Where to get a Horton Fan Clutch?

[DrRoth]

Hey can anybody tell me where to get a horton fan clutch and about how much $$ it will cost. I'd like to put one on my 91. 0 as I think it would work great on my truck.

 

[BHiggins]

I've been watching this thread since you posted it, I would like to find a Horton fan clutch also. I don't think Horton makes them for our trucks anymore, but I'm hoping someone knows of a place that still has a few.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I use to see brochures about the Horton at Rocky Mountain Cummins in Billings, MT. You might look Rocky Mountain Cummins up on the web (they have a number of sites) and give them a call.

 

[RWWinslow]

A number of years ago, Hortons were tried by a number of folks and they did not seem to last very well or work as expected. . . . . . Consider the following alternative; Remove the stock fan and install electric(s) - they will move the necessary air and there are a number of advantages:



1) Only run when absolutely necessary

2) Remove a 10 to 15 HP Parasitic loss on the engine

3) Remove considerable overhung weight on the water pump.



The radiators on these rigs are fairly oversized and with properly relayed electric fans, you will have plenty of cooling.



Just my $. 02 worth of input . . . . .

 

[RustyJC]

Just a perhaps unrelated comment on electric fans. I tried the Flex-a-Lite 350-series dual electric puller fans to replace the engine-driven fan on my 1996 Ram 3500 V-10/47RE. When towing our 5th wheel in stop-and-go traffic in the Houston summers, the Flex-a-Lites could not move enough air to prevent overheating.



If the stock fan draws even just 8 BHP (the lowest number I've seen posted), consider that the Flex-a-Lites drew 50 amps x 12 volts = 600 watts = 0. 8 BHP. Even if the electric fan airfoils are twice as efficient as the stock fan (and they're not), that still means that the electrics can move only 20% of the air of the stock fan. If their efficiency is the same, the electrics can move only 10% of the air of the stock fan.



I paid $500 for my education on this topic!! :{ :{



Rusty

 

[RWWinslow]

Great point!!



I put an electric fan on the wife's 94 Explorer which has a significantly uprated engine. I fought it for several months until I got the shrouding and everything else set up correctly. Fans and air cooled heat exchangers (radiators) are very funny mechanical beasts - the velocity of the air across the radiator fins is sometimes more important than the amount of air the fan is moving - the math and heat transfer calcs can get a little wicked and even then they are only approximations.



Bottom line, any mods to the fan and or cooling system should be done carefully, logically, and one step at a time, and then with a very watchful eye on the gauges.

 

[jaynes]

yeah...

so it's been getting warmer, and my engines been getting hotter, and I haven't been hearing the usual 747 under my hood that I hear when the fan clutch kicks in... i don't think it's working anymore . To make a long story short, I think I need a new fan clutch. I have the same ?? as Roth: Where do I get one, and how much does it cost? Is it a hard install? Thanks fellers!



JOsh

 

[ARedetzke]

Here is the Horton page for the B series fan clutch:

http://www.hortoninc.com/catalog/fan_drive_apps.asp?truck_id=105&units=english

Can't find any online dealers. Horton number is 996018

 

[RWWinslow]

Briefly looking through their website it would appear that the EC450 electromagnetic fan clutch is designed for a plastic fan, not a metal fan as was originally supplied on my truck. Before ordering one of these units I would confirm with Horton Engineering re the preferred fan material type. Horton also offers viscous drive units, etc.

 

[Bob Beauchaine]

I run a Horton fan and find that it works quite well. It comes with an off/on switch so you can turn it on when you need it. I leave mine off most of the time so there is little or no parasitic loss and it aids in a quicker warm-up. When running it moves some serious air. One point is that the fan is not attached to to water pump but runs from an offset.



I have run it in 95 degree weather at 70 mph while towing 8000 lbs, A/C on and my coolant temp stays at about 175.



Bob

 

[Ncostello]

Good luck contacting Horton. I've been trying to get replies for a fan I need for an upgrade to a Cummins ISC application. They are no help whatsoever at the company level. Won't return calls, emails or nobody knows anything if you do get ahold of someone. Just my experience.

