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Developed a small radiator leak. Leaking unit is a auto store cheap o special. Upgrading to a Dewitts over the winter (Sooner if leak gets worse). Is the electric fan worth it? I'm running a 383 and it hits 220 in summer traffic now. I'm planning on keeping stock fan/clutch unless I can find a good reason for the electric conversion. I'm hoping to see a improvement with switching to a dewitts from the cheap one I have now. But, if I ever need the electric now is the time.
You have to get an electric fan with sufficient air flow to match the power of your engine so a bit of planning is necessary.
Several advantages for me.
Fan only runs when it needs to.
Full fan power even at idle when necessary.
Opens up the front of the engine bay
Probably more good reasons.
Carl
Originally Posted by Bloodzone
Developed a small radiator leak. Leaking unit is a auto store cheap o special. Upgrading to a Dewitts over the winter (Sooner if leak gets worse). Is the electric fan worth it? I'm running a 383 and it hits 220 in summer traffic now. I'm planning on keeping stock fan/clutch unless I can find a good reason for the electric conversion. I'm hoping to see a improvement with switching to a dewitts from the cheap one I have now. But, if I ever need the electric now is the time.
I found a formula a while back......you need an electric fan that produces AT LEAST 2,200 CFM.
If you keep your original mechanical fan, you can install the electric fan on the front of the radiator as a pusher-fan.....or on the back as a puller-fan.
My 1970 350 engine never gets hotter than 190* even in August city-traffic in Louisiana.
Can you get to the leak with some steel wool......then put a dab of solder paste on the area.....then solder the leaky area?
Last edited by doorgunner; Sep 12, 2015 at 04:06 PM.
I put an electric fan on my Trans-Am. I can report better power all through the powerband over the stock clutch fan. cooling wasn't so great, but the fan was a little small for my application.
Worth it?
depends, if you are into wanting a bit more, better modern stuff then yeah, upgrading to the electric fan is a winner, if you have a bone stock or near car then the stock fan will cool it just fine, actually with a good radiator the stock fan will cool higher hp the electric is nice for zillions of reasons.
While I run a Dewitts radiator I would rethink that buy if I was to do it over again,
I did just buy a sweet dual fan set up that covers "all" of the core doesn't leave some out being wasted. 4000 total cfm
Once you get rid of the OEM fan, you'll have no reason to run the original belts and pulleys and you can upgrade to a serpentine belt system. Except for a minor mod to the Power Steering Pump outlet, it is practically a bolt on, and cheap too! You might have to clock the alternator output lug as well, depending on your valve covers. The Chevy Caprice's from 1987 to 1991 are perfect donors for this. I paid $300 for the whole, very well GM designed system.
Mine has been on there for two years now. No more belt squeal and the power steering fluid cap is now easily accessible.
There is no way I would ever go back to the stock clutch fan. It's draggy, noisy, runs hot at idle, and robs too much power for the job it's doing. Difficult to tune with it running inches from your hand or head, etc,etc.
I went electric with these fans and have not regretted it. Which BTW look identical to the spal fans that Dewitt uses.
Cooler A/C temps at idle, only on when needed, using much less HP so more available to the wheels. I can drive on most days @ or below 85* and the fans will not come on unless I end up idling for several minutes. In all fairness I did also extend my air dam so that the engine is nice and cool at speed, as low as 25MPH seems to do the job adequately and keep the fans from running.
The dual 11's no name spal rips are hit or miss some better made than others but they do not compare to the dual 11" spals that leave 20% plus minus of the radiator core wasted and moves less than 3000 cfm total of air the knock offs brag of big cfm but that seller saying those are the most powerful on the market is simply BS.
However, I believe if yours have worked well for a while they will keep on working well....
I went with these, the cover the full radiator and move 2000 each fan....
They are not the biggest or baddest just what I wanted,
The dual 11's no name spal rips are hit or miss some better made than others but they do not compare to the dual 11" spals that leave 20% plus minus of the radiator core wasted and moves less than 3000 cfm total of air the knock offs brag of big cfm but that seller saying those are the most powerful on the market is simply BS.
However, I believe if yours have worked well for a while they will keep on working well....
I went with these, the cover the full radiator and move 2000 each fan....
They are not the biggest or baddest just what I wanted,
That's a good looking set up bats. What kind of price and amperage draw are we talking about? As far as the no-name spals, yeah you're paying less so expect you may get less. Depends on your mechanical prowess as to how it comes out.
Last edited by REELAV8R; Sep 16, 2015 at 06:25 PM.
NOT a doubt in my mind that if you have a BBC in your C3 you going to need a Dewitts radiator.....and nice to have the Dual Spal fans I got through him some years ago, they still suck nicely enough to keep my 350 cool behind a '89 F body radiator.....blocked by a a/c cond. and trans oil cooler from HELL.....try 130f under the worst conditions on the trans....try a typical 185f on engine.....with a/c on...even yet.....
That's a good looking set up bats. What kind of price and amperage draw are we talking about? As far as the no-name spals, yeah you're paying less so expect you may get less. Depends on your mechanical prowess as to how it comes out.
