Advantages of an electric fan?

[1dollardog]

What are the advantages of installing an electric fan on a hotair? Who has one on there car?

 

[novaderrik]

my junkyard find 16" Hayden electric fan on a 3 core Cutlass radiator doesn't really keep the car any cooler, but it sure opened up the front of the engine compartment and made it easier to work on things.

 

[T-Type85David]

Going electric helps the engine free up lost power from the mech fan. Some claim up to 17hp by going electric, but all seem say it's a GREAT or MUST mod for HA. When i did this mod, my car ran cooler,less noiseE,drove way better. I"m sure i picked up a few MPG as well. It depends on your setup, if your stock 1500cfm fan should be good no A/C, with... try 2000+cfm. Pick the right fan, if your gonna make power you gotta be able to cool it the motor. You could get a mark 8 like I did, or Ford/lincoln Fan,dual ramchargers, whatever as long as it cools your car. you could get a metal fan shourd from a monte carlo/cutless(gbody) for 5-10bucks, bolts right up. Then whatever fan you like. Here are some pics of my setup, hope this helps.

 

[1dollardog]

Thanks. I'm looking at buying a used stock 86/87 electric fan. I might even leave the stock shroud in place just for that stock hot air appearance (but I'm not sure). I like the idea of freeing up some HP by removing the stock steel fan. Is the stock 86/87 fan a good choice? The seem to be plentiful and they work for the i/c cars so they should work for the hot air cars, right?

 

[GNeric]

I used a GN fan on my Dr Pepper car and had the F body radiator and it ran right at 170 all the time with a 160 thermostat. My 87 GN got the F body radiator and a dual electric fan and it never goes above 179 in the summer with the AC on. My wife's 86 442 got a dual electric fan also and it runs right under 170 with the stock brass 3 row radiator. The 442 went from running 195ish with AC on to 165 AC on during the summer with electric fan. I am a "fan" of electrics when it comes to cooling off the cars.

 

[T-Type85David]

The stock IC TR fan look good and are factory Should work nice on a HA. If you kept the HA shroud. nobody will know. It should be better for your overall radiator coverage as well. Again i went with a BIG DADDY OF THEM ALL lincoln mark 8 fan. From what i read up on it it pulls 2300cfm on LOW! on HIGH is 4,000 CFm (give or take...im gonna say give ) We all have our taste, i like fatory look myself. ELECTRIC AVE!! When or if you go electric kept us posted n if you need help hooking one up HA BOARD is the RIGHT place.

 

[novaderrik]

a good clutch fan will always cool better and use about the same power to run as a similarly spec'ed electric fan. remember- the engine still has to run the alternator to provide the power for the electric fan..
the main advantage is in opening things up for easier mainteance and the ability to run the fan with the engine shut off for between rounds cooling off at the track or something.

 

[1dollardog]

a good clutch fan will always cool better and use about the same power to run as a similarly spec'ed electric fan. remember- the engine still has to run the alternator to provide the power for the electric fan..
the main advantage is in opening things up for easier mainteance and the ability to run the fan with the engine shut off for between rounds cooling off at the track or something.

Going electric helps the engine free up lost power from the mech fan. Some claim up to 17hp by going electric, but all seem say it's a GREAT or MUST mod for HA. When i did this mod, my car ran cooler,less noiseE,drove way better. I"m sure i picked up a few MPG as well. It depends on your setup, if your stock 1500cfm fan should be good no A/C, with... try 2000+cfm. Pick the right fan, if your gonna make power you gotta be able to cool it the motor. You could get a mark 8 like I did, or Ford/lincoln Fan,dual ramchargers, whatever as long as it cools your car. you could get a metal fan shourd from a monte carlo/cutless(gbody) for 5-10bucks, bolts right up. Then whatever fan you like. Here are some pics of my setup, hope this helps.

Which is right?

 

[Jerryl]

Which is right?

A good read for an "aged" question;
Electric fan or not? - FordMuscle.com Forums

This question is almost similar to; "Alky or IC", Which is better?
To get the answer, you really need to list the specific application goal.
Such as:
DD/performance, Stock look/donlt care about looks, No track/1/4 only, Deep South location/Alsaka, 93 octane, stock boost, etc.
The answer to the sum of the questions will tell you what will work best for you. :smile:

 

[TType84]

get a 3rd gen fbody aluminum rad and slap a junkyard fan off a fiero on it (most of them use the same fan as IC cars do)

bingo bango run 160* temps in 100*+ ambient... then again i have no AC