View Poll Results: to e-fan or not to e-fan
e-fan.
49
72.06%
pulley driven.
19
27.94%
Voters: 68. You may not vote on this poll
to e-fan or not to e-fan
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 375
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My buddy with his 88 GTU put a fiero fan on his car with a switch, so he turns it on when he is in stop and go traffic and turns it off when going above 50 or 60 mph. Keeps his temp very nice and cool and we live in HOT HUMID Florida. The fan was like $15.00 i think at the junkyard. Fit perfectly.
Here's a pic of one installed.
Mike
Here's a pic of one installed.
Mike
#29
I'm a boost creep...
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
Originally posted by mizike
My buddy with his 88 GTU put a fiero fan on his car with a switch, so he turns it on when he is in stop and go traffic and turns it off when going above 50 or 60 mph.
My buddy with his 88 GTU put a fiero fan on his car with a switch, so he turns it on when he is in stop and go traffic and turns it off when going above 50 or 60 mph.
The cooling system should always be fully automatic in operation. It's too important for mere humans to be trusted with...
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 375
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, a thermostat is a good idea I agree but, they are known to go bad after like a year....
You should be watching your gauges every so often anyways and when you flip a switch you know the fan is on...Another nice feature with a switch is that when