Kicking around the idea of replacing mechanical fan with electric one.

…among the rest of the whole 9 yards of deleting the AGS and the addition of either a 180° or a 185° thermostat just despite that I do have lifetime warranty….lol… but I do have a question about what will happen when I go to delete the factory condenser fan being that the new aftermarket electric fan will have to go in its place.

Being that mine is a 2018 that has a security module crap on it, I think the best way to go about this would be to just get an aftermarket electric fan that has its own thermostat on it so that I can set the on and off temperature to whatever I want it to be without having to use that Alpha OBD thing or whatever and whether or not it will use the same electrical connector as the OEM condenser fan… which, I wouldn’t think it would because of the fact that it won’t get any power to that plug until the engine temperature reaches 220° so if the new electric fan hooks up to the truck in its own way other than from that electrical connector that the condenser fan used, will it any codes if the computer doesn’t sense that fan?

Also, after running basically 20 to 25° cooler all the sudden than what it supposed to, that won’t cause a light over time, will it?

I haven’t decided which fan to go with if it’s one of those with the larger single fan or the smaller dual fan. At one point tho, I thought about just buying the same OE Mopar fan that the little V6 uses but I’m not so sure I want to go that route because of the fact that even after I change the thermostat and remove the AGS, that fan won’t kick on until the temp sensor reads 220° and I’m not sure how you would change that to come on sooner if it would be via alpha OBD or anything else.

I THINK (could be way off) you may like the way I did it. I got rid of the clutch fan, AGS (ordered this little bracket you add to the AGS motor that tricks it and no codes I think the person was Jason Duria *I'm sure that name is wrong.) and I have the thermostat waiting for when I get a chance. I added the electric fan and shroud from the V6 (bolts right up). They say you need to extend the harness for the connection, but there is a Ram YouTuber that showed you can just remove some retaining clips and reroute the harness, then it fits.

The issue comes with whether or not you plan on tuning the truck. As I understand it both the diablosport and HP Tuners (I know this one does for sure) can program for the thermostat and you can determine when the fan comes on.

Noob2Trucks said:

I THINK (could be way off) you may like the way I did it. I got rid of the clutch fan, AGS (ordered this little bracket you add to the AGS motor that tricks it and no codes I think the person was Jason Duria *I'm sure that name is wrong.) and I have the thermostat waiting for when I get a chance. I added the electric fan and shroud from the V6 (bolts right up). They say you need to extend the harness for the connection, but there is a Ram YouTuber that showed you can just remove some retaining clips and reroute the harness, then it fits.

The issue comes with whether or not you plan on tuning the truck. As I understand it both the diablosport and HP Tuners (I know this one does for sure) can program for the thermostat and you can determine when the fan comes on.

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So, why and what exactly are you tuning for the thermostat? In your case, the fan on and off temps I can see, being that you went with the Mopar V6 fan since it’s plugged into factory wiring but what exactly is the need for tuning the thermostat? You are talking about the mechanical thermostat where the coolant comes out of the engine and into the top of the radiator, correct? Or are you talking about the temp sensor the computer reads to know when to open/close the shutters or turn the condenser fan on/off?

But yeah, being that mine is a 2018 with that security module I’d have to bypass and even if I went with a Diablo Sport or Edge Pulsar tuner that piggybacks the ECM, I don’t know if I want to mess with a tuner because it it under warranty but then again, this might all be questionable anyways ditching the mech fan, the condenser fan and going down to a much cooler thermostat for the engine…..lol.

With that lifetime warranty I'd stick to a if it ain't broke attitude on anything drivetrain related. Especially with the if it is broke they'll fix it coverage.

Are you after some special gain or do you just like lower temps?

BWL said:

With that lifetime warranty I'd stick to a if it ain't broke attitude on anything drivetrain related. Especially with the if it is broke they'll fix it coverage.

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You do make a strong point.

If you just want it to run a bit cooler and a steadier temp.

