I remember reading that someone here removed his fan during the cooler seasons. It seems to me these units were designed for the worst case senario driving, eg... Arizona hot season pulling a 36ft 5er up a grade all day long. What does everyone think of this? I could only see faster warm ups and it may be quieter. I know the fans is clutch driven but it I still see it turning at idle and can only imagine how fast it turns down the highway.

Your thoughts please.

 

I really dont think it'd be worth the effert, How much you got to tear apart to get it off. Then you gotta put it back on come spring , and dam sure hope you dont need it in between.

 

Has anyone ever explored the option of converting to an electric fan?

 

It's actually not that hard to get off if you have the right open end wrench to get at the nut.

I don't think it robs very much power (<5hp) when its not engaged. It robs around 40hp when it is fully engaged. Not sure its worth 5hp.

Obviously you'll get active fc's, but I don't think it will derate the engine as long as your coolant temp stays down (<220).

 

Leave the fan on.

 

Save yourself some work and headaches. Just install a winter front. Then you have all the options you need.

 

As I said before...and it may be a dumb question...but what if someone where to use the signal for the fan clutch from the ECU to instead signal a relay that was hooked to an electric fan mounted on the rad and had the belt driven fan removed? This would draw much less HP (only whatever extra draw was on the alternator due to current demand)and would not turn on unless it got hot or the AC commanded it? I haven't looked at a schematic yet but this seems like it could be the best of both worlds...or would it? The fan would stay off when cold and not draw any HP unless it got hot enough to have the ECU say that it was hot enough to turn on and there should be low risk of overheating.

Again any thoughts?

Now having said that...I fully agree with just get a winter front and don't worry about it.

 

I also thought about electric fans. My 95 T/A has electric fans. 1 small one that runs all the time and 2 larger for hot days in traffic. I've got the weather front that covers everthing. I would way rather electric fans. You could have a smaller fan just for AC and 2 larger one's for overheating.

You want go into business CRX

 

I'm not sure that would work. The old fans were on/off. The new fans are duty cycle controlled. There is a duty cycle "demand" 0-100%, which I suppose is a voltage signal to the ecm for 0-5v. I suppose if the relay was set for engagement at a low voltage it would kick your fan on, but I bet it would then come on all the time.

 

Yeah Ok that does complicate it a little. I guess you could put a potentiometer (adjustable resistor) on it and play with it so the relay only energizes at certain voltage commands from the ECU, that way it is not on just a the first hint of voltage but rather when the ECU sees more demand...it does get more complicated knowing this however. The other problem could then also be that being duty cycled either the relay would constantly be turning on and off causing the contacts to burn out prematurely. Maybe not a good idea to even think about at all. Thanks Bigblock2stroke.

Just buy a Winter front and be done with it!

Sorry just being realistic now...too complicated.

 

"Just buy a Winter front and be done with it!" I use a heavy cardboard pizza box between the ac condenser & the radiator. I block off about 1/2 the cooling area in early december ( in northern Oh ) & leave it that way till march. During the occaisional warm spell I pitch it in the trash..........we get a replacement every friday...............( I know when I smell pizza, it's time to take it out !!)

 

Flexalite makes a great electric fan kit. Comes with an electronic module which allows you to set the engagement temp, and gives you a provision for a/c interaction. Works good on a 1st gen. truck where you can throw away the factory shroud, but on a 2nd gen. truck, the shroud supports the overflow and washer fluid reservoirs, so an electric fan would have to fit with the orig. shroud in place.

 

Great suggestion Ramruff!!!

 

Are most DC guys that dumb ? REMOVE THE FAN ? No wonder You folks seem to love Your DC products ..................

 

....come on! Give a couple of us credit.