Flex-A-Lite 262 Fans Installed

[monkeyman]

I have had them on for almost a year now and love them. First I had the Horton Set up. After the wires got pulled out of the clutch, I went electric as that was less than a Horton clutch! I like the fact there is no noise. And you can run one wire to turn fans on manual. Or One wire that they will only go on with a switch (winter). Electric Fans last for many years, as they are not on all the time like a manual fan
Rick

 

[Hammer]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there's no way you would get a 3 mpg increase with this fan. Maybe 3 mpg's better when the stock fan is fully engaged but how often is that? I bet a 1 mpg increase would be much closer.

So then what your saying here is my numbers are skewed????...

I always though that you divided the number of gallons used into the number of miles ran to get MPG. Hmmm,Maybe then I misread,miscalculated or didn't understand math. I have zero reason to lie with what my actual fuel numbers were and have the reciepts to back up what I have seen if you would like to come and look at them. I have nothing to hide and practiced no fuzzy math to get what I gained.



Rmarkey...

Show Season...

Its the time of year when your trucks gets all wiped down top and underneath and you show it at various car and truck shows with other who enjoy the same things as you. .



Certainly they look nicer than the old plastic fan shroud and steel fan assembly. All aluminum in construction made for easy polishing and more shine under the hood... ... ... Andy

 

[Jetpilot]

I have personally seen Hammer's truck and to say it is clean is an understatement. I am also sure that when he tests something, what he posts is what he sees... ... BTW those fans are sweeeet!

 

[Benson]

So then what your saying here is my numbers are skewed????...
I always though that you divided the number of gallons used into the number of miles ran to get MPG. Hmmm,Maybe then I misread,miscalculated or didn't understand math. I have zero reason to lie with what my actual fuel numbers were and have the reciepts to back up what I have seen if you would like to come and look at them. I have nothing to hide and practiced no fuzzy math to get what I gained.

Is it a consistent improvement? If so, that's great and I wish they would hurry and get the one for the 3rd gens.

 

[Woodenhead]

For those of you considering this install there's a new set for sale over at NWBombers for a pretty reasonable price.



Here's a link Flez a lite fans - BOMBER Board



Mike

 

[Shadrach]

I'm not sure what I will run when I get the CTD in my crew. I won't be over18k but I have a smaller rad so I can't use that setup. With my current V8 if it wasn't for the trailer I would gladly leave them in all year. Last summer when I was pulling my Trailer my stock fan clutch locked up solid, my temp dropped 10* , it was noisier when I slowed down and I sure went through a lot of extra fuel. Shadrach

 

[Huff N Puff]

i think its ridiculous to make a dependable cummins less dependable. Not going to be very happy when a $0. 15 fuse causes a $10,000. 00 motor to overheat in line at McDonalds drive through. Also, you really don't gain HP. There is no such thing as free HP, it just works the Alternator more. Don't belive me?, listen to the motor pull down when the grid heater comes on. The motor will is still spinning the fans just less reliable now. I would really consider this before buying these electric fans.

I recently installed the fexalite fan kit on my truck,the a/c is ice cooled,I dont get wild swings on the temp. gauge. Best of all my 12sec truck has gotten 18mpg. Thermostats can stick,water pumps can leak,hoses can blow radiator caps can leak,all can ruin your 10,000. 00 engine. If you're not watchful

 

[DNewell]

Okay, just a couple of quick questions here, or maybe just a couple of points. I know I'm resurrecting this from the dead, but I think that Hammer has hit on something good.

Hammer, have you had the chance to tow anything fairly heavy with this dual fan setup? I see that based upon Flex-a-lite's site, they don't recommend for 18k or above. When I tow my 5th wheel, I'm up around 18. 5 to 19k GCVW.

Also, how do you tell if your fan clutch is locked up? If you try to turn the fan when the motor is not running, will it still turn, or not? If it does turn, is it supposed to be fairly hard to turn, or not?

Has anyone else tried one of the other Flex-a-lite fans on their trucks?

