im looking for a good e-fan write up. ive read all over the place but theirs all kinds of controversial info and i dont know what to go for.. im torn between switching cams or doing a couple of other small things to my truck when i change the core support and im leaning towards somethign other than the cam.

i need a list of things i need to get for the e-fan swap but i dont know where to start. anyone have a good step by step write up? ive seen things about needing thermostats and relays and bigger alternators and all this stuff but i dont know..

 

I can't say for sure what the best setup is, since I haven't done it on a truck like ours before. I have considered it, but the stock setup works quite well, so I never did. I do know that you will need to upgrade the alternator to a 130 amp and definitely run the fans off of relays. You will also want a relay that kicks the fans on when the AC is turned on.

 

Personally I do not think you are going to gain anything performance wise with an E-fan swap, but it is a cool project (pun intended!).

Here are two threads from another forum with some good info and photos:

Electric Fan Wiring - FSB Forums
Electric Fan install. 1989 460 EFI - FSB Forums

 

iv done it with my diesel engine.
lots of info you wont use there,but a lot you can.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...onversion.html



.............
a comment from rla2005's top link:

"The energy to move the air STILL comes from the engine. But with an e-fan, that energy has to go from being kinetic (mechanical), to electrical (thru the alt), then it has to flow thru several wires, contacts, & connections, & then get converted BACK to kinetic (fan motor) before it can be transferred to the air (fan blades). So all that loss has to be compensated for by pulling MORE power off the belt.

With a clutch fan, the energy transfer is directly from the belt to the blades, which is more efficient."



you'll see a lot of uneducated info about e-fans on the net.its a horrible mess of misleading info.try to weed through the garbage as you study.
some people just shouldn't comment on matters they don't understand.like the example above.

 

Wow. I hope that guy isn't a science teacher.

 

Here is a write up i stumbled across searching Electric fan installation in a 1988 Ford F150 . I had a Black magic on my Mustang, but the motor burned up. I've since then put a Taurus fan on with a flex-a-lite fan controller.

For the most part, factory fans are engineered to last as opposed to aftermarket ones. There are numerous options going this route, with the factory fan and aftermarket contoller, but the Black magic worked well when the motor was good. It lasted a couple of years and was easy to install and set up.

There is an increase to be had.

 

So many people speculating on electric fans, they have no experience but they do like to put down facts about how bad they are and how they just won't work.

I have plenty of experience with mechanical and electric fans. They both have their problems and flaws. Some car companies I.E. GM, produce cheap electric fans and relays that often fail making electric fans seem unreliable. I have even seen new Ford crown victoria's with fan issues, a lot of plug connection problems. But quality built electric fan systems such as Honda I have seen almost no problems with.

Electric fans are better and can be just as reliable as a mechanical fan if installed correctly with quality parts. They cannot match the CFM that most mechanical fans produce when in 100% condition (CFM will always vary with fan clutch condition), but how much CFM does your vehicle really need?

Experience and knowledge. I have had several cars with no fans on the radiator at all, during Texas summer heat without problems by just using the heater, a tiny fan in a box with two 3/4'' hoses to a 12''X12'' radiator in a dash. My friend has a 1988 F350 crew cab dually, 7.3 he uses to pull a 3 car trailer, approx 15-17k in weight. He has a jerry rigged radiator that he made work due to lack of parts in Arizona when the original radiator blew up, the original fan would not work so he used a off brand electric fan from one of the race cars, approx 600-700cfm. Drove 1300 miles back to Houston, (this was in May) Then drove from Houston to Florida, a few times forgetting to connect the ground wire to the fan (No switch, side of the road rigged). Now the truck is on its way to Virginia, about half ways and doing fine.


sorry for the story, just think sometimes people need to speculate less on things they have not done. Mechanical fans are great, I just don't like the sound of them or the constant rotational mass on my engine, the space they consume in the engine bay, and the MPG I gain. I'll get my fan coversion done on my 351 this week sometime I hope.

 

alright im still having a little trouble with all this...

i know i want dual fans with an adjustable thermostat that kicks them on and off and have them come on when my a/c comes on. im looking at this:
Hayden Automotive 3647 - Hayden Electric Fan Controls - Overview - SummitRacing.com

if i get that what else do i need to get? will i need any special relays or fuses then? or does it all come in there?

i guess im just ruined because of the writeups that list exactly what you need lol. if i can find out what exactly i need ill get it all and do a good writeup with pics and step by step instructions.

 

As for a good write up that is subjective since it is particular to the vehicle and the fan system you use..

an Electric fan is ALWAYS more efficient than a mechanical.

 

Thank you. Correct information found here.

I won't debate on reliability when it comes to relays/electric motors/sensors that are available on the market today, I think the mechanical is more reliable. But if your running a two fan setup on two relay's ect. it really makes it hard to get into trouble.


P.S.

My friend with the F350 dually 7.3 (1) 700cfm electric hayden fan just made it back from virginia pulling a single car trailer getting 15.5mpg with leaky return lines.

 

I'm sharing the same opinon.