Just curious about the electric fans and if anyone had used them to increase HP. I bought some electric fans recently, but havent installed them yet. After reading the below article I am thinking that for the big 460 engine, I may need to stick with the fan that can pull the most air and cool better?? If you use a flex fan, do you still use the clutch or is it just directly attached to the pulley?

I want more performance and to take a load off the engine, but not at the expense of cooling power/reliability.

thanks for your replies
EE



http://performanceunlimited.com/docu...ancompare.html

 

i have heard on a 460 you need the mechanical engine driven fan,it will outflow any electric fan,not sure on that though,,,,,,,, 460ford.com and bigblockfox.com are neat sites to visit

 

I would stay away from flex fans. I have too many issues and seen a flex fan bow into the radiator core on a friends 57 chevy truck just reving it. They look nice and have less rotating mass. If you want to reduce some of the load on the engine, put a clutch behind the fan. It allows the engine to rev without having to move the fan with it. The fan will catch up to the water pump speed with the maintained speed.

 

I tried an electric fan on my mildly built 460 and it was worse than the flex fan that was on when I bought it. I have never like flex fans because of stories of them blowing and the blades straighting out at high rpm's, I put on a schroud and a good metal fan blade from Summit and it works great.I had to alter the schroud because my engine is offset by 2 in. but it still looks and works good.

John F.

 

The electric fan did not cool the engine? Did you have one or two? What size? I have two 16" fans that I bought used, but still debating.

 

I tried a 16 in. S shaped 2500 cfm electric fan ,a puller, it was not enough for my engine
John F.

 

I run electric fans and an alum radiator with a 4" core and it doesn't keep my motor cool. but that might be a little misleading as I race only, high HP engine with the radiator in the bed and an electric water pump with block filler up to the water pump holes.
Now Ivan Ribic has a 460 in his truck with the radiator in the bed mounted high for air flow and an electric fan on it and seems to be working for him.

 

well, I definitely want to try it, but then again I dont want to go to the trouble of installing them to find out later that I will have to uninstall them.

 

I run2 electric puller fans with my 472 mild build and a 3 core stock radiator with absolutly no problems i live in the south and in the summer time idling in traffic it goes to about 210. Thats with a 160 thermostat and fans set to come on at 180. chuck

 

i also have a mildly built 460 with a large aluminum rad. i live in so cal the heat in the summer months is high. i run a 18 inch electric fan and i hate it. by the time i get 5 miles down the road its already at 200 plus degrees. ive gone through this engine mumerous time and fianlly replaced the fan with a steel clutch fan and problem is gone. just be sure to have a good shroud and seal it to the rad best as possible

 

shoot i have a stock 460 with dove heads, 160 thermo, an 18" elec fan from a 93 t-bird and it cools just fine....doesnt go over 190 on a hot day, but i do have additional dual 12 inch fans just for added insurance when im pullin the boat...i did try the 16" elec fan but it was not sufficient... the 18" came off of a t-bird and is two speed, the higher speed pushes 4000 cfm, so that is ample volume of air, plus the elec fan was free, which was even better, but they can be found at the local salvage yard for around 50.