BTW, my brother runs a 69 Chevelle with a 377 stroker motor turning out around 650hp. It consistently runs 11. 30's in the 1/4 mile track, and it is a streetable car. All he runs is an electric fan in it, so the claims that electric fans are not as reliable is pure hogwash. Go to any drag racing event and see what you find. By switching to electric fans, you drastically decrease the load on the motor. this frees up horsepower, which subsequently will lead to an increase in MPG on a daily driver. All things being equal in a vehicle, if you can decrease the load on the motor and help to increase hp without drastically increasing fueling, you will see an increase in MPG. Oh well, if anyone has any info, please let me know!

 

[MMcCallie]

Horton Fan Clutch

My buddy has a flex-a-lite dual fan kit on his 80 something Chevy 1500 with a 350. We were 4 wheeling the back way up Storm Mountain last weekend and hadn't gotten far when he pulled over because of all of the smoke puffing out from under his hood. Almost 15 minutes later the overheating stopped and we were able to start diagnosing.



His electric fans weren't coming on at all. We spent about an hour working on it. Fortunately, i had some spare wire, spade connectors, and other electrical tools in my truck. The power board on top of of the fans failed. He said this was the 4th time it has gone bad and he's only had the fans for a few years. We somehow made a new connection with my extra wiring that got the fans to work again and were able to enjoy the rest of our day, wheeling in the snow.



My stock Cummins fan was overheating this summer when climbing mountains around 9,000' elevation and higher in ambient temperatures above 100 degrees F. I did not have a fan shroud so that was a huge part of the problem. Because my Cummins engine sits too far forward in my Ford, i could not fit electric fans between my engine and radiator. I have a Be Cool 18" fan as a pusher mounted to the back of my front bumper but it has almost always been virtually useless.



I now have a shroud, not a good one, but it is something. I'm also using a new fan setup. This fan will almost blow your hair off. I had a 10 blade heavy duty plastic fan made to use a Horton electromagnetic clutch. I bought my parts from:



Turbo Auto Diesel

4859 W Van Buren St

Phoenix, AZ 85043

(602) 272-5311



It is way more expensive than any other option, but it works far better than anything else i've ever come across. I use a toggle switch on my dash to lock it up. Fuel economy definitely improved as i rarely engage the clutch. When i lock it up, the truck feels like it suddenly loses a good 30 hp and sounds as loud as the ones in a garbage truck. Even helps as a brake coming down hills.



Aside from moving far more air than any other fan option, it is also a little more reliable than electric fans. I just use a switch, there is no processor or computer of any sort to worry about. Also, if for any reason the electronic clutch completely fails, the blades still spin, though freely, with the engine so there is a slight breeze. I can grab the blades by hand and stop them when the clutch is unlocked. Lock up and free spin are still a huge difference. The fan blades can also be made to custom lengths.



They sent me a thermostat but never returned my phone calls about where or how it is supposed to be installed so i just keep an eye on my engine coolant gauge. Most users would probably want it to be automatic, hasn't been a problem for me. I like being able to shut it off especially when i'm working under the hood with the engine running.



Even at idle, it blows so much air that it is difficult to keep my eyes open. The hairs on my arms lay almost flat backwards. I cannot say enough about how much air this fan moves. My worn out turbo barely makes boost when i'm cruising but when the truck is in park i can make near 10 psi just by revving the engine with the clutch locked. To my knowledge, these kits are only still available for 12 valve engines because of their direction of rotation.

 

[drag racer]

Okay, just a couple of quick questions here, or maybe just a couple of points. I know I'm resurrecting this from the dead, but I think that Hammer has hit on something good.

Hammer, have you had the chance to tow anything fairly heavy with this dual fan setup? I see that based upon Flex-a-lite's site, they don't recommend for 18k or above. When I tow my 5th wheel, I'm up around 18. 5 to 19k GCVW.

Also, how do you tell if your fan clutch is locked up? If you try to turn the fan when the motor is not running, will it still turn, or not? If it does turn, is it supposed to be fairly hard to turn, or not?