I was going to buy the clone spals and extend the sides to cover all the radiator, but after the report I read on the clones some being real crap I backed out on them, no amount of mech prowess can make some sows ears into silk purses,
I saved the link you posted is that the same one you bought from that vender, he has some nasty bad feedback,
on mine amp draw is 24, 2000 cfm per fan, I paid just under 300 and it hurt, but the time it saves over modding a cheaper fan helps,
But like I said I saved your link, I would mind to do a side by side test,
Originally Posted by mrvette
NOT a doubt in my mind that if you have a BBC in your C3 you going to need a Dewitts radiator.....and nice to have the Dual Spal fans I got through him some years ago, they still suck nicely enough to keep my 350 cool behind a '89 F body radiator.....blocked by a a/c cond. and trans oil cooler from HELL.....try 130f under the worst conditions on the trans....try a typical 185f on engine.....with a/c on...even yet.....
In many cars from the factory with bb's the stock set up cooled them just fine...
The thing is almost any aftermarket radiator is larger than the stock counterpart so it will always cool better, b/c radators work great but aluminum is cheaper and lighter....
When I bought my dewitts I paid even more for custom bigger but after reading all the feedback on other radiators I could have saved a lot of $$$ had I held out.
I was going to buy the clone spals and extend the sides to cover all the radiator, but after the report I read on the clones some being real crap I backed out on them, no amount of mech prowess can make some sows ears into silk purses,
I saved the link you posted is that the same one you bought from that vender, he has some nasty bad feedback,
on mine amp draw is 24, 2000 cfm per fan, I paid just under 300 and it hurt, but the time it saves over modding a cheaper fan helps,
But like I said I saved your link, I would mind to do a side by side test,
No I didn't buy them from that vendor, just an example of the fans themselves and the lower price.
I have had mine for 4 years. Did have to mod the drive mechanism after I discovered it wearing out, other than that they have been reliable for me. I could, after all, buy 3 of them for the price of a spal set-up. I was willing to take the chance and it has paid off for me so far.
I look at it this way. When I rebuilt my engine most of the major parts to the engine needed some "massaging" from me to get it to the level I felt comfortable with. These are well known brands, not knock-offs, So just a name does not guarantee highest quality.
If you want plug and play in the after market I would say you'll get that about 50%-70% of the time, the rest of the time you're going to be either proactively fixing stuff or fixing it down the road when it breaks.
No I didn't buy them from that vendor, just an example of the fans themselves and the lower price.
I have had mine for 4 years. Did have to mod the drive mechanism after I discovered it wearing out, other than that they have been reliable for me. I could, after all, buy 3 of them for the price of a spal set-up. I was willing to take the chance and it has paid off for me so far.
I look at it this way. When I rebuilt my engine most of the major parts to the engine needed some "massaging" from me to get it to the level I felt comfortable with. These are well known brands, not knock-offs, So just a name does not guarantee highest quality.
If you want plug and play in the after market I would say you'll get that about 50%-70% of the time, the rest of the time you're going to be either proactively fixing stuff or fixing it down the road when it breaks.
Well, I agree in that "name" brand doesn't always mean better, like in the radiator I bought, but I do not fully agree that knock off and cheap import clones are always gonna work, for example i buy ziliions of import LEDS they are never equal, some import spal 11" rips are real junk you got lucky,
If you get bored google the reports there are lots of spal clones out there.
i didnt want a fan I had to fix the drive in, I didnt want to putz with it i cant tell you how many hours i have put into the subject of electric fans, no aftermarket electric fan is "plug and play" for c3 but some are closer than others but i wanted other things, like cfm and radiator coverage bolting it in, making it fit didnt matter but crappy drive, too small shroud, that does matter,
i could buy 3 of your fans for what I paid for mine, i would have to mod the fake spal for my car, so in the end is it 6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other?
Once you get rid of the OEM fan, you'll have no reason to run the original belts and pulleys and you can upgrade to a serpentine belt system. Except for a minor mod to the Power Steering Pump outlet, it is practically a bolt on, and cheap too! You might have to clock the alternator output lug as well, depending on your valve covers. The Chevy Caprice's from 1987 to 1991 are perfect donors for this. I paid $300 for the whole, very well GM designed system.
Mine has been on there for two years now. No more belt squeal and the power steering fluid cap is now easily accessible.
I really like that idea but what about the AC compressor?
Well, I agree in that "name" brand doesn't always mean better, like in the radiator I bought, but I do not fully agree that knock off and cheap import clones are always gonna work, for example i buy ziliions of import LEDS they are never equal, some import spal 11" rips are real junk you got lucky,
If you get bored google the reports there are lots of spal clones out there.
i didnt want a fan I had to fix the drive in, I didnt want to putz with it i cant tell you how many hours i have put into the subject of electric fans, no aftermarket electric fan is "plug and play" for c3 but some are closer than others but i wanted other things, like cfm and radiator coverage bolting it in, making it fit didnt matter but crappy drive, too small shroud, that does matter,
i could buy 3 of your fans for what I paid for mine, i would have to mod the fake spal for my car, so in the end is it 6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other?
Guess I got lucky twice. I have two sets of those spal-like set ups, both are performing fine. Haven't had to mod the other set yet. I suspect the angle that the corvette radiator sits at is a contributing factor to the failure of it's fan's drive mech.
Saw the fans you posted being sold by Jegs. $400.00 +
Second 11' dual spal-likes I actually got for $79 at Newegg. Don't know why they even had them. Haven't seen them there since.
But that's just me. Different strokes for different folks.
Electric fan worth it?
