electric fans for towing?

[CodySanders]

i have a lot of mods and run egts around 800-900 towing my trailer. i was wondering if a set of flex or other brand electric fans works good for towing also. i would like the extra ponies and the cooler ac but want to keep my truck cool still while towing. i tow 20 to 25k trailer plus truck and have heard mixed results from people. I am looking for real users thoughts and opinions. thanks

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Best way to keep cool towing is stick with the stock fan. There isn't any electric fan setups that can come close to the 8800 CFM or so that the stock fan generates. There's been a couple threads on the topic lately.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Agreed, no electric fan will push as much air as the stocker.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I put electric fans on my '97 a couple years ago for the same reason you're wondering about. It was a complete waste of money. Truck overheated alot faster, back to stock fan now.

 

[GShail]

I currently have installed on my truck two addittional Rapid Cool fans from Thinline. Prior to their installation i went through over a dozen fan clutches. The fan cluches were going out in less than 10 thousand miles, With the additional Thinline fans installed, the truck went over 75,000 on the last fan clutch and no issues keeping the AC cool at an idle on very hot days. With all the troubles I was having with the fan clutches, the additional fans have been a blessing.

 

[JMartynowski]

How much will fans really effect the egt's?

 

[ronman]

Well, just as a data point, on my former '98 12V, I installed a Horton Electric Fan, and it worked GREAT! It was made specifically for the CTD, and it was a serious piece. It was designed to come on when the A/C cycled on, or when engine temp went above 190 deg. I towed 8K lbs extensively, and it rarely ran unless engine temp went above 190deg. Towing up some long hills in 90+ deg in summer, I'd hit 190, the fan would come on, run for a min or so, drop the engine temp below 190 and shut off. When I wasn't towing, it never came on unless A/C was cycling.



Too bad Horton doesn't have one for our 3Gens, or I'd get one. I didn't miss the noise of the mechanical fan on the '98 when I put the Horton on... . #@$%!

 

[Sean Flanagan]

I dont think the Horton fan was an electric motor. I think the Horton fan was an electric clutch driving a bigger than stock fan off of the front of the motor. Instead of the stock viscous clutch, it had an electrically actuated clutch that engaged it. I helped a friend install one in his 98. It worked quite well for towing. It moved a lot of air. You definitely knew when it was on because it made a lot of noise.



I'm with you, I wish they still made them...

 

[DHerbeck]

The noise, and not to mention the strain the stock fan puts on the engine. I was doing MPG tests at different speeds last summer. I was getting 24 MPG at 60 MPH, but when I slowed below that, the clutch engaged all the time and I got 18 MPG at 55MPH.



I cant believe an electric fan is not out there that can cool these 3rd gen trucks. Man, this is 2007, not 1949. The technology is there, we just haven't found it. Look at the tiny blades on the stock fan and tell me a huge electric fan is less capable. I just have a hard time believing that.



I dont have the experience of removing the stock fan and trying to use an electric like some of you do, but it just has to be able to be accomplished.

 

[RustyJC]

I tried a Flex-a-Lite Model 350 dual puller electric fan setup on my 1996 3500. This setup drew 50 amps and could drain batteries at idle with the A/C and headlights on, so (IMHO) that's about the limit on current draw.



50 amps x 12 volts = 600 watts ~ 0. 8 BHP. That's the problem with electric fans. 0. 8 BHP simply can't move enough air to cool a truck that's pulling a 5th wheel up a long 6% grade or in Houston stop and go traffic during the summer. Been there, done that, paid for the education.



On the other hand, the electric fans worked OK for mall cruising.



Rusty

 

[ronman]

I dont think the Horton fan was an electric motor. I think the Horton fan was an electric clutch driving a bigger than stock fan off of the front of the motor. Instead of the stock viscous clutch, it had an electrically actuated clutch that engaged it. I helped a friend install one in his 98. It worked quite well for towing. It moved a lot of air. You definitely knew when it was on because it made a lot of noise.



I'm with you, I wish they still made them...

Whoops, you are 100% correct... it was an electric clutch which drove the fan. How quickly we forget!!!

 

[CodySanders]

thanks for all the advise guys i guess for now the best way is to leave it stock. by the way i wasn't looking for less egts just the extra ponies

 

[Tmartin000]

I wouldn't be inclined to add an electric fan in order to REMOVE the factory clutched fan, rather, a helper fan around town, backing up my boat, etc. If it got that hot, I would shut mine off and allow the factory one to do it's thing. .

How about that?

 

[betterthanstock]

I dont think the Horton fan was an electric motor. I think the Horton fan was an electric clutch driving a bigger than stock fan off of the front of the motor. Instead of the stock viscous clutch, it had an electrically actuated clutch that engaged it. I helped a friend install one in his 98. It worked quite well for towing. It moved a lot of air. You definitely knew when it was on because it made a lot of noise.



I'm with you, I wish they still made them...

We have one better than that. Our fans are hooked to a viscous drive, that allows for reduced speed cooling all the time, and an electrical clutch engages the fan when the computer decides it needs more.

Take a look at the front of the fan. There is a cable coming out of it.

 

[HighRanger]

Yes there is a pair of wires coming from the fan clutch. I just had the whole from of my truck off in feb and I had noticed that.

 

[Tmartin000]

I can't see why a guy can't just figure a way to put a switch on the fan wires to at least choose when it could be engaged--like when backing up my boat...

Any ideas?

 

[RogersM]

Not to hijack this thread but how hot is too hot when towing re: egt? I have gotten at least 900 when towing and was under the impression that 1200 was the absolute max w/o damage.

 

[RustyJC]

Not to hijack this thread but how hot is too hot when towing re: egt? I have gotten at least 900 when towing and was under the impression that 1200 was the absolute max w/o damage.

That depends if your EGT is measured pre-turbo or post-turbo. I certainly wouldn't want to run sustained post-turbo EGTs of 1200 degF.



Rusty

 

[LandShark]

Cody, I think you are looking at the cooling problem in a convoluted way. You mention egt's, when the real problem with cooling is to keep coolant and oil temp under control. I'm not saying that egt's are not important, just that you want to keep them in the most efficient range. Too low and you are wasting fuel; too high and melt down.



My experience with egt's is mostly with yachts and planes with constant speed (variable pitch) props. Pitch or power is controled to bring egt's to the most efficient temp. I'm not sure what that temp is for our trucks, but I think you are in the ballpark with 800 - 900 degrees. Planes and yachts don't have speed limits like we do, so power is adjusted to give the best speed without exceeding the most efficient egt. We have to control egt's mostly with our gearing and speed.

 

[RogersM]

That depends if your EGT is measured pre-turbo or post-turbo. I certainly wouldn't want to run sustained post-turbo EGTs of 1200 degF.



Rusty

Thanks Rusty. I really can't recall just now if it's pre or post but think it's post. I had it installed by Dodge as part of the purchase deal. I never reach 1200 but having said all that they, DC, sells these trucks to tow heavy loads and sells them w/o Pyro gauges. Some, I suspect, never know to have these installed and go on towing 10K+ loads not even knowing or caring what egt's they are reaching. Seems it would be in DC's interest to make gauges stock and advise buyers, etc... . but then that would make too much sense. It would save them tons o' bucks on the occasional rebuild on warranty.



Mark