Has anyone else tried one of the other Flex-a-lite fans on their trucks?

BTW, my brother runs a 69 Chevelle with a 377 stroker motor turning out around 650hp. It consistently runs 11. 30's in the 1/4 mile track, and it is a streetable car. All he runs is an electric fan in it, so the claims that electric fans are not as reliable is pure hogwash. Go to any drag racing event and see what you find. By switching to electric fans, you drastically decrease the load on the motor. this frees up horsepower, which subsequently will lead to an increase in MPG on a daily driver. All things being equal in a vehicle, if you can decrease the load on the motor and help to increase hp without drastically increasing fueling, you will see an increase in MPG. Oh well, if anyone has any info, please let me know!

... Stay tuned. I am going to be installing the 262 on my 1999 in a few weeks and I will report in the future my thoughts and opinions. I won't have any hot weather data until the spring/summer though.

 

[Hammer]

Hammer, have you had the chance to tow anything fairly heavy with this dual fan setup? I see that based upon Flex-a-lite's site, they don't recommend for 18k or above. When I tow my 5th wheel, I'm up around 18. 5 to 19k GCVW.

The biggest thing I had behind the truck was a open car trailer with a buddies 1968 Dart,which had a 440/Torqueflite in it,that he bought up in NY near Syracuse. I took him up and towed the car back for him as his gasser pig with the 39" tires would not have towed very well in the hills North of Scranton. It was a cool day when we left here,below 40 degrees,and I never seen temps that even turned the fans on at all. So No,I did not tow heavy and not in warm weather.

Also, how do you tell if your fan clutch is locked up? If you try to turn the fan when the motor is not running, will it still turn, or not? If it does turn, is it supposed to be fairly hard to turn, or not?

You will hear the roar of the fans when its fully engaged as it is loud enoiught to notice when going down the road. Factory Fan should turn slowly by hand when you attempt it or the clutch is bad.



I have seen a increase in fuel milage and installing them made the motor quieter. It also,now that its cold outside,sure allows the truck to warm up quicker since the fan is not turning and pulling cool air through the radiator while warming up.



MMcCallie...

Horton has discontinued the fans,kits and parts for our trucks along time ago due to their high cost and lack of sales. Probably a good reason why you are having a rough time finding any info on wiring or parts.



Your buddies SBC Gasser pig's problems when four wheeling leads me to one question... . Does he have the switched wired for when you four wheel so you can shut the power down to the control box(kills the power to it) when you cross water??. It sounds like its shorting itself out when high water gets into the fans and control box. Flex-A-lite reccomends you do that if your a avid fourwheeler for any water crossings.



drag racer. .

If you have any questions feel free to drop me a note.



On a side note...

These fans have been in for some time now,6 months,and they have performed flawlessly and above and beyond my expectations. I have had zero issues with them and would do them again in a heartbeat. IF I would want Flex-A-Lite to do anything with them update related,I wish they would set them up as progressive fans. Its nice they come on at partial speed first but they would be alot sweeter if they worked like an automobiles,one comes on first at 65% then when it goes to 100% the second one starts at the reduced speed and increases as needed. That was actually Huff-N-Puff's idea at our annual fall dyno rip and after some thoughts on it he is right,man that would be cool... ... ... Andy

 

[MMcCallie]

No water crossings, the truck hasn't even seen a water hose in years, just rain. Aside from 3" of snow on the ground, there was no moisture and his truck is way up in the air, about an 8" lift on 37" tires. We were at about 7,000' elevation climbing Storm Mountain, about 10,000" feet when we reached the peak and temps were just barely into the 30s.

The wires had green corrosion on them. Perhaps his is an older unit because his power board is not sealed, which i assume would eliminate corrosion. Was wheeling again this weekend with a couple Jeep Cherokees with ambient temps in the 20s and 7" of snow around Estes Park, Johnny Park, over 8,000' elevation.

