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  Electric or Stock fan w/shroud, Help?

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Author Topic:   Electric or Stock fan w/shroud, Help?
65coupei6
Gearhead

Posts: 215
From: S.F., CA
Registered: May 2000

posted 11-25-2000 02:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for 65coupei6   Click Here to Email 65coupei6     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Should I use my stock fan with a shroud on my 6 cyl. Or use a electric pusher fan with stock fan removed? I have a Flex-lite 12" fan which fits perfectly infront of the radiator. It's for 4 & 6 cyl. good to 125hp. It pushes about 1100 cfm. I have a 4-row radiator so using a Black Magic as a puller will not work since I have no room.

Thanks...

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steve'66
Gearhead

Posts: 2074
From: Sonoma,CA,USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 11-25-2000 03:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for steve'66   Click Here to Email steve'66     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The stock fan will move more air and won't drain your electrical system. Save the black magic fan(s) for performance 'stangs. They will "save" a few hp, but there are drawbacks that you don't need with your six. IMHO

SteveW

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Ken
Gearhead

Posts: 1496
From: Prospect, Ct. M&M Member No. 31 MCA Member 49299
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-25-2000 03:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ken   Click Here to Email Ken     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have a 4 row radiator too and adding a shroud and a five blade fan made all the difference in the world. Idled in parades for 30 minutes in 90+ degrees temps and the temperature held at normal while everyone elses cars were overheating

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"Alcohol and Calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive" !!!

Ken
1965 Springtime Yellow Coupe 289-4spd
www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/Kens.html

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Mustang Man
Gearhead

Posts: 284
From: Howe In USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 11-25-2000 06:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mustang Man   Click Here to Email Mustang Man     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am using a flex a lite pusher fan on mine and it works great!! I also installed a 160 degree thermostat also.

Six cylinder Mustangs can be "performance stang's" also (At least mine is). Do what you want but it worked for me!!
Later,

Doug

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66coupe 200ci "InlineFever"
92F-150 4.9L "BigBlue"
"Six Packer Performance Freak"!!!!
Rice Belongs In A Bowl,
Not On The Street!!!!

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Moneymaker
Administrator

Posts: 8393
From: Lyons, IL, USA
Registered: May 99

posted 11-25-2000 08:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Moneymaker   Click Here to Email Moneymaker     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I like electric fans. Belt driven fans rob horsepower. Alex

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Alex Denysenko Co-Administrator and Moderator
Fleet of FoMoCo's too long to list!
http://superstockers.homestead.com/week.html

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jkilroy
Gearhead

Posts: 1036
From: Austin, TX
Registered: Dec 99

posted 11-26-2000 10:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jkilroy   Click Here to Email jkilroy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
First, Alternators, even high output ones, do not impose a heavy load on a motor. Like everything else in life, its all in the math.

One HP = 746 Watts, and a 120 Amp alternator at FULL output produces 120 amps x 14 volts = 1680 Watts. Barely power your wifes hair dryer. That means that it only draws 1680 Watts / 746 = 2.25 HP. (The real killer here is that now you know your wifes super stud hair dryer uses 2.25 HP in electric power! And you wonder why your electric bill is so high)

As we are all aware, engine driven fans consume a lot of power. (Some fans will draw 30+ hp at high rpm) And the amount of power is not linear. The if you double RPM the power that is required for the fan WAY MORE THAN DOUBLES. Where as the electric fan is always at peak output at the same power consumption.

Your killer electric fan, drawing 20 amps, requires only .375 hp. (20 amps * 14 volts = 280 watts, 280 / 746 = .375 hp) Its well documented that some engine driven fans can consume 40+ hp at high rpm.

Now you can get into situations where an electric fan would be hard to package. Like a F350 PowerStroke Dually. That radiator holds over 20 quarts of coolant and a fan to pull air through that core would look like an old attic fan. (To you really young guys think big box fan in the shop)

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Jay Kilroy
68' Fastback GT 390
"No such thing as a cam thats too big"

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steve'66
Gearhead

Posts: 2074
From: Sonoma,CA,USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 11-26-2000 11:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for steve'66   Click Here to Email steve'66     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Jay,
and everyone else that thinks an electric fan is the way to go for a "stocker". I agree that electric fans will yeild more net horse power, BUT, there are negatives! Like dead batteries, high engine temperatures (1200 cfm is much less that the stock fan will pull).
We went with an electric on my son's 5.0 and suffered from several of these "side effects". We even had a radiator leak caused by the torque of the fan chewing into the radiator and causing a leak. These fans can draw 20+ amps constantly and an upgraded alternator is required. I'm just not convinced that it is worthwhile on a street 'Stang.
We run a flex fan on the '66 w/351w and a 4 core radiator, even though an electric fan would free up some h.p. it just isn't worth it to me. Oh well, call me opinionated BTW what would a 200 ci six save with an electric? 5-10 h.p maybe? If it's worth it to you, then try it and let us know how it works next summer.

