I want to convert to an electric fan on my 1980 Bronco with a 351m. Would a single 16" electric fan be sufficient? If not, what size do I need to run?

 

16" is enough but you will need a shroud.

 

Radiator coverage is the key, as said you either need a shroud or measure the radiator and figure out which size duals will cover the most of the radiator without one. I run duals on a 5.4L with dual adjustable controllers and a single on my 4.6L with a simple relay/temp probe, both cover 90%+ of the radiator and work just fine. I like duals better for the backup but if you are going over about 40mph you don't need a fan running anyway so it isn't like you are SOL if your single fan goes out. the other thing is to make sure if you do go with duals that you do NOT wire them to come on together, they need separate controllers and/or relays. Figure 30-50amps ea. on startup, multiply that by 2 and it will get hard on the whole electrical system.

I plan on running Efans on my '72 with the 400 but haven't done all the measurements to see what size fans work. Normal sizes are 12,14,16 and 18".

 

I ran a 16" Permacool e-fan for my 400 in my '53. That fan was not adequate. I ended up going with a standard Flex-A-Lite 18" mechanical fan and custom made my own shroud. That was an improvement. From past threads in this forum, the consensus seems to be that the best fan for cooling is a mechanical fan with a clutch setup.

 

I agree with 53fatfndr. That said, I've heard the newer Ford Focus double electric fan set up works well...atleast for other bigger engines in tight spaces.

 

best/simiplest fan you can use is a signle fan off a tauras with the 3.8 v-6 (the first generation cars), use a solenoid rated for a 100% duty cycle at at least 60amps (12voltguy.com has some i think if you want to get an idea), run a toggle / temp switch and you are good to go.

 

That Taurus thing looks pretty good.. I think I'll end up doing that.. If you don't know, one with a shroud (great shape) will cost you about $50 on eBay.

 

I installed a single Taurus fan on my 5.8L and it is MORE than sufficent for cooling. Requires A LOT of amps though. I'm using a 75amp Bosch relay for the high speed. I barely ever even turn the fan on, when I do, the engine gets ice cold

 

Almost forgot pics:




My wiring, let me know if you want me to explain it:

 

Hit the local wreckers up i picked up 2 for 25 bucks, also they do have they're own shroud, although it doesn't cover the entire radiator on your truck (same one i have mine on) it covers more than 2/3 of the rad.

 

I don't know about 2/3... I have seen some Bronco's mount 2 next to each other (rotated 90*) with a little bit of modification. That covers JUST ABOUT all of the radiator.

 

depends on placement, i tried to mount 2, but i didn't like the way they mounted and how much spinning fan was in open air.

 

Skandocious, your pm box is full, but this is what controller i have right now:
http://www.haydenauto.com/pdf/instruction-sheets/P-475-3647-fan-controllers.pdf

 

Yeah I got an email about that and just cleared out my inbox.

Okay, that fan controller is the one that I first bought and returned to buy a more basic unit. The problem with the unit that you have is that it only has a 30amp relay and this fan requires more amperage. I have not seen any confirmed numbers but I have seen people say that the amperage spikes up around 80amps when the high speeds starts and then settles down at around 40-50amps constant. Low speed is said to spike up near 50 and settle down around 30amps. This is the reason that I used a 75amp relay to operate the high speed, a 40amp relay to operate the low speed, and another 40amp relay to switch between the two speeds. The other problem with the unit that you bought is that it only has the capability to operate BOTH speeds at once, it is not capable of switching on the low speed at 1 temp and the high speed at another temp the way that you want it to. It's meant to be used for a dual fan setup.

The temp switch that I bought is JUST that, a temp switch. Nothing fancy like built in relays or extra wires for a second speed or A/C (even thought I wired it up on my own). Here's the one I got:
http://www.haydenauto.com/pdf/instru...thermostat.pdf

There is a way to use one that you bought in your setup by just cutting some of the extra wires but is just going to make things more complicated. I hate to say it, but is there a way you could return that controller? It really isn't meant to be used with a 2-speed fan like this one.

 

The high speed draws bout 30 amps constant and spikes in around 50 at startup, i've seen a few guys measure it and that seems to be the most constant.