So as we are fully into what looks to be yet another record setting summer here in N. California, I wanted to float an idea.

I use my rig a lot during fire season and in many areas I will find myself idling in 100+ heat with the lights and AC on. Of course sitting still does not do the AC any good and there are days where it feels like it barely works. Simply being able to move at 10mph puts enough air over the radiator and heat exchanger to give me some good AC, but who wants to drive in circles at 10mph?

So my question is: has anyone added electric fans to their trucks to help with coolant temps and/or AC performance?

Coolant temps have yet to be a problem for me, but moving air over the radiator can't go any harm in the summer...so...

Let the comments begin!

 

As an idling expert, I would say that your first goal when idling for extended periods of time is to find a shady spot to park your vehicle. Parking in the shade will help your vehicle be cooler. I would also recommend a good windshield reflector, though I see one on your Ex in your signature picture, so you should be good there. Window tint will obviously help.

For extended idle periods, I would say that you should open your hood so that the heat from the engine bay can rise up and away from the motor. This makes a difference on my '16 Explorer that idles for hours on end in Houston, every day. You can expect to see a difference of 3-4 degrees by doing this over the course on an hour.

As far as a fan is concerned, you have so many options to chose from... really just depends on how much space you can manage behind the front grill. I would look at Spal fans, comes in a lot of sizes, all the way down to 4 inches. You should be able to mount something in there and I would think that it could net you a few degrees difference. During really hot days though, I don't see too much difference in my ambient air temperature as monitored on my SG2 from when I'm stationary in my Ex, to when I'm moving.

Anyways, good luck.

 

Only problem with this is that when I'm sitting/idling, it's at a road block or similar...at a moment's notice we need to be able to leave. Plus a vehicle with emergency lights on and a hood up doesn't send a confident message to the public during a disaster.

There's a ton of room between the grill and the radiator, I would think I can fit a pretty good sized fan motor in there.

Ambient air temp I would think doesn't matter...like you said, with no difference in air temp when stopped vs. moving, yet our rigs do better at cooling when moving. This tells me it's not the air temp itself that helps the heat exchange, it's the fact that the air is moving...so ambient of say 105, no air movement, the air around the exchanger heats up but doesn't really "leave"...opening the hood helps I'm sure, but that message of a response vehicle with a hood open sends a message I don't want to send.

Whed riving the air heats up and is pushed away due to fresh 105 degree air coming in....if I can replicate that air movement while sitting still, I'm hoping that will a) help the AC cool more efficiently and b) side effect of maybe helping the coolant temp drop a few degrees.

I'll check out the Spal fans, see what I can find.

 

As far as opening the hood, you can use two sections of "T" PVC pipe and a short section of PVC and make a little prop for the hood so it's open a little bit, but not all the way. You could lay it down behind the hood latch without worry when not needed...

Trust me, I get asked all the time about leaving my hood up, especially if I go into a restaurant or something. You learn to come up with all sorts of clever answers...

 

Hook up/adapt a 6.0 fan with the electric clutch.

 

Ford taurus fans. Cheap. Effective. Google it.

 

Adding a pusher fan will be your best upgrade to improve idle vent temps. The 6.0L trucks use a different compressor and have a much larger fan. Plus as mentioned, it is electro/mechanical.

 

Are you going this route with your Cummins conversion?

 

I have found that just raising the idle rpm to 1k or so makes the air much colder. Not sure if this is due to the air moving over the condenser or the compressor spinning faster. What I can tell you is that our 17 expedition has electric fans and when idling in the heat, they go into turbo jet blast speed and the AC stays ice cold. Can't hurt to try as long as your charging system is up for it while idling. Fans draw some serious amps.

 

I was thinking in addition to fans, add some kind of water spray/mist in front of the AC condensor kind of like those mist sprayer for outdoor patios. Water evaporating off of the fins in the condensor, trans cooler, and radiator along with air flow would reduce heat.

 

Watch out for mold.

There was a Ford high pressure switch that closes at higher system pressure. That could trigger your electric fan(s). I have the pn (just not with me now) but I don't think it is available any longer.

 

^ Turns out the switch is still available. 8C3Z-19D594-A, ~$37.

My advice is to measure your vent temps, the set your electric fan in position and turn it on and see how it affects them. If you use a meat thermometer type unit, they take a while to react. If you don't have an electric fan, try a regular and see if it gets you to the temp you want. Increasing idle speed will help, they are hard to find but you can get a different water pump pulley. Standard Ford is 1.2x crank speed, 1.3x is available. This will speed the fan up but if you tow a lot, watch engine speed. This old mechanical do not like more ~4100 engine rpm (with 1.2 wp pulley) for sustained periods in high ambient temps.

HTH

 

+1 pusher fan on a separate switch.

 

Not sure I follow. The condensor is on the outside and the water would mostly evaporate. The intense heat would prevent mold from growing. Even if it does, it's outside in the engine bay. It's no different than when it rains?

 

Maybe I misunderstood you. I thought you wanted moist cool air blowing out the vent. To do that, you would need to spray it somewhere between the evaporator and the vent. That's why I said watch out for mold. I agree the condenser is outside.