Belt driven fan - what a drag .....
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
Re: Belt driven fan - what a drag ..... (BSeery)
Guys,
Not true. I live in an area where when you start the car in the summer, the water temp gage is reading before you start the engine. Yep, it can be 100 degrees by 10 a.m. and reach 115 by dinner time. With that kind of air temp, the fan clutch is engaged when you turn the motor over to start it. When your trying to keep a motor at 180-200 degrees with air that is well over 110 (not to mention heat soak from the asphalt and the heat of the car in front of you) you can bet that thermal clutch is locked up all the time, idle or highway.
Not true. I live in an area where when you start the car in the summer, the water temp gage is reading before you start the engine. Yep, it can be 100 degrees by 10 a.m. and reach 115 by dinner time. With that kind of air temp, the fan clutch is engaged when you turn the motor over to start it. When your trying to keep a motor at 180-200 degrees with air that is well over 110 (not to mention heat soak from the asphalt and the heat of the car in front of you) you can bet that thermal clutch is locked up all the time, idle or highway.
I've gotten stuck in Houston traffic at well over 100F air temps and my fan clutch only kicks in for a brief period to keep the temp under 200. Once in motion, temps drop back to standard boring 180 where it's supposed to be.
:cheers:
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Belt driven fan - what a drag ..... (Mike Ward)
IF the clutch fans are so great how come they are not still used on all vehicles? Elec fans are much more exp and unless there is some great benefit to using an elec fan the auto makers would opt for the chaeper of the two right? I have no direct knowledge that one is better than the other I am just trying to use a little logic.
Got rid of mine cause I hated the shroud.
Got rid of mine cause I hated the shroud.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 23,381
Likes: 1,067
From: Virginia USA
Re: Belt driven fan - what a drag ..... (Fevre)
IF the clutch fans are so great how come they are not still used on all vehicles?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
From: New Wilmington PA
Re: Belt driven fan - what a drag ..... (theandies)
Mech fans are still used in some trucks.
From an OEM standpoint the biggest advantage an electric fan has is controlability. When it's off.. it's OFF.
When you're going down the highway a fan of any sort is useless. Actually it's worse than useless if it's running, it's an obstruction. Also, why spend energy doing what vehicle speed would do anyway? Sure the gas saved may be trivial but when the EPA is breathing down your neck for making "gas guzzlers" every bit of saving helps.
Noise is also an OEM concern. With an electic fan you don't have to run it until you need it.
I also tend to think (this is just a guess though) that electric fans move more air than a mech at idle. Things like A/C would benefit greatly from extra airflow.
From an OEM standpoint the biggest advantage an electric fan has is controlability. When it's off.. it's OFF.
When you're going down the highway a fan of any sort is useless. Actually it's worse than useless if it's running, it's an obstruction. Also, why spend energy doing what vehicle speed would do anyway? Sure the gas saved may be trivial but when the EPA is breathing down your neck for making "gas guzzlers" every bit of saving helps.
Noise is also an OEM concern. With an electic fan you don't have to run it until you need it.
I also tend to think (this is just a guess though) that electric fans move more air than a mech at idle. Things like A/C would benefit greatly from extra airflow.
