E-Fan Conversion

Sport · Nov 10, 2016

I'm thinking of getting rid of the old clutch fan next and switching to an E-Fan. Has anybody else done this? Am I right to expect a ~10 HP gain?

This is the kit that I am interested in:

Ram 1994-2001 (Gas) | FF Dynamics

Jimmy68 · Nov 10, 2016

I stuck an e fan on a 79 Dodge. Gained seat of the pants power and better fuel mileage. Made my own set up.
How much power? Dunno. But I wanted more cooling so I was swapping fans out till I finally installed a big 5 blade off a 460 Ford. The big sucker with the massive curved blades out of the 70's. Sucked so hard it tore apart my water pump twice before I knew why. Swapped to homemade e fan and was never happier.

crazzywolfie · Nov 11, 2016

i doubt you will see any HP gain going to electric fans but you might notice a few ft-lb of torque. it would also possibly make your engine run a bit quieter and hit operating temp sooner. i haven't seen any proof of fuel mileage increasing when using electric fans. i actually got better fuel mileage with the stock mechanical fan.

i have seen people use the jeep recall fan. you use to be able to do a swap for under $100
19" Jeep fan - Part Number CBG4F250
Mounted with zipties in the stock shroud.

BBartow · Nov 11, 2016

Cross the gc fan off your list. Either can't get it or they want a small fortune. No way in hell you can do it under $100. OEM fans always draw a **** ton as well. If you don't care then I would just get any dual setup from the new trucks. I was about to buy fans with shroud for a coyote 5.0 from rockauto, 6000cfm and made to last oe quality for $180 until I saw the draw. Yikes no thanks. Bought two 16" aftermarket fans that run 9amps ea and move 4200cfm combined. Awaiting install once I decide how I want to mount them.

Jimmy68 · Nov 11, 2016

BBartow said:
Cross the gc fan off your list. Either can't get it or they want a small fortune. No way in hell you can do it under $100. OEM fans always draw a **** ton as well. If you don't care then I would just get any dual setup from the new trucks. I was about to buy fans with shroud for a coyote 5.0 from rockauto, 6000cfm and made to last oe quality for $180 until I saw the draw. Yikes no thanks. Bought two 16" aftermarket fans that run 9amps ea and move 4200cfm combined. Awaiting install once I decide how I want to mount them.

Yup. I used dual fans off an old Areostar. When they kicked in my volt gauge would drop quite a bit. Worked but a heck of a power draw.

Gr8bawana · Nov 11, 2016

You won't gain much with an electric fan. That's why there is a fan clutch between the fan and water pump. After a certain rpm the fan is freewheeling anyway so there is very little drag.

BlackMagnum2000 · Nov 11, 2016

Actually in the process of making my own shroud for a couple 15" flex a lites I had laying around. I can't justify spending that much on a piece of aluminum with some holes in it to be honest..

dudeman2009 · Nov 12, 2016

An electric fan will only give you an ever so slightly more takeoff, if you can even feel it. After about 3K rpm the clutch disengages and the fan is mostly freewheeling, just friction from the bearings and slight viscous coupling keeps it spinning.

The real purpose of an electric fan is to increase cooling at low speeds and idle. The alternator will produce more drag on the engine due to the increased electrical load.

The real way to find if something is more efficient is to look at semi-trucks. They still use belt driven fans, engine manufacturers are all about reliability and fuel efficiency. If belt drive fans were really that much worse, they would be retrofitting electric fans on all semis.

The one thing you need to watch out for is the increased electrical load at idle. The alternator is least capable of producing power at idle, some electric fans can draw upwards of 50A. it may be worth it to put a slightly larger pulley on the alternator if you are worried about the battery going dead while the vehicle is running.

Otherwise, electric fans are great for keeping the engine cool at idle as well as keeping the A/C at top performance at idle.

DILLIGAF · Nov 12, 2016

a 180 stat and a custom tune did a better job to keep my truck cool.

Jimmy68 · Nov 12, 2016

dudeman2009 said:
An electric fan will only give you an ever so slightly more takeoff, if you can even feel it. After about 3K rpm the clutch disengages and the fan is mostly freewheeling, just friction from the bearings and slight viscous coupling keeps it spinning.

The real purpose of an electric fan is to increase cooling at low speeds and idle. The alternator will produce more drag on the engine due to the increased electrical load.

The real way to find if something is more efficient is to look at semi-trucks. They still use belt driven fans, engine manufacturers are all about reliability and fuel efficiency. If belt drive fans were really that much worse, they would be retrofitting electric fans on all semis.

The one thing you need to watch out for is the increased electrical load at idle. The alternator is least capable of producing power at idle, some electric fans can draw upwards of 50A. it may be worth it to put a slightly larger pulley on the alternator if you are worried about the battery going dead while the vehicle is running.

Otherwise, electric fans are great for keeping the engine cool at idle as well as keeping the A/C at top performance at idle.