Keep both stock fans, keep the top AGS row, remove the either next 2 or next 3 rows of the AGS shutter down from the top - I can't remember if I removed 2 or 3 rows, I want to think 2 rows.
You need to keep the top and bottom rows to not have to modify the motor switch, if you want to remove more rows on the AGS.

Your temp will keep close to 203 degree or so (with the stock stat) - definitely when moving, might creep up a couple when sitting..

I had a 190 in for a bit but went back to stock stat.

pacofortacos said:

Are you after some special gain or do you just like lower temps?

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A little bit of both. I hate that this thing runs as hot as it does but I’d really like to delete the mechanical fan being that number one, the V6 trucks haven’t had a mechanical fan for a long time and I just found out here recently that even the knew Hemi-powered trucks no longer have a mechanical fan.

I guess I don’t need 180° temps so messing with the thermostat might not happen but after noticing my mechanical fan was still turning even after about 5 minutes of idling this afternoon, I would like to get rid of it for the power boost and maybe a few mpg’s but being that I’ve read conflicting stories about the condenser fan being sufficient and not enough to keep it cool, I don’t know what to do. Would an electric fan conversion mess with my warranty? In my beliefs, it would have to be like everything else to where they’d have to prove my new fan was at fault but then again, we would be talking about dealing with my lifetime warranty, not the manufacturer warranty.

pacofortacos said:

If you just want it to run a bit cooler and a steadier temp.

Keep both stock fans, keep the top AGS row, remove the either next 2 or next 3 rows of the AGS shutter down from the top - I can't remember if I removed 2 or 3 rows, I want to think 2 rows.
You need to keep the top and bottom rows to not have to modify the motor switch, if you want to remove more rows on the AGS.

Your temp will keep close to 203 degree or so (with the stock stat) - definitely when moving, might creep up a couple when sitting..

I had a 190 in for a bit but went back to stock stat.

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So you’re just talking about a partial delete of the AGS. I did that, wasn’t crazy about it. Truck took even longer to warm up when it was cold and it only cooled it off maybe three degrees in the summer. Figured it wasn’t worth it so I undeleted it.

corneileous said:

A little bit of both. I hate that this thing runs as hot as it does but I’d really like to delete the mechanical fan being that number one, the V6 trucks haven’t had a mechanical fan for a long time and I just found out here recently that even the knew Hemi-powered trucks no longer have a mechanical fan.

I guess I don’t need 180° temps so messing with the thermostat might not happen but after noticing my mechanical fan was still turning even after about 5 minutes of idling this afternoon, I would like to get rid of it for the power boost and maybe a few mpg’s but being that I’ve read conflicting stories about the condenser fan being sufficient and not enough to keep it cool, I don’t know what to do. Would an electric fan conversion mess with my warranty? In my beliefs, it would have to be like everything else to where they’d have to prove my new fan was at fault but then again, we would be talking about dealing with my lifetime warranty, not the manufacturer warranty.

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On my 2016, there was no mpg gain by getting rid of the clutch fan. Really no power gain either, though it was a hair quieter. Real gain is extended water pump life, maybe a couple of HP on the upper rpms.

Your stock electric fan will cool the motor if you leave the stock shroud in place if you want to just try it without the clutch fan.

The clutch fan will always spin but if working correctly, it is slipping and not taking any real Hp to turn it.

The new hemi powered trucks have a variable pulse width modulated fan, our isn't and a big electric fan draws some serious current which costs Hp too.

The Pentastar fan is also pulse width modulated and variable - this is where you can save a bit of power and still get the flow if needed. But the Pentastar fan also will not work with our trucks.

corneileous said:

So you’re just talking about a partial delete of the AGS. I did that, wasn’t crazy about it. Truck took even longer to warm up when it was cold and it only cooled it off maybe three degrees in the summer. Figured it wasn’t worth it so I undeleted it.

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Yeah just a partial. But it keeps my temps at or very close to the thermostat opening and didn't affect warming up that I can tell. That's why I think it was just 2 rows. Basically I removed the shutters over most of the trans cooler that is on the top of the condensor.

