I installed dual electric puller fans, close coupled to, but independently supported and separate from, the Ford V10 Oil to Air transmission cooler I installed to replace the production issue OTA cooler originally fitted to the 7.3L. I fabricated a shroud out of aluminum, and designed the fan arrangement and attachment scheme.



I placed a gap between the twin fans to compensate for the air flow resistance of the centrally mounted power steering cooler. When the electric fans are not spinning, they present an obstruction to flow, and the stacking of obstructions (power steering cooler and fans) would be less desirable than staggering the two electric fans on either side of the power steering cooler.



These thermostatically controlled, automatically and manually operable fans were not intended to replace the engine fan. Rather, they were intended to do as @Brandonpdx suggested... which was "get fancy", or I would say, "get serious" with transmission fluid cooling, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the problem. New radiator with OTW cooler, new lines, new, bigger OTA cooler (the V10 cooler was the largest available in 2001), and twin electric fans having the highest CFM to current consumption ratio.



The manually operable switch comes in handy when I anticipate a very high load task ahead of time. I can turn on the fans in advance, before the transmission accumulates a deficit in heat rejection relative to load. The electric fans also work no matter the RPM of the engine (and thus the engine fan) and no matter the speed... even standing still in traffic, or going backwards in reverse.

I've not had to use these fans nearly as often as I thought I would when I installed them... at that time highly motivated by my prior experience with high transmission temperatures in the truck's originally built configuration.

I suspect that adding the Oil to Water cooler primarily, and larger Oil to Air cooler secondarily, would have been sufficient mitigation, without need for electric fans. But there they are.

Shown below is an in tank OTW cooler sitting on top of a radiator core with the tank removed to access the OTW cooler.



.

 

They make a drop in conversion kit.

https://shop.fullforcediesel.com/fle...ctric-fans-272

I would be as curious as anybody to hear any real world testing with that setup.

 

my guess is that it would not come close to matching the OEM CFM.

since we have neither the OEM cfm stats or that units CFM stats lets compare what we fo know ( or at least what the ad claims )

that ad claims the 7.3 uses 27 hp to turn a fan at full demand.

the ad then claims their unit pulls 36 amps which at 12volts equates to 1/2 HP.

so just using your own logic explain how 1/2 a HP ( the measure of work produced ). can turn a fan blade producing the same CFM of air as a fan blade the ad says required 27 HP ? if it were true we would all be flying around in our own 12v powered helicopters

 

given the nature of the robust 7.3. ( some may say overkill for a pickup ) my guess is that fan gets by for easy driving at 65 mph when it is already getting sufficient airflow but would not cut it when it is needed most.

 

In my experience a 7.3 will run fine with no fan at all while unloaded even in summer. Only problem is the A/C will not work right in summer unless the truck is moving 20-25 mph. No, I would not try that under a heavily loaded or towing situation in the summertime but there was no chance of that happening in my case when I did that. At highway speeds the rad is getting all the ram air it needs to keep it cool. The fan is more for stop and go driving and heavily loaded hill climbing where the air need a little help. This is clearly more of a go fast mod than a HD work mod. In winter it would probably be sufficient.

 

Parts are starting to pour in:

Coolant Recovery Tank
Coolant Recovery Tank Hose
Coolant

Still to arrive:
Melling LPOP and O-Ring
Water Pump and O-Ring
Power Steering Pump
Mishimoto Radiator
Fan Clutch
Idler
Tensioner
Belt

I should be able to start Wednesday the 15th.

 

since the front of the motor rotating items are being addressed dont rule out or overlook the bearing in the AC compressor , it is cheap and easy. same for the alternator. i replaced the whole alternator but no reason you cant throw a set of new bearings in yours, all that rotating stuff seems to fail within a fairly small operating window. and having everything on a similar replacement cycle helps to avoid unplanned downtime.

if either of those $20 bearings fail not even a pretty $800 radiator is going to cool your motor. but on the upside you will have something pretty to look at while wait for somebody to bring parts out to your roadside parking spot.

 

I installed a new Leece-Neville alternator about 7 months ago and I have an AutoZone in reserve. When the AutoZone alternator that I replaced in Covington, LA went bad in two years I ordered the Leece-Neville and traded the AutoZone for another Lifetime Warranty.

The AC compressor was redone about 16 months ago.

 

If you’re putting a Degas bottle on consider sealing the seam between the top and bottom. I used this kit to seal the replacement after the new one leaked within 2 months. It’s been leak free for the last 2 plus years!

 

Billet Thermostat housing and Upper Radiator hose that goes around the belt

 

I already have the Upper hose, I see no real value in the billet housing.

 

Yup, I agree. But it looks good, at least on my truck. That billet T-stat housing matches my intake plenums, and they're power adder's, good for 5hp each!
Good luck with the install. Let us know how it all comes together when your done. I'm curious to see how your Mishimoto radiator installation goes.

 

John,
I've been seeing ads and videos on the Bondic plastic welding for years but this is the first real world info I've seen. So it does work then?

 

I'd like to see how it goes also. And if it really is any bigger then the stock one. Also, someone posted a while back on a Leece-neville alternator that came with the pulley. Anyone have that post? I saved it I thought but can't find it now. And did you change any of the cables when you installed yours?

 

The Leece-Neville alt that I bought did not have a pulley...so, I took one off the AutoZone alt that I was taking back and told them, "That's how it came to me and here it is." I guess if you spend a certain amount at AutoZone with enough "Lifetime Warranty" parts...it's just another pulley from the bin in CHINDIANAMPORELANDBODIA .

I did not have to change the cable just the bolts into the mounting bracket.