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Electric Fan Conversion

Old May 17, 2024 | 09:00 AM
  #16  
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Does any of these electric fans hold up to towing applications?
 
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Old May 17, 2024 | 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by 1Butcher
Does any of these electric fans hold up to towing applications?
By towing that just means the fan would be on high speed for extended periods of time. It's no different than running the A/C constantly on a non-towing application as the fan runs on high speed for the A/C kick. Using an fan from an OEM application will have no issues towing. I can't speak to the dependability of aftermarket fans.
 
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Old May 17, 2024 | 09:15 AM
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It's fairly well known that electric fans cannot suck the amount of air that an engine fan will. Most [if not all] electric fans are rated with free flowing air. Once they get restricted [ie a radiator in front of them] the fans really don't suck. If I was to just use it for a daily commute, I would swap it out. But then again, if I was using my truck as a daily driver, I would ask myself 'Why?'

I'm looking to remove my engine fan to clean up the engine compartment a little and make life a bit easier if I need to work on the engine. I'm not looking forward looking at my wife when we are overheated on the of the mountain pass.
 
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Old May 17, 2024 | 11:03 AM
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GM went to e-fans on their trucks in 2005. Half tons still were rated to same tow capacity, 8000lbs or something I think when equipped correctly. I swapped in the '05 fans on my '01 Z71 forever ago with the OE harness plus tuned the PCM accordingly, no issues but I have stuff that tows much, much better so never really tried. A/C performance is better at idle due to more air flow, fuel econ went up a hair (about 0.5mpg), and the engine revs a bit easier.
 
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Old May 17, 2024 | 11:11 AM
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I'm sold on electric fans with A/C. Basically all A/C does is remove the heat from the inside the vehicle and moves it to the outside. If you can get more removed at idle with electric fans, it's a winner. I once worked my magic on a Mercedes and got the A/C to blow 4F cooler out of the vents by changing the efan to some on at a lower temp and raise the idle speed in drive by 50 rpm.

I get 5 mpg towing, I am not worried about .5 mpg. I am more worried about going camping than how much it costs to get there. Far away from cell phones the better.
 
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Old May 17, 2024 | 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by oval bowtie
Just curious about the GM fan, is it for the inline 6? If so, what application is it for? Thanks.
The pictures of someoen elses setup I have , used a 96 (and around that year wise) 4.3l vortect plastic 11 blade fa

n on the Stock fan clutch for our trucks. What year truck you have? because I could be wrong but I believe the fan changed when the hub for the fan clutch changed i think in 94.

To my knowledge, only a 4.3 or 5.7 vortec from the 90s will fit the 94-96 i6 fan clutch, but I am not sure 100%. if the fan never changed during the EFI periods of the 4.9, then the same fan should work 87-96. However, im not sure of f250 or f350 applications or if it is only with 1 core rads or if it worked with 2 cores. I have a 2 core. I also have a 1996 c1500 silverado with a 5.7 vortec and this fan. I will try and pull it one of these days and see if it will fit without mods or anything on my i6 (1996 f150 with 2 core rad and 7 blade fan)
 
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Old May 17, 2024 | 09:14 PM
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A 5.0/305 should work too as it is the same dimensionally as the 350/5.7...4.3 is just a 350 with two cylinders deleted.

Part number search found that the 5.7/350 clutch is the same as the 6.0/LQ9 I have on hand. I wonder if there is a difference in standard duty, heavy duty, and severe duty clutches in terms of depth. Maybe an Econoline one has different fan.
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 08:35 AM
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Originally Posted by AuroraGirl
There is something not right with that fan. The blade shape is not correct for the rotation. Might just be me.
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by 1Butcher
There is something not right with that fan. The blade shape is not correct for the rotation. Might just be me.
I thought that too, but it is correct/ ideally it wouldnt be so close to the shroud
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Hit Man X
A 5.0/305 should work too as it is the same dimensionally as the 350/5.7...4.3 is just a 350 with two cylinders deleted.

Part number search found that the 5.7/350 clutch is the same as the 6.0/LQ9 I have on hand. I wonder if there is a difference in standard duty, heavy duty, and severe duty clutches in terms of depth. Maybe an Econoline one has different fan.
You dont use the clutch, you just use the fan. Since the clutches stick out much further since v8s are shorter than i6.
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 10:01 AM
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It's the blade angle. It can't be that efficient.

If that blade is turning so it can pull the air through the radiator, the curvature of the blade is not right.
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by 1Butcher
It's the blade angle. It can't be that efficient.

If that blade is turning so it can pull the air through the radiator, the curvature of the blade is not right.


Here is the stock fan vs the picture above again

checks out to me
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 10:34 AM
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Not the angle of the blade, the curvature of the blade. The factory blade is cupping/scooping the air, the other one is like a reverse spoon.

Thanks for posting those pictures, I was too lazy to look it up.




 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 01:20 PM
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Well the GMT800 fan does not fit the 4.9 clutch, bolt spacing off. What exactly is that plastic unit from anyway?
 
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Old May 18, 2024 | 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Hit Man X
Well the GMT800 fan does not fit the 4.9 clutch, bolt spacing off. What exactly is that plastic unit from anyway?
1996 4.3 v6 (vortec 4.3 which is a derivative of the 5.7l sbc otherwise known as 350), also a 1996 5.7 vortec, and likely the last years of the gmt400 sbc and 4.3 v6's after 96 but before gmt800 vortecs
 
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