Advantage of electric engine fan

[Sharecropper]

I seem to recall an old thread (which I cannot re-locate) about installing an electric coolant fan and removing the engine-driven fan. In the thread, the Op indicated that the electric fan (or maybe it was two small fans) was mounted to the radiator in a shroud and operated off a thermostat switch, and the engine-driven fan was removed and not used. Just wondering, for those of us who are trying to squeeze the last ounce of HP out of our stock 6.2, would this provide a HP boost? Has anyone done this before?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[patracy]

The 6.2 uses a viscous coupling fan. So it's not using full power unless it's running warm. Given the nature of the 6.2. I think I'd leave well enough alone personally. (Mine runs at 195 all the time) You could certainly gain a little from it. But I just don't see a massive $ to HP return on it given the stock system. Now the deuces, that interests me, especially given their cold nature. But even then, the viscous setup is the way I'd go on them instead of electric fans.

This is purely my opinion though. I just have fought with overheating on cars that had engine swaps where a mech fan wasn't an option.

 

[jpg]

I've been told that a 6.2 equipped with electric fans will better tolerate fording, if the water is deeper than expected and it reaches the fan(s).

 

[KsM715]

I've been told that a 6.2 equipped with electric fans will better tolerate fording, if the water is deeper than expected and it reaches the fan(s).

That is correct. But you must use a manual switch somewhere inline so you can shut off the fan in deep water. I do not know the CUCV well enough to know how close the stock fan is to the rad. but on some vehicles if the fan is close enough when the blades hit the water and pull them selves forward they can get into the rad and do some damage.

As for HP gains, I don't think you could even tell the difference if you removed the fan.

 

[nyoffroad]

Back in my old hot rod days I remember reading about after market flex fans and how much horsepower you could 'recover' by replacing the old solid fan and even the newer (at that time) clutch fans. Seemed that it said as much 25HP! Of course that was on a 383CI gasser. If I pulled a camper with mine a lot I'd give it some thought. Of course the only time you'd benefit would be on a long slow pull.

 

[TXFirefighter]

By removing the OEM fan and replacing it with electric you will pick up about 12 to 15 Hp. Even the viscus fan clutches put a drag on the engine when they are at "idle" and even more load when they engage. By using a thermostatic switch to control the fan relay you make the system function like the OEM system in an automated fashion. If you include a manual switch, you get the ability to control the fan as you see fit when wheeling or fording.

On our fire trucks (8.3L Cummins) the fan draws close to 75 hp when engaged....

 

[nyoffroad]

On our fire trucks (8.3L Cummins) the fan draws close to 75 hp when engaged....

Now that you brought it up, My Freightliner has a DD15 in it and the fan really drags it down. When the fan kicks on at an idle the whole cab kinda lurches a little from the torque. Some trucks use the fan to assist in engine braking (think Jake brake)

 

[Sharecropper]

Well I guess my next question is, has anybody ever done this in a CUCV? I wish I had tagged that old thread. If I remember correctly, the OP had mounted a pair of small thermostatically-controlled fans in place of the radiator shroud.

 

[Westech]

Im sure it is EZ to do. I installed two 10" electric fans in my Monte Carlo and with a painless wiring harness with relay and temp switch
its brainless. Its 100% automatic.

 

[m16ty]

I don't think you'd notice any hp gains on a 6.2.

There is one good thing electric fans are good for but I don't think most cucvs suffer from this. Some vehicles tend to run hot when easing around on the trail due to low air flow at slow speeds. A electric fan will help with this.

 

[CUCVLOVER]

I would stick with the regular engine powered fan, that way you don't have to worry about the electric fan A: dying, B: shorting out from water in case of a bad seal, C: wires getting cut. that's just me.

 

[Drock]

There are advantages to an electric fan, and they can be reliable. All new cars run them and even some trucks as well. My brother is ah Dodge guy, he has an 06 hemi ram with almost 200,000 miles on it. One of the first mods those guy's do on there trucks is to remove the stock mechanical fan and install ah Dodge Viper electric fan in it's place. There ah 3 speed fan so it's much more precise then a mechanical fan can be, and can make your water pumps last longer. And there only on when needed. He reports better fuel mileage and more pedal response. The trick is finding an OEM fan that fits your space. The after market ones is where you run into reliability issues.

 

[rsh4364]

A faster warm-up at below 0 would also be nice.No fan running til 190 ish would be an advantage.

 

[Tongloong]

Look up ford windstar electric fans. Igot mine from a junk yard for $14, + $35 for a thermostat control wiring harness. There are some great writeups on it.

 

[biggerhammertx]

Look up ford windstar electric fans. Igot mine from a junk yard for $14, + $35 for a thermostat control wiring harness. There are some great writeups on it.

So where would the "un-enlightened" find information to order or work up a thermostat controlled wiring harness for GM 6.2 Diesel engine (I tried googling it)

I have a 1993 6.2 and every bit of extra horsepower is appreciated!

BIGGERHAMMERTX

 

[Tongloong]

Any auto parts store. Tell them you want a thermostat wiring harness for an electric fan.

 

[patracy]

That is correct. But you must use a manual switch somewhere inline so you can shut off the fan in deep water. I do not know the CUCV well enough to know how close the stock fan is to the rad. but on some vehicles if the fan is close enough when the blades hit the water and pull them selves forward they can get into the rad and do some damage.

As for HP gains, I don't think you could even tell the difference if you removed the fan.

There's a good gap between the fan and radiator, but there are oil cooler lines that cross in the path between them.

 

[Tongloong]

Electric fan install

There's a good gap between the fan and radiator, but there are oil cooler lines that cross in the path between them.

Ok, sorry for the delay but my phone wouldn't let me reply properly while I was out. Here is the install thread for a Ford Windstar fan into a CUCV. http://ck5.com/forums/threads/dual-circuit-windstar-fan-final-shroud-update-05-11-11.267400/

There is enough room once the original fan and shroud are removed to install two of these fans. Clearance between the radiator, oil lines included is more than enough. Here is the electric fan install kit I used. The parts store will ask you what temperature want for the thermostat switch. I would go with one that is slightly above your thermostat temperature. That way the fan is not on unnecessarily on all the time. It will only come on once the truck starts to actually get hot.

There has been much debate over whether or not this will save gas mileage because the increased load on the alternator will also reduce gas mileage. My take is that fan clutch or not, that belt driven fan is turning all the time. This kit will only turn on the fan when the truck actually needs it. The rest of the time, it is completely unecessary. By the way, the CFM on that Ford Windstar is higher than all but the most expensive $500 + Flex-a-lite or BeCool fans.

As suggested, If you are doing river crossings, I would install a switch to kill power so the fan is not turning when you hit water. Assuming you remember to flip it.

Good luck

One more thing, as I was tackling my cooling system I ran a radiator flush through it. It removed enough crud that a hole was revealed 4 inches above the bottom of the radiator. This means that over the existence of this truck, there was more than 4 inches of crud lying in the bottom of the radiator. If you are having any cooling issues, I would have this checked out. If your radiator is not at top efficiency, everything runs hotter since Oil, Trans, and water are running through it.

 

[biggerhammertx]

What temperature would you recommend for the Radiator Thermostat? My 1993 CUCV II 6.2 Diesel never seems to really get warm? I'm very temped to get this going as any & every extra horsepower freed up would seem good for the 6.2.

 

[Ilikemtb999]

I plan on going electric this summer. Things seem to get a bit warm while wheeling since I drive it like an old turtle. Not sure how I feel about ford parts on it but if that's what fits and works the best.....