Cooling Fan
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2014
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From: Lake County, Florida
Cooling Fan
Hey Ford world, I need advice. Living in Florida where it is summer for 10 months, my truck runs cool until I am idling in traffic for a while with the A/C on. I am looking into ditching the mechanical fan and going to electric. Its a '84 F150, 5.8 HO automatic 2wd reg cab longbed. Do ya'll have any suggestions or advice on what CFM fan and/or which ones are the best. I saw a dual 12" fan set up w/shroud on Ebay for $170.
Any advice or suggestions would greatly appreciated. Thanks
Any advice or suggestions would greatly appreciated. Thanks
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
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From: Angier, NC
How old it the radiator? When was the last time the fins on the AC condenser & radiator been cleaned and don't forget between the condenser & radiator needs to be cleaned too.
Also when you say "till running in traffic" how hot does it get? Using an after market gauge?
99% of the time people that had gone with electric fans have over heating issues.
Now if you have done the fin cleaning, shroud and still have issues maybe add a pusher fan in front of the AC condenser.
Dave ----
Tuned
Joined: May 2015
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From: Baltimore
Another word of caution. I work at an automotive electrical shop and had I guy come in with a 60's Pontiac that he installed duel electric fans for the same reason. Problem is that after he did it the alternator couldn't supply enough amperage at Idle to keep it from discharging even though he upgraded to a 94 amp alternator. I agree with the other posts. Get everything up to par before making changes.
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Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2014
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From: Lake County, Florida
Yes, the factory shroud is place. The other option that I was thinking about was going with a flex fan with a 2.5 inch pitch and a heavy duty fan clutch. My current fan is only a 2 inch pitch.
FTE Legend
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 30,870
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From: Angier, NC
Another word of caution. I work at an automotive electrical shop and had I guy come in with a 60's Pontiac that he installed duel electric fans for the same reason. Problem is that after he did it the alternator couldn't supply enough amperage at Idle to keep it from discharging even though he upgraded to a 94 amp alternator. I agree with the other posts. Get everything up to par before making changes.
We would up grade to the 3G ALT just for that reason.
Dave ----
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Freshman User
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From: Lake County, Florida
Hey Dave, thanks for the reply. The radiator is two years old. I replaced the condenser 6 months ago. I still have the factory gauge. the truck hasn't actually overheated, but touches on the H. the gauge is working fine. Once I get moving again the temp drops pretty quickly. I'm just trying to be proactive to avoid overheating and the issues that can go with it. Thanks again
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Freshman User
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From: Lake County, Florida
Thanks. I agree with you. My preference would be to keep it as is, just upgrade to a HD clutch and a fan with a little more pitch
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From: Virginia
I don't like flex fans, especially the aluminum ones. They fly apart when they get some age on them and you will find parts stuck in the hood insulation. You need to assume your cooling system was designed to work properly for all conditions. I am thinking your clutch is not working, I would replace it. Also, is your throttle kicker for the A/C working? It should increase the idle speed when the A/C clutch is activated. That speeds the waterpump and the fan up, and also the A/C compressor so it cools better. And helps compensate for the increased load on the engine with the compressor pumping.
The electric fans can get complicated. If you get some large enough that work, they draw a lot of power like the others mentioned. So your alternator is maxed out. Also you will need to do some wiring with a relay, when the A/C is activated, at least one fan needs to run all the time, even if the engine is cool. Or the pressure in the A/C system will get too high and go off on high pressure. Been there, done that.
The electric fans can get complicated. If you get some large enough that work, they draw a lot of power like the others mentioned. So your alternator is maxed out. Also you will need to do some wiring with a relay, when the A/C is activated, at least one fan needs to run all the time, even if the engine is cool. Or the pressure in the A/C system will get too high and go off on high pressure. Been there, done that.
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Freshman User
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From: Lake County, Florida
I think the idea of a pusher fan on condenser is a good one, I was under the impression that the fan had to be installed on the front of the radiator, but there isn't enough clearance. I'm gonna give that a try first. Thanks Dave.
Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2013
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I have to work the engine really hard on a hot day before I'll hear the fan clutch kick in. When it does, it sounds like a hovercraft under the hood. From what you've described, I wonder if your fan clutch isn't working properly. From my experience, the extra noise is the primary clue to know when it has kicked in. When your temp gauge starts to climb, you should really hear that extra fan noise.
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Freshman User
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From: Lake County, Florida
This is why I go to these forums. I have zero experience with flex fans so that's out. I don't have a throttle kicker installed, I have an Edel 1406 carburetor. I know that I can get a kicker from Summit, but they're pricey. Do you think it's worth doing though?
Lead Driver
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I've never been impressed with any aftermarket electric fan installation. So many variables, typically ignored, such as having to upgrade the charging system, wiring changes, etc. I'm firmly in the stock camp here, as long as everything is working properly. I fully agree with Dave's earlier comment that most electric fan conversions are unknowingly due to other unaddressed problems.
If you still decide an electric fan is your only option, a puller fan is about 30% more efficient than a pusher. Sounds strange? It's because any fan will spill lots of air sideways due to centrifugal force. With a pusher fan, that air is spilled before passing through the radiator and is wasted. A puller fan still spills that same amount of air, but draws it through the radiator first. With otherwise identical fans, it take the same amount of power to run them, but the puller arrangement moves about 30% more cooling air through the radiator.
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Freshman User
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From: Lake County, Florida
I bought the truck about 18 months ago and the clutch and water pump was one of the first things that I replaced, but I'm sure they can go bad especially being a parts house brand. I do not hear the fan when A/C is on. I might as well replace it. Easy and cheap. Thanks Karl