 

[DrRoth]

So . . . . Can't find a horton, and don't know if it will work if I find one, and electric fans won't move enough air . . . . Any other suggestions??? My experience has shown that these trucks have and UNDERsized not oversized radiator. I know of at least 6 pre intercooled rams that have overheating trouble in the summer in this area. Can't be just a coincidence. I have heard that perma cool has some pretty good fans (14 in moving 2950 cfm). Would a couple of these do the trick? I had my radiator recored and a bigger core (the biggest one that would fit) put in a year ago with little help cooling. Water pump is fine and coolant changed often. My fan clutch works intermittently and probably needs replaced. Since it didn't work all that great when it came on easier, thought I'd try something else. Let me know what you all think.

 

[cerberusiam]

With the early non-crossflow radiator trucks verify you have an actual heating problem. There was a lot of conjecture about over heating and the only way to tell for sure is a mechanical gauge. It was not uncommon that the gauge and/or sending unit was in error in certain cases. In the cases where there was an actual problem changing to the updated radiator for the IC trucks solved the problems.



The stock Dodge radiator in the early trucks did have some issues that caused heating due to its design. Its not only the speed and volume of the air across the fins that effects cooling but the speed and volume of the water thru the tubes makes a difference. Given all pieces of the cooling system are in good functional shape, the later model radiators are not undersized for the application and will cool under some pretty extreme conditions.



The next thing you need to consider is what you have for a transmission. The 3 spd auto with a fluid coupling is extremely sloppy and generates massive amounts of heat. That heat is all transferred to the cooling system and if you have a trans problem or a heavy load you can push the coolant temps to the point where a cooling system problem would be suspected. In addition the temp sensor is located on the back of the head where there is already a flow problem around #6 cylinder. Its not unusual to see 20 to 30 degrees difference between that location and one in a better flow area.



Granted if the temp is too high around the sensor it could be a problem but that leads to another question. What temp is too high? The stock thermostat keeps the temps around 160 to 175 under normal conditions but that is pretty cool for a compression combustion engine. The more heat retained will help in the combustion and efficiency when at operating temps. A lot of the racers are running around 300 degrees to help burn the fuel. Some of the experimentation suggests that a temp of around 200 degrees is a good compromise. I would venture that seeing temps beteen 200 and 240 at the temp sensor would not be too much cause for concern if you are working the truck but I would definitely be looking for cause if it ran that with just normal driving.



The updated fan clutch and fan from DC seems to do a good job at keeping things cool on my truck so far and I run in some pretty hot conditions and hilly terrain at times. So far the best addition seems to be the lockup TC for reducing coolant temps. That has been a noticeable change.



Not trying to talk you out of spending your money or aquiring cool toys. Just offering an alternative to a $500 education.



Good luck.

 

[bgilbert]

Well written, cerberusiam. I was gonna touch on the nonIC'd points, but didn't feel like writing a book.

 

[Cooker]

The EC450 fan clutch is still available form Horton. I want to say it list for around $400. The problem is the fan blade itself (and it is metal) is no longer available. The wiring harness is not available anymore either but this is not that big of a deal (I'm not even sure they made a harness for the 1st gens anyway?)



Electrics can work depending on your use for the truck and your location in the country but it appears the non-IC truck have some pretty big limitiations to start with vs. the 2nd gens so maybe electrics may not be an alternative.

 

[Dallass]

Horton Fan

I had a Horton fan on my '92 CTD that I took off when I sold the truck. I very much liked the fan and the only trouble I had was one of the fan blades flew off when it engaged. The fan was a dodge fan. That was another reason that I was looking for the horton fan as it would be stonger made fan. A course I had a lot of miles on the horton drive before the fan let loose. Didn't do any damage as it went up and hit the hood. If it had went off at some other angle, I would have been up the creek. I could probable get my harness to work in my '98 12V, but I have to find the adapter for the A/C R134 valve. If you find anything out, please let us know.

 

[Cooker]

I'm sure the sensors could be purchased individually and a harness could be made pretty easily but the problem is the fan blade. The last time I spoke directly with Horton they were no longer offering a fan blade for the Dodge trucks.

 

[bgilbert]

Well how about the Horton plastic fans and clutches on the school buses there Mr. Greenleaf???? They sure looked sweet. Too big for our radiator and shroud?