Electric Fan
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: bellman fl
Electric Fan
Has anyone replaced the regular fan with an electric one? I've about completed my 73 restoration and wondering if there was any advantage to replacing the regular fan with a 16" electric.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Down here you need Dual Spals, properly installed.....and that conversation is very involved/long...
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,595
Likes: 7,043
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
Also....................it is easier to put a 2,000 CFM puller-fan behind the radiator and a pusher-fan on the front of the radiator (about a 2 hour project including the relays/wiring). The rear fan should turn on first to cool the radiator/engine....and the front fan should turn on when you use the A/C to cool the A/C coils/radiator/engine.
This set-up works great on my slightly modified 350 SBC in my '34 pickup even on 98*F days in traffic jams with the A/C on.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 343
From: Allenton Wisconsin
you'll notice a HP increase. On my 69 with it has a highly modded 350 Dewitt aluminum rad and a Flexalite 16" S-blade pusher, it sees a lot of track time. I'm installing a Dewitt dual spal on my stock L48 69, looking for better MPG and to remove some parasitic HP loss.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,000
Likes: 299
From: New York
I think adding elec fans just adds another aspect of failure you can live with out. I know people seam to love them I just never jumped on that band wagon because the OEM system has always worked as it should.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,171
From: Hermosa
I converted over to dual electric fans about 3 years ago. My thinking was that it did four things for me.
1. Free up some HP that was being used to drive the big fan with the heavy duty clutch mechanism for an A/C equipped 77.
2. Reduced the time it takes the engine to get up to operating temps because the electric fan does not run until temps get to a set point. This reduces cold running time wear and tear on the engine.
3. Eliminated that great roaring and efficient hand chopper of a mechanical fan every time I had to work under the hood with the engine running.
4. While driving slow with the A/C on, the engine temps do not rise as they did with the mechanical fan and the resulting A/C air in the car is cooler as is the engine.
As a bonus when it's 80* or less on the highway my electric fans don't even come on so I'm saving lost HP and gaining fuel economy continously in this situation.
If you decide to go with electric fans I highly recommend using dual fans with independent relays for each fan. This way if one relay or fan fails the remaining one will still cool the engine sufficiently.
1. Free up some HP that was being used to drive the big fan with the heavy duty clutch mechanism for an A/C equipped 77.
2. Reduced the time it takes the engine to get up to operating temps because the electric fan does not run until temps get to a set point. This reduces cold running time wear and tear on the engine.
3. Eliminated that great roaring and efficient hand chopper of a mechanical fan every time I had to work under the hood with the engine running.
4. While driving slow with the A/C on, the engine temps do not rise as they did with the mechanical fan and the resulting A/C air in the car is cooler as is the engine.
As a bonus when it's 80* or less on the highway my electric fans don't even come on so I'm saving lost HP and gaining fuel economy continously in this situation.
If you decide to go with electric fans I highly recommend using dual fans with independent relays for each fan. This way if one relay or fan fails the remaining one will still cool the engine sufficiently.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,171
From: Hermosa