I have the clutch fan back on now, like you I am not tuned and have Maxcare lifetime. Without the clutch fan, the temps would vary much more and could go up to the 220 before turning on the fan if sitting in traffic.

But if you want to see if you like all electric for power and mpg (I didn't notice any gain in either), just pull the clutch fan off - leave everything else in place. Try it. Sure your temps will bounce around but it will give you a good idea if you like it before dropping a bunch of money.

I had an independent box to turn the electric fan on and off on my 1999 Dakota - big power and mpg gain on that truck going electric.
It worked well, used a probe inside the rad hose.

Your stock electric fan will cool the truck, I have even towed in the summer with just the stock electric fan.

Lifetime warranty = no touchy

Mines a '12 so may not be the answer you want or need but for me I did a complete removal of the clutch fan and factory auxiliary electric fan and went with the V-6 electric fan. Direct install, plugged into factory plug and all. I can't say I noticed any MPG gain or power gain. It's louder to me sitting in traffic and the only reason I leave it on is I feel like the A/C is colder while sitting still. I didn't change the temperature setting either so it still comes on at the 203 degree setting.

corneileous said:

I guess I don’t need 180° temps so messing with the thermostat might not happen but after noticing my mechanical fan was still turning even after about 5 minutes of idling this afternoon, I would like to get rid of it for the power boost and maybe a few mpg’s

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A clutch fan driven by the water pump will always spin, the clutch part just alters how much power is used to spin the blade. It's possible when the clutch is disengaged to stop the fan from spinning but will start once you let go.
For the AC purposes it better to have a constant airflow over the condenser vs a start/stop of an electric.

pacofortacos said:

On my 2016, there was no mpg gain by getting rid of the clutch fan. Really no power gain either, though it was a hair quieter. Real gain is extended water pump life, maybe a couple of HP on the upper rpms.

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Really? Hmm. I’ve always heard it was about a 25hp gain with noticeable mileage increases.

Your stock electric fan will cool the motor if you leave the stock shroud in place if you want to just try it without the clutch fan.

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Like I said, I’ve heard conflicting stories on it and as a matter of fact, I have tried this before and it was on a 2004 Dakota with the 4.7 V8. Worked ok, even in the summer for the most part but pulling a single axle flatbed trailer with just two quads on it made it get a little warm, tho. Felt like It did free up quite a bit of power and actually helped on fuel mileage… But also though, that was on a smaller pickup with a much smaller engine and as far as how big that condenser fan was compared to the one that’s on my half ton and, how much air it flowed compared to the one that’s on my full size, I don’t know, but I guess maybe it could be worth a try. The only thing that would concern me is the fact that my current Hemi runs a lot hotter than that Dakota did and how that condenser fan won’t turn on until it hits 220°.

I guess who knows, if removing the mechanical fan actually allows my truck to warm up a little faster being that the clutch fan will no longer be there to continuously pull cold air through the radiator, I could go ahead and partially delete my AGS again to help with airflow between that time because at least one thing about it, being that my truck has the auto climate control, the AC is on pretty much all the time if you have the temperature set low enough so hopefully the fan would be on a lot more often because of that which would mean the only time I could have a problem with overheating would be in the winter time when you’re not running your truck as cold on the inside.

pacofortacos said:

The clutch fan will always spin but if working correctly, it is slipping and not taking any real Hp to turn it.

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It probably is working just how it should be but because of how it works, even though it may not be using a whole lot of energy to turn it, it’s still turning and that’s a pretty big fan that’s still gonna pull a lot of air even if it’s not taking a whole lot of energy to make it turn. If this clutch fan works the way it did in my semi where it completely stops when not needed, then I wouldn’t need to take it off at all but like I said, being that it still turns whether it’s actually engaged or not, that’s why I would still want to delete it.

pacofortacos said:

The new hemi powered trucks have a variable pulse width modulated fan, our isn't and a big electric fan draws some serious current which costs Hp too.

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So what are you saying, the older trucks with a clutch fan and an electric condenser fan doesn’t pull as much electricity as the fans on the newer trucks that don’t have a clutch fan?

pacofortacos said:

The Pentastar fan is also pulse width modulated and variable - this is where you can save a bit of power and still get the flow if needed. But the Pentastar fan also will not work with our trucks.