And those are air locked on when required and free wheel when not. When they do come on they move plenty of air and rob tons of power.
That's why we always turned them on before we hit a hill to cool the engine off before we got there then shut it off once we started flooring the truck. Yes the fan would come on before the top but at least we got the most power as long as we could. Them big fans kick on and your slowing down. Yes, even with 500 to 600HP. Pulling 140,000Lbs does that well enough, keeping the fan off as long as possible helps.
But mechanical fans don't quit working for you like an electric fan can. Hence why they still use them.

crazzywolfie · Nov 12, 2016

dudeman2009 said:
The real purpose of an electric fan is to increase cooling at low speeds and idle. The alternator will produce more drag on the engine due to the increased electrical load.

The real way to find if something is more efficient is to look at semi-trucks. They still use belt driven fans, engine manufacturers are all about reliability and fuel efficiency. If belt drive fans were really that much worse, they would be retrofitting electric fans on all semis.

The one thing you need to watch out for is the increased electrical load at idle. The alternator is least capable of producing power at idle, some electric fans can draw upwards of 50A. it may be worth it to put a slightly larger pulley on the alternator if you are worried about the battery going dead while the vehicle is running.

Otherwise, electric fans are great for keeping the engine cool at idle as well as keeping the A/C at top performance at idle.

i don't know if i would say an electric fan cools better at idle or at all. both work good. from my experience my truck got the best fuel mileage with the stock fan on the engine. i have tried driving around with electric fans or no fan at all and it has still never beet the fuel mileage that i got with the clutch fan on the engine. i think the clutch fan acts like a propeller pulling itself along helping fuel mileage.

definitely a good idea to make sure your alternator can handle the draw but if anything you need a smaller pulley on the alternator. a larger pulley would spin less. a smaller pulley would spin more creating a bit more power at idle.

i think your missing the most important thing. engine reaching operating temp sooner especially in the winter. i can have my vehicle with electric fans a hot box in about 15-20 minute but my vehicle with the clutch fan still take about 20 minutes to warm up enough to be comfortable. i also run a 180* thermostat and i got my fan controller to kick the fans on at 220* so that engine always hits operating temp eventually.

dudeman2009 · Nov 12, 2016

crazzywolfie said:
i don't know if i would say an electric fan cools better at idle or at all. both work good. from my experience my truck got the best fuel mileage with the stock fan on the engine. i have tried driving around with electric fans or no fan at all and it has still never beet the fuel mileage that i got with the clutch fan on the engine. i think the clutch fan acts like a propeller pulling itself along helping fuel mileage.

definitely a good idea to make sure your alternator can handle the draw but if anything you need a smaller pulley on the alternator. a larger pulley would spin less. a smaller pulley would spin more creating a bit more power at idle.

i think your missing the most important thing. engine reaching operating temp sooner especially in the winter. i can have my vehicle with electric fans a hot box in about 15-20 minute but my vehicle with the clutch fan still take about 20 minutes to warm up enough to be comfortable. i also run a 180* thermostat and i got my fan controller to kick the fans on at 220* so that engine always hits operating temp eventually.

My bad, yeah smaller pulley diameter, or as they call it, and overdrive pulley I think. The whole thing throws me through a loop sometimes. Overdrive sounds like it should be bigger to me.

Strange that it takes longer to warm up with the belt driven fan, the T-stat should only start to waver at about 165-170 on a 190*Tstat. But hey, who am I to argue with observation.

dudeman2009 · Nov 12, 2016

Jimmy68 said:
And those are air locked on when required and free wheel when not. When they do come on they move plenty of air and rob tons of power.
That's why we always turned them on before we hit a hill to cool the engine off before we got there then shut it off once we started flooring the truck. Yes the fan would come on before the top but at least we got the most power as long as we could. Them big fans kick on and your slowing down. Yes, even with 500 to 600HP. Pulling 140,000Lbs does that well enough, keeping the fan off as long as possible helps.
But mechanical fans don't quit working for you like an electric fan can. Hence why they still use them.

I don't disagree, everything you said is true. Yes, those giant fans take a lot of power to turn, just spinning them by hand you can feel how much air they realy pull. However, those are either ON or OFF (on the trucks with ON/OFF selectors you have a bit more control) on the older ones, and even on some new trucks. However, the newest engine i've worked on was a 2016 Kenworth with a brand new MX-13. I love that engine, almost as much as the old detroit engines (only for the sound of the old detroit). They have electronic controlled belt driven fans. They run based on the driver desired setting, or if they are getting too hot, the ECM turns it on and locks out the driver. Even on the 2016 base models its still only On or Off, not variable like automotive. However, the Cummins ISX has three options, ON/OFF, 3-Speed select, or Variable much like a viscous clutch. I love the ISX, just not in a Semi (just gotta put that out there). I have yet to see a semi with an electric fan, for a few reasons, reliability being the largest. However, with the newer 3 speed and variable designs, Semi fans can be almost as efficient as an electric fan with an order of magnitude more reliability.

crazzywolfie · Nov 12, 2016

dudeman2009 said:
My bad, yeah smaller pulley diameter, or as they call it, and overdrive pulley I think. The whole thing throws me through a loop sometimes. Overdrive sounds like it should be bigger to me.

