instructions say either/or, not both). as far as adjustable, it is manual for now... ... but, i see there is a part number (#31148) for in-cab adjustability, which i will be buying soon.

 

[berman2000]

p-bar..............

i dont know that. the temp. adjustment is manual and is on the new shroud. you adjust by turning a screw, 3/4 turn either way; i have not adjusted yet, dont seem to need to. i will upgrade to in-cab adjustment soon. sorry, i am a moron when it comes to explaining things, bear with... . i will try to get some better pictures of the actual module that connects all connecting wires, and a pic of the connection to the ac sensor.

 

[DValentine]

Looks good Berman. My set up was just two fans no shroud. I like your set up. I am sure your radiator is bigger than the first gen's, and the set up is made for the application. Looking forward to your results.

D

 

[MMeier]

Looks great! But only good for 18k #? My truck and empty trailer come in at 18. 5k.

 

[berman2000]

well, meier......

you's a mans man... . lol. i know, it doesn't have the true capacity of the stock, but my trailer loads are 2 and 4 place snowmobile trailers, 21' boat and trailer, and sometimes a 16' 10k trailer for mini excavator, etc. i was looking for mileage and performance... ..... i am truely happy with it, and was looking at the near future to run some 1/4 mi. drags. we'll see.

 

[Msilbernagel]

I have an 04. 5 in my '93 Suburban. . and I installed the Duramax version (twin S-blade fans) in mine. I can tow our 25' trailer over local passes/hills at 6% grades and it never goes above mid-gauge (210). It has a 2nd Gen radiator, and I've used Evans waterless coolant to avoid accidents should I somehow manage to overdo it. . I think the boiling point for the Evans is 375F or so, so the oil becomes a gating factor.



I'm very happy with the setup, and the fans work really well when ordinary engine driven units would be at their worst (idle, slow speeds, traffic, behind a slo-poke on the pass, etc).



Mark

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From the Evans web page (Evans Waterless Coolants)



Evans NPG+ Waterless Coolant is the recommended coolant for all gasoline and diesel engines. NPG+ is a stand-alone lifetime coolant that does not freeze, or boil over. NPG+ controls detonation, cavitation, and is non-corrosive. Installing NPG+ requires the radiator, engine block and heater core to be drained completely and then filled 100% with NPG+. NPG+ meets or exceeds both the ASTM D 1384 corrosion test and the ASTM D 3306-94 specifications.



Boils 375°F @ 0 psi

Freezes -40°F

Viscosity 2. 3cp @ 212°F

Surface Tension 44dyn/cm



$32. 50 per Gallon

you's a mans man... . lol. i know, it doesn't have the true capacity of the stock, but my trailer loads are 2 and 4 place snowmobile trailers, 21' boat and trailer, and sometimes a 16' 10k trailer for mini excavator, etc. i was looking for mileage and performance... ..... i am truely happy with it, and was looking at the near future to run some 1/4 mi. drags. we'll see.

 

[honda350rmx]

Right on flex-a-lite web site says



(Electric fans are not recommended for primary diesel engine cooling when the combined gross vehicle weight (CGVW) exceeds 18,000 pounds (truck, trailer and load))