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I’ve watched several videos online and read several discussions where the Mopar V6 fan will bolt right up to where the stock condenser fan attaches and it will plug right in to the same connector as the condenser fan does…

The only thing I would be curious about between using the stock condenser fan versus the cooling fan for the V6 engines would be which one of those is going to pull the most air and work the best at cooling that V8 properly? We are talking a smaller V6 versus a larger V8 but… The condenser fan on the Hemi trucks is not the engine’s primary source of cooling like it is on the V6 trucks, if that even matters. Another good question to ask would be how does the Mopar V6 fan; being that you say it works pretty much the same way as the new electric fan does on the newer trucks, how do they compare when it comes to airflow?

The new 5th gen use a fan that is way stronger than the v6 fan but don’t run it at full blast constantly. I have a fan off a newer pentastar which is pretty close to the eco diesel fan that I never got around to finishing the testing and install on the truck. I have had it running. They use a special pwm signal and the fan gets a 50 amp straight from the battery. Guy I had doing programming was a jeep guy that does programming for the jeep pentastar fans to be used when they do motor swaps. He got the fan running but we were having issues with the ram pcm and his module communicating. It uses a calculation based on engine temp, engine load, and the ac line pressure to control fan speed. I need to see if I even still have the fan. I still have the module and harness in a box somewhere.

pacofortacos said:

Yeah just a partial. But it keeps my temps at or very close to the thermostat opening and didn't affect warming up that I can tell. That's why I think it was just 2 rows. Basically I removed the shutters over most of the trans cooler that is on the top of the condensor.

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When I did the partial, I removed all but the top and bottom rows so that the actuator could still work without deleting it.

pacofortacos said:

I have the clutch fan back on now, like you I am not tuned and have Maxcare lifetime. Without the clutch fan, the temps would vary much more and could go up to the 220 before turning on the fan if sitting in traffic.

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Do you have the auto climate control and if you did, did you use it religiously like I do? As I mentioned in my previous post, I don’t think I’d ever have to worry about my condenser fan waiting to turn on at 220° because even in the winter, my A/C is pretty much on all the time so my condenser fan should be too for the most part.

pacofortacos said:

But if you want to see if you like all electric for power and mpg (I didn't notice any gain in either), just pull the clutch fan off - leave everything else in place. Try it. Sure your temps will bounce around but it will give you a good idea if you like it before dropping a bunch of money.

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In light of this discussion, I’m really considering trying the clutch fan removal and removing all but my top and bottom rows of the AGS.

pacofortacos said:

Your stock electric fan will cool the truck, I have even towed in the summer with just the stock electric fan.

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That’s good to hear. I was hoping it would be sufficient enough to do the job by itself.

Jwithing said:

Lifetime warranty = no touchy

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Yeah, that’s why I’m pretty much just only considering taking stuff off that I can easily put back on. At least with the AGS, I’m not too worried about that being that the Rebels don’t even have that on them so who’s to really say mine needs it as well? Even as far as the MDS, if it was such an issue disabling it permanently then why did they make the truck to where you could use the shift buttons on the wheel to turn it off?

2012RAM1500RT said:

Mines a '12 so may not be the answer you want or need but for me I did a complete removal of the clutch fan and factory auxiliary electric fan and went with the V-6 electric fan. Direct install, plugged into factory plug and all. I can't say I noticed any MPG gain or power gain. It's louder to me sitting in traffic and the only reason I leave it on is I feel like the A/C is colder while sitting still. I didn't change the temperature setting either so it still comes on at the 203 degree setting.

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Well yeah, that’s the whole reason by that fan coming on when your A/C is on because the more heat you can pull out of your condenser, the cooler your air conditioning will be.

But your electric fan kicks on at 203? Sounds like back in 2012 the trucks were running a lot cooler like they should be because on my 18, 203 to 205° is considered normal.

Just change the thermostats, and adjust the values.