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SteveW

So many Chebbies, so little time!
M&M member #427

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Mr Fomoco
Journeyman

Posts: 6
From: Bristol, PA, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 11-27-2000 04:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mr Fomoco     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A properly designed shroud should do just fine. Of course, this presumes a few things - like your engine's state of tune, plus the compatibility of your non-stock fan with any new shroud. For best draw, the fit should be fairly loose but no more.

There are valid reasons for going to an electric fan, but for most folks I think these are few. In temperate climates and under normal usage, even a "flex" replacement offers only minor improvement. And there's no such thing as free horsepower. ;-)

Stock fans are cheap, plentiful, durable....and perhaps a bit quieter than many modern ones. Plus, don't discount their close relationship with OEM shrouds. Typically, you want the fan to intrude no more than one-half within the shroud's opening.
-----
Mr F


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TomP
Moderator

Posts: 2262
From: Delta BC Canada
Registered: Dec 99

posted 11-27-2000 04:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for TomP   Click Here to Email TomP     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
i don't mind electric fans, i just don't trust ANYTHING electric not to break down on me...i have mechanical fans on anything i drive.
I prefer puller over pusher fans,it's just far more efficient.

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jkilroy
Gearhead

Posts: 1036
From: Austin, TX
Registered: Dec 99

posted 11-27-2000 12:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jkilroy   Click Here to Email jkilroy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Getting an electric to work in a car that was originally designed for a traditional fan can require some changes.

In an older car a high output alternator would be needed. A shroud / duct work to work with the electric, proper wiring and thermostat, all these things may be needed.

An electric can work in any situation, but the engineering has to be there. If Mercedes can use electics fans on a 400+ hp 7 Liter V-12, and considers them reliable enough to put on a $150,000 car then I think the concept is ok.

Hot rodders spends hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for 5 to 10 hp all the time, this is just one more way to accomplish it. (Ask Alex how much he spends for an extra HP here and there) If you could get 10 extra hp from a motor that only made 120, thats almost 10 percent, and nothing to sneeze at.

If anyone wants to find out what they need to do to improve the operation of their car just look at new factory cars. These guys work their butts off for 1 more hp, 1 lb less, .1 mpg more and so on.

The fact is that an electric motor is much more efficient and reliable than a gas motor, electric fans and water pumps are just some examples. In the near future most factory cars will have electric water pumps, power steering and ac compressors in the near future. One of the things that the factories are doing to support this is changing to a 42 volt electrical system, which you will start seeing in high end cars within a year or two.

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Jay Kilroy
68' Fastback GT 390
"No such thing as a cam thats too big"

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cpmaverick
Moderator

Posts: 829
From: Auburn, AL.
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 11-27-2000 02:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cpmaverick   Click Here to Email cpmaverick     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here's my take:

Electric Fans are ALWAYS better, unless you overheat. So if you choose an electric fan with the proper CFM you'll ALWAYS be better off, horsepowerwise. Of course dollarwise makes a difference, a good electric fan will cost over $125. A properly wired electric fan will never drain a battery.

I use a Black Magic Universal Electric Fan. It pulls 2800 CFM, and only draws 13 amps. It comes with its own shroud that fits the old Ford square radiator almost exactly. It also comes with a relay and thermostat already mounted to it. The wiring is simple and if the key is off the fan is off too. It comes on automatically when the engine reaches a certain temp, so there is no horsepower lost at all (even through the alternator) until the engine is hot. You can easily hook it up to A/C (so it runs with A/C on) and to a manual switch. This fan costs about $185 though, which is pretty pricey, but there can't be any arguement that a mechanical fan is better performance-wise.

I drive my car daily (except for recently because of engine problems, but its my only car so I'm walking now). I've never had a dead battery.

I first bought a cheap fan for about $85. It worked Ok, but burned out on me. At that point, you could say I hated electric fans. But with a high performance engine you can't expect a cheap fan to hold out. There isn't a fan designed for your engine, and you have to find one that will work yourself. Its not hard. You have to look at CFM and quality and get the best out there. Since you can't use the Black Magic, you'll just have to continue to look at specs. 1200 CFM does not sound like much. I'd try to get a bigger fan that flows over 1500. The black magic only requires 4.5", is it really that tight with the fan & spacer removed?

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-Charlie Ping
1970 Maverick Grabber
-1987 5.0L B303 roller cam/rockers
-1968 Mustang Toploader
-1977 Lincoln Versailles 9 inch w/discs
-1980 Granada Front Discs
www.MAVERICKGRABBER.com

[This message has been edited by cpmaverick (edited 11-27-2000).]

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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator

Posts: 14060
From: Saco, Maine MCA # 47773
Registered: May 99

posted 11-27-2000 02:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SteveLaRiviere   Click Here to Email SteveLaRiviere     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Have you looked at this thread in our archives?
https://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/Archives/Archive-000024/HTML/20000821-1-001706.html

An electric fan is on my shopping list.

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SteveLaRiviere/Webmaster -- MCA # 47773

Speak softly, but carry a big camshaft!

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