Replace Factory Cooling Fan With Electrics?????
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 280
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From: Everywhere, USA
Replace Factory Cooling Fan With Electrics?????
My is a 94 F-250 7.3L IDI Factory Turbo, 5 Speed manual no mods.
I Ran into a guy the other day that Said he replaced his factory cooling fan with two 16" Electric fans. He said he picked up around 50 hp on the dyno??? On a Duramax. I Don't believe everything I hear.
I did this with my 2001 5.9 dodge gasser with limited results. I had some current draw issues I finally resovled with two 50amp relays.
At 70mph I can hear the fan on my 7.3 beating air and was just wondering if any of you had done this, or thought it would be worth the trouble/expense.
Thanks for any input.
I Ran into a guy the other day that Said he replaced his factory cooling fan with two 16" Electric fans. He said he picked up around 50 hp on the dyno??? On a Duramax. I Don't believe everything I hear.
I did this with my 2001 5.9 dodge gasser with limited results. I had some current draw issues I finally resovled with two 50amp relays.
At 70mph I can hear the fan on my 7.3 beating air and was just wondering if any of you had done this, or thought it would be worth the trouble/expense.
Thanks for any input.
Last edited by gumboluvr; Jul 16, 2006 at 05:40 PM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
Likes: 15
From: Nutter Fort, WV
Yes I did that before, but the fans you get for under 100 dollars just don't cut the mustard for very long. I went through three fans at close to 80 dollars each before I put the stock fan back on. NAPA has a fan that is rated for the CFM you need, but it is over 300 dollars.
Sounds like your fan clutch is seized up if it is that loud.
Sounds like your fan clutch is seized up if it is that loud.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,509
Likes: 3
From: Ladner, British Columbia
Several people I know have tried this and regreted it and are now back to the factory fan clutch.
Never mind the cost of the conversion, electric fans are a pain in the butt and they really tax your electrical system, altinator, etc....
If anything you should be drawing more power with the electric fans as the overall system is not as efficient as the mechanical clutch.
Maybe your friend was running on the batteries only during the dyno test (no altinator) that is fine for a drag racers but most guys who own these trucks are practical folks who don't have much need for that.
Never mind the cost of the conversion, electric fans are a pain in the butt and they really tax your electrical system, altinator, etc....
If anything you should be drawing more power with the electric fans as the overall system is not as efficient as the mechanical clutch.
Maybe your friend was running on the batteries only during the dyno test (no altinator) that is fine for a drag racers but most guys who own these trucks are practical folks who don't have much need for that.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,952
Likes: 117
From: Upper Left Coast
Yes, an understatement!
50hp is probably possible.
but 50hp = 50 x 0.746(kw per hp)=37.3KW ---> 37,000 watts at 14v REQUIRES about 2600 AMPS to get the same HP!
Even your starter doesn't doesn't produce this sort of HP! Figure it out.....let say you have an 800 CCA battery....(CCA Cold Cranking Amps) Even if those Cold Cranking Amps were at 14v (and they're not) the output power of that battery would be(Watts = AMPS x Volts) 800 x 14 =11,200 WATTS (or 11.2KW)
Since 0.746KW (or 746 watts) = 1HP your starter is producing about 15HP. Take a look at the cables going to your starter.........they look like welding cables. Now take a look at ANY electric fan power cables. they are tiny by comparison.
It's possible to need 15 HP or more to run your engine driven fan. Anything less during a hard (Continuous Duty) WOT pull will cause an overheat. The clutch will be engaged full time. Once you back off or reach the top of the hill etc and the coolant cools somewhat the clutch will disengage.
Flex-a-lite does have electric fans for heavy duty use .....they are somewhere around $500 or so.
The viscous clutch type fans are far cheaper and are for the most part trouble free. (Mine is 12 years old and works just fine....disengaged most of the time)
Yes.....beat to death...
Cheers,
Rick
50hp is probably possible.
but 50hp = 50 x 0.746(kw per hp)=37.3KW ---> 37,000 watts at 14v REQUIRES about 2600 AMPS to get the same HP!
Even your starter doesn't doesn't produce this sort of HP! Figure it out.....let say you have an 800 CCA battery....(CCA Cold Cranking Amps) Even if those Cold Cranking Amps were at 14v (and they're not) the output power of that battery would be(Watts = AMPS x Volts) 800 x 14 =11,200 WATTS (or 11.2KW)
Since 0.746KW (or 746 watts) = 1HP your starter is producing about 15HP. Take a look at the cables going to your starter.........they look like welding cables. Now take a look at ANY electric fan power cables. they are tiny by comparison.
It's possible to need 15 HP or more to run your engine driven fan. Anything less during a hard (Continuous Duty) WOT pull will cause an overheat. The clutch will be engaged full time. Once you back off or reach the top of the hill etc and the coolant cools somewhat the clutch will disengage.
Flex-a-lite does have electric fans for heavy duty use .....they are somewhere around $500 or so.
The viscous clutch type fans are far cheaper and are for the most part trouble free. (Mine is 12 years old and works just fine....disengaged most of the time)
Yes.....beat to death...
Cheers,
Rick
Originally Posted by PLC7.3
This subject has been thrashed to death on several forums and the results were the same.........you can't beat the oem fan clutch system with electrics.......sorry.