Strange that it takes longer to warm up with the belt driven fan, the T-stat should only start to waver at about 165-170 on a 190*Tstat. But hey, who am I to argue with observation.

i think it has more to do with the mechanical fan cooling the engine as it tries to warm up kind of like an air cooled engine.

dudeman2009 · Nov 12, 2016

crazzywolfie said:
i think it has more to do with the mechanical fan cooling the engine as it tries to warm up kind of like an air cooled engine.

Thats a good theory, I never thought about air cooling of the block. But I guess it fits, blow air over the block and exhaust manifolds and they will take longer to warm up.

Jimmy68 · Nov 12, 2016

dudeman2009 said:
I don't disagree, everything you said is true. Yes, those giant fans take a lot of power to turn, just spinning them by hand you can feel how much air they realy pull. However, those are either ON or OFF (on the trucks with ON/OFF selectors you have a bit more control) on the older ones, and even on some new trucks. However, the newest engine i've worked on was a 2016 Kenworth with a brand new MX-13. I love that engine, almost as much as the old detroit engines (only for the sound of the old detroit). They have electronic controlled belt driven fans. They run based on the driver desired setting, or if they are getting too hot, the ECM turns it on and locks out the driver. Even on the 2016 base models its still only On or Off, not variable like automotive. However, the Cummins ISX has three options, ON/OFF, 3-Speed select, or Variable much like a viscous clutch. I love the ISX, just not in a Semi (just gotta put that out there). I have yet to see a semi with an electric fan, for a few reasons, reliability being the largest. However, with the newer 3 speed and variable designs, Semi fans can be almost as efficient as an electric fan with an order of magnitude more reliability.

Yes sir. We get new trucks in daily, I'm working on three Internationals right now all of which have under 10 miles on them. They still have the manual fan ON switch. Fan controls have come a long way. I'd still turn them on a mile before a hill and shut he manual switch off at the bottom. The fan stat will kick it on when needed after that. I even used them on the downhill to assist in slowing the truck.
Doubt we will ever see an electric on a big truck. Just not as fool proof.

I know when I put electric on my old Ramcharger it never came on unless I was going slow in town or stopped at a light. But on the highway... on a big hill when towing. But todays clutch fan are way superior to yesteryears.
I still like them but not sure if they are worth having anymore. I'd still put one on though because I'm old school and "think" they work good and get me more fuel mileage. :roflsquared:

crazzywolfie · Nov 12, 2016

Jimmy68 said:
I know when I put electric on my old Ramcharger it never came on unless I was going slow in town or stopped at a light.

exactly. i ran for around for about a year with no fan at all just because you pretty much can. they are rarely needed. part of the only reason i keep the electric fan is because they are pretty quiet when they are off compared to the sound that the stock clutch fan makes. i also felt a lot safer wrenching on stuff under the hood without those big metal blades spinning at 750rpm

dudeman2009 · Nov 12, 2016

I prefer the clutch style because they are easy to fix and maintain. In that they don't need maintenance, they just work, until they fail.

Those electrics can be quite loud. Before my brother got T-boned, he drove an 05 Terraza (horrible vehicle) that sounded like a jet engine when the fans kicked on.

Ohh well, someday we are all going to have to deal with those electric noise machines.

craigsez · Nov 13, 2016

semi fan

dudeman2009 said:
An electric fan will only give you an ever so slightly more takeoff, if you can even feel it. After about 3K rpm the clutch disengages and the fan is mostly freewheeling, just friction from the bearings and slight viscous coupling keeps it spinning.

The real purpose of an electric fan is to increase cooling at low speeds and idle. The alternator will produce more drag on the engine due to the increased electrical load.

The real way to find if something is more efficient is to look at semi-trucks. They still use belt driven fans, engine manufacturers are all about reliability and fuel efficiency. If belt drive fans were really that much worse, they would be retrofitting electric fans on all semis.

The one thing you need to watch out for is the increased electrical load at idle. The alternator is least capable of producing power at idle, some electric fans can draw upwards of 50A. it may be worth it to put a slightly larger pulley on the alternator if you are worried about the battery going dead while the vehicle is running.

Otherwise, electric fans are great for keeping the engine cool at idle as well as keeping the A/C at top performance at idle.

They drag approx 15%- 25% off the engine in power when engaged..You can feel it to when climbing a hill..Its also a mod for big rigs to..

dudeman2009 · Nov 13, 2016

craigsez said:
They drag approx 15%- 25% off the engine in power when engaged..You can feel it to when climbing a hill..Its also a mod for big rigs to..

It can be done to Semi trucks, however its not factory. I think only European manufacturers use electric fans factory, besides a select few ISX and Mercedes prototypes in the states. Heavy duty diesel is slow to adapt to new technology and standards as they test the reliability for such a long time. Downtime is lost value on a road truck, if its on a semi you can bet its going to last, or at the very least be easy to replace.

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