I am looking for input on replacing belt driven fan with electric. Flex-a-lite has a kit available for my 1992 F-150. I have been told that gas mileage and performance will be improved. Any input would be appreciated, Thanks in advance.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...onversion.html Have a read through this thread. Some good info.

 

big waist of money. first a mech. fan is, more than likely, never going to fail, while a electric fan can. i live in arizona where temps get up to 125 degrees, i do have a electric fan on my old ****** jeep but only has a pusher to go with the aluminum bladed fan. the horse power increase, if any, you would never notice. they all claim to give you more horse power but thats so they can sell them. you can always try it and if you dont like it you can switch back.

 

They will improve performance , anytime you take drag off the motor it will improve , probabley not enough to notice , I use them on my truck in south FL & have had no problems ...Lew

 

In my opinion, electric fans are a waste of money. I do fan perfomance testing in commercial HVAC and have a very good understanding of cfm's and fan ratings/performance.

I set up test chamber last year to check e-fan performance because I could tell by looking at the ads they were falsly advertised. For my Ram, truck at the time, I did measurements and figured out I needed 2000 cfm for fan airflow. Kits were saying "4000 cfm". When you look at how the fans are advertised, it's cfm@ 0 s.p., or something similar. Means the fan wasn't tested on a radiator, and is a free flowing airflow. Those fans will never move advertised cfm once installed.

After researching about a dozen fans, decided it wasn't worth it. Had planned on putting a set up on my truck to do real dyno testing to verify performance, but got so disgusted with how the fans performed, vs the 20+ amp strain you are putting on your charging system...said enough and scrapped it.

Had started emailing fan reps when I started getting bad airflow readings, had some very interesting responses from some of them. The ones who didn't ignore me admitted 'it's the industry' and gave ideas of how they came up with the hp/tq numbers...it's a joke.

If you want an e-fan to get cooler a.c. temps in the summer around town, go for it. If you want 'performance gains', it's a joke, and better served to save up for gears or another real option.

 

I don't agree with the performance issue , it might not make that much difference on a stock motor that dosn't see any thing over 3000 rpm most the time . But there good for motors that run 6000 RPM or better . Underdrive pulleys work very well to , as far as the 20 amp strain on your charging system , when your on the road up to speed you don't need the fan on you can shut it off ...there not for everone but they work geat for me & many others on this fourm ....Lew

 

When industry reps will tell you the performance numbers are manipulated for sales, they just aren't that great. To your point, if guys are going all out, and doing mod after mod, want that 6 hp they might get, knock yourself out.

What I'm trying to stop is guys who think they are going to spend $400 on an fan kit and get 20 hp. I honestly am not a fan of junk yard fans either, but to each his own.

 

Yeah like i said there not for everone , i did mine for about 175.00...

 

Thanks for the input guys, however nobody mentioned gas mileage. I drive this truck 30 to 50 thousand miles a year, mainly interstate. Any input greatly appreciated.

 

You can do a search on this fourm , there was someone a few weeks ago said he got like 2 mpg better with the e fan , don't reamember what post it was ....Lew

 

That makes sense, My mech. friend said the same thing. Thanks again

 

Your welcome !! & let us know how it turns out ...Lew

 

XD i baught my electric fan today

:*( coz my old fan clutch has like 5 of the little bearings left in it going to put it on sunday .... hope its raining


oh yea and does anyone know how many cfm the clutch fan pulled when locked? just wondering....

 

No manufacturer publishes that data. Tried finding it last year when I was doing the research. If you are asking because you are questioning the sizing of your fan, I can say you need 2000 cfm from an efan for a small block. Odds are the fan kit is saying 3k plus, they are saying that because in reality, it's moving an actual 2000 cfm.

You won't get 2 mpg with an electric fan, and again, it won't make a huge difference. Think about it, with cafe standards and mpg being such a huge deal, if an electric fan could give 2 mpg difference, it would be a factory feature.

I realize people believe the marketing hype, but that's all it is.

 

i havent seen any electric fans on old trucks coz they use to be high.... these motors are well as bad as i hate to say it they are weak.... anything reducing drag is helping maybe not alone but if u do enough it will

and i dont know if u have ever had any leg injurys or sugerys but when i was in the army i broke my tibia and i have a rod going threw the middle of that bone now with 3 screws so the extra 2 miles it gives me on that last gallon will save me from walking that much further lol

and most of ur newer cars have electric fans now so sumthin musta caught on