Electric fans installed!!

[CumminFast]

Well I got 'em in there. So far I love them. My fan clutch was locked up so I had to replace them, so naturally electric fans were an excellent option. They are 2 12" Flex-a-light fans that I got off ebay for $150. I noticed a big difference, but this from robbing to saving. I don't smoke as much. I love how it sounds in the cab especially at about 3300rpm. I think it is faster, but it is hard to tell. I am not running them off the thermostat. I just run them all the time, but I have an on/off switch, which I think will come in handy warming up in the mornings. I need to dyno them to see what they did.

 

[Cooker]

At your HP level I am interested to hear how it does during the summer months?

 

[WadePatton]

Somebody posted that the standard fan pulls up to 25hp--flywheel HP that is.



I may change mine eventually.

 

[Dkevdog]

Sounds Like a real setup. I am curious to know if you have had them long enough to see any difference (good or bad) in cooling while towing. You get any pics of that setup?? Would love to see some



Kev

 

[DHRA]

Uh-Oh

I hope you don't tow. I talked to Flex-a-lite at SEMA and they said that none of their current product will flow enough air to cool any diesel under tow. He said for moderate climate, empty driving they seemed to do okay, but they get a slew of calls from diesel owners, disappointed from their engine overheating.

On the bright side, they said they have a 2003 diesel project in the works, so keep an eye out for that!

Be careful down in that Georgia heat!

 

[RKohn]

"none of their current product will flow enough air to cool any diesel under tow"

Towing's not the problem, it's sitting still or going up the hill too darn slow. Add some more fuel and haul a$$ down the highway, you don't even need a fan.

 

[drawson]

I have ran electrics(three) for two year now and have only had one time that it got hot with them. It was towing slow down a dirt road.



I did chicken out when I went up to Calgary last summer and put my OE fan back on. Just a week before I left I had one of the relay burn up. That worries me more than any thing.



I also did some dyno testing with the stock fan and with out. Cold the stock fan cost 12 HP , at about 130 deg (measured at the fan clutch) there was only a 2 HP cost, and after lock up it draw 19HP.



I cut the bottom of my fan shoud and built a bracket for the inner fan that can be changed out in about 10 minutes. I really like the electrics in the colder times of the years. It help alot not having the OE fan drawing all that air in the teens first thing in the AM...

 

[Dkevdog]

Re: Uh-Oh

Originally posted by DieselSport Promotions

I hope you don't tow. I talked to Flex-a-lite at SEMA and they said that none of their current product will flow enough air to cool any diesel under tow. He said for moderate climate, empty driving they seemed to do okay, but they get a slew of calls from diesel owners, disappointed from their engine overheating.

On the bright side, they said they have a 2003 diesel project in the works, so keep an eye out for that!

Be careful down in that Georgia heat!

That was my point. I'll be keeping an eye out for the project.



Kev

 

[RustyJC]

Our previous V-10 3500 would run hot (230 degF) in stop-and-go traffic towing our 13,500 lb 5th wheel in hot (100 degF) Texas summer weather. Brilliant guy that I am , I decided to replace the factory fan with a dual Flex-a-Lite electric puller fan setup, complete with shroud, etc. This was the biggest mother Flex-a-Lite sold for the 3500 V-10. I figured this would cure all my towing ills. WRONG!!!!



Once I started thinking about it, the Flex-a-Lite fans drew 50 amps @ 12VDC - 600 watts. Well, 746 watts = 1 BHP. Now, if the factory fan draws 12-20 BHP (depends whose numbers you use), even if it's only half as efficient as the electric setup, which one is going to move more air?? Sometimes even engineers have brain fade..... Off came the electric fans!!



The final cure for the 230 degF temps on the V-10 was as follows:



1. The largest B&M SuperCooler transmission cooler I could get plumbed in upstream of the factory radiator tank and oil-to-air coolers. This got rid of much of the heat load from the auto transmission torque converter (tremendous heat buildup during stop-and-go towing) before the heat was dumped into the coolant in the radiator tank cooler.



2. Changed thermal fan clutch from 224 degF (stock) to 205 degF (aftermarket).



After these changes, you could work the crap out of the V-10 and the temp gauge would never go over 205 degF (factory thermostat and mid-scale mark on temp gauge is 200 degF).



An expensive lesson learned about electric fans and towing... hope the money I spent for my education helps someone else.



Rusty

 

[Rob Thomas]

Re: Uh-Oh

Originally posted by DieselSport Promotions

I hope you don't tow. I talked to Flex-a-lite at SEMA and they said that none of their current product will flow enough air to cool any diesel under tow. He said for moderate climate, empty driving they seemed to do okay, but they get a slew of calls from diesel owners, disappointed from their engine overheating.

On the bright side, they said they have a 2003 diesel project in the works, so keep an eye out for that!

Be careful down in that Georgia heat!

Bla, bla, bla... .



I've had mine on for nearly a year, they are small, and don't flow alot (as some of the other electric fans), but I haven't had any trouble with them cooling the engine. They are on a temp switch, and work great. The only time I had the temp get higher, was sled pulling, simply because I don't have the fans on a on/off switch, which I will this year.



I tow almost every day, at various weights, still no problems, even at almost 500hp, of course my temp gauge could be inaccruate.



Later, Rob

 

[RKohn]

Cumminfast,



Got pics?

 

[CumminFast]

Sorry I have been away for a couple days. They are cooling pretty good now. I only tow like 3-4k so i can almost pull that w/o the fans. I forgot yesterday to turn them on and about midday 50 degrees it started running about 190. I think I am going to get another relay just in case mine blows out. I blew the first one out. I really wished I could find w/ more than 30 Amps. I will get some pics up as I can.

 

[Rob Thomas]

Originally posted by CumminFast

I think I am going to get another relay just in case mine blows out. I blew the first one out. I really wished I could find w/ more than 30 Amps.

I don't have a part number in front of me, but I am using 70amp metal cased, made in Germany relays, with my fans. They weren't cheap, I think I paid about $30 each, but they work. Those POS china plastic relays melt way to easy. I think the ones I have now are made by Hella, I'll check for the number and let you know.



Later, Rob

 

[Rob Thomas]

Ok,



They are Hella relays, heres the number that was on them... 4RA 003 437-04 70 amps. I got them at a eletrical supply shop, the auto parts stores didn't have squat.



Later, Rob



EDIT: Good luck on Hella's site, I couldn't find it there. Here is the phone number where I got mine from, maybe they can ship it to you..... (800) 922-6527 State Wire and Terminal.

 

[JPS]

relays

Hey Guys, you may want to make sure you are using "continous duty" relays. May be able to find at a John Deere tractor dealer if they have a good parts man. Their prices are not to bad. I don't have a parts # in front of me. Another good name is Cole-Hersey. They do have a web site. I want to do some rewiring on my Dodge when I get time! jps

 

[Rob Thomas]

I have 3 Cole Hersee books in front of me, and none show any relays, also checked their site, nada, not even in a "search", what am I missing?



Later, Rob

 

[CumminFast]

Rob,

Thanks for that part #. I am gonna have to get one of those. They are pricey though, considering a 30 Amp cost $30!!