Both Jeeps were constantly overheating past 260. The Cherokees had two fans from the factory, a mechanical fan on one side and an electric for assistance on the other. Both had disconnected their electric fans because they would make the engine run so cool, they couldn't see 160. Had to let them run hot just to keep the windows defrosted. Electric fans can be very effective.

Mine was getting over 210 easily but every time i flipped the switch to lock my fan it dropped to 180 in about 1 minute, always does, and it stayed there. The Horton is the most expensive by far but is uncomparably the best. Literally blows away the competition. The clutches are still available and Horton now refers customers to Turbo Auto Diesel for complete kits.

If i really wanted to, i could use a thermostat that sticks between the radiator fins like most electric fans come with, the wiring is not difficult. If you don't need extreme cooling capability i think the electric fans are cool too. I was told by Flex-A-Lite that the original stock Cummins fan could move around 12,000 CFM once it locked and was told by them not to buy their kit because it would not provide enough cooling for 4 wheeling and towing, especially in the mountains. If i didn't use my truck as hard as i do, and the fans would have fit, electric fans would have been ideal and probably are for most drivers.

 

[drag racer]

... Stay tuned. I am going to be installing the 262 on my 1999 in a few weeks and I will report in the future my thoughts and opinions. I won't have any hot weather data until the spring/summer though.

OK, I finished installation of my fans yesterday (still working on the wiring though, which will take some time to make it look professional). Hammer's original post pretty much covered everything with the pictures, etc. Here are my initial thoughts:

a) The whole set-up and especially the hand fabricated shroud looks awesome and fit right into the OEM mounts perfectly. The overflow and windshield washer bottles also fit perfectly. Kudos to Flex-a-lite - they really did this part right!

b) IMO, these fans look like the way the truck SHOULD have come from the factory, even though the OEM would never use anything hand-fabricated because of cost. It just looks "right" to me.

c) The fit (clearance) is pretty tight with respect to the front of the engine - tighter than I would have thought. Access to the belt tensoner is worse than OEM, and makes changing the belt a little tougher by oneself, but still doable. On mine, I can no longer do it from the top because the RH fan motor case does not leave a clear enough path to swing the breaker bar to move the belt tensioner, but I figured out a way to do it from the bottom to still keep it a one-man job.

d) I was thinking of moving the fan controller somewhere else, but after surveying other possible locations under my hood, I decided to leave it on the shroud as it comes.

e) Might not be absolutely required, but since these fans will draw some decent current when on at 100%, and that combined with all the other electrical accessories I have installed over the years, I will also be installing PA Performance's brand new 200 amp alternator just to preclude any electrical drain issues .
PA-Performance alternator


Reliability and cooling performance in the AZ summers remains to be seen, but I know that A/C performance at idle and low speeds has to better than the stock set-up, and I have had good luck with Flex-a-lite products in the past, and do not expect any big problems with this one either.

I would highly recommend this part at this time just based on the manufacturing quality and fit of this part alone, and the look of not having that heavy honking stock fan and fan clutch and shroud in there is sweet.

 

[Hammer]

drag racer...

Glad to see you have them on and like them. Wiring is not that bad trying to make look nice,you will see that once you start. I too have changed my belt and I did it while we did the install. I have also removed it when the A/C compressor failed and went to the non-a/c belt and routing. You are correct in saying its best done from below.



On the alternator...

I used a 200amp Mean-Green alternator for mine AFTER I had the fans installed. Trust me when I say,you should do this BEFORE you install the fans. The bottom bolt on the alternator is a bolt/nut combo where the nut is on the rear and the long bolt slides out to the front. When you try with the fans installed it hits the passenger side fan motor and can not be removed due to its length. I had to remove the fan assembly to install the new Mean-Green alternator and wished I would have done it along with the fans when I did them. Some things are done without full attention to thought and I had the skinned knuckles from it,LOL. I did the high output alternator due to stereo,fans and FASS all being big electrical draw so I could prevent long term issues... ..... Andy



P. S. -here are links to the alternator thread at the time and to Mean-Green.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...-transmission/184150-alternator-upgrades.html



Mean Green Starters and Altenators - Mean Green is the manufacturer of Gear Reduction Starters, Altenators, Stainless Steel Receiver Hitches and Jeep TJ Dual Battery Trays.

 

[MAllen1]

I've had mine on for 1. 5 years now and love it. I can also tell you that it can be used for towing 18000+ gcwr. I did one thing different to be able to do this. I wired it the same way, except for the thermostat you poke in the radiator. I wired it in the box on the fan the right way, but, instead of using the thermostat in the radiator trick, I routed the wires around the battery and through the grommet into the cab, then put a toggle switch under the steering wheel on the kick panel. During normal driving, i've noticed the a. c. cycles the fan adequetly. When towing heavy or hard accelerating, I dictate when the fan is full force. The only note to take into consideration is that we only have one grade of substance around Atlanta is what we call Six Flags hill on the west side of Atlanta on I-20. It's about 40 miles from me and I am not towing my 13000 gooseneck for an 80 mile test drive unless I have gas money waiting on the other end. Other than that, I haven't had a problem hitting 19000#.

 

[drag racer]

Hammer,

Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Finished the underhood wiring yesterday, just need to finish under the dash today and they will be ready for a test drive.

I am crying though :{ after reading about the alternator - my new alternator has not arrived yet, so I didn't even consider there would be a problem with access for that one bolt - everything looked like it would be gravy. After the many hours I put in the last 2 weeks checking/fixing the KDP, installing the Edge EZ, Fluidampr, and the fans, I may have to put off installing the alternator for a little while until I drive the truck some to build up the satisfaction level a little before having to tear things back down again . As you know, everything fits great, but is quite tedious removing it. Oh well, live and learn.


MAllen,

Good to hear yours are working good towing a good load.

Not sure why you did that mod for the temp. sensor though . The fan controller has the provision to install a manual override switch in the cab while also keeping the sensor in the radiator to do its intended function.

 

[drag racer]

Flex-a-Lite Kit Coming for 2003-2008 Dodge Rams

I wish they would make them for the 3rd gens already

Your wish has been granted, but you have to wait until February .

Flex-a-Lite 264 Electric Fan System

#ad

 

[I-6DZL]

I have also installed my fans, it was mentioned earlier hit or miss about warm up in cold weather. Just for that fact i would not trade mine for the stock setup, let alone the other added benefits. I'm expecting great thing's coming this summer with improved A/C at idle, we'll see!!



Curtis

 

[drag racer]

Reliability and cooling performance in the AZ summers remains to be seen, but I know that A/C performance at idle and low speeds has to better than the stock set-up, and I have had good luck with Flex-a-lite products in the past, and do not expect any big problems with this one either.

I would highly recommend this part at this time just based on the manufacturing quality and fit of this part alone, and the look of not having that heavy honking stock fan and fan clutch and shroud in there is sweet.

As promised, here is my hot weather performance update for those following this thread. It has been 110°+ here in AZ the past week. Drove the truck at highway speeds with some stop 'n go, unloaded yesterday at 112° hottest part of the afternoon, A/C on full blast, about a 30 mile trip. The temperature gauge read between the 190° mark and the last safe white mark on the gauge; hotter than I would like, but never exceeded the last safe white mark before heading towards the red zone, although it got close. The A/C cooling performance at idle is better than the stock fan set-up, but not earth shattering. I would have to say that towing any sort of reasonably heavy load in these extreme conditions would likely overload the cooling system with these fans. The return drive from the above-mentioned trip after sundown with the temperature still over 100°F, the temp. guage was at its normal position of 180°, and I am sure it would have been fine towing.

All in all, I standby everything I said earlier in the thread. These fans have worked flawless, look and fit awesome, free-up horsepower, and would put them in again in a heartbeat. In crazy hot extremes in the desert summer daylight is where their limit is.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I can remember calling Horton about their fan clutch around '86, before Mopar took it. They wanted $350?. I passed at it. What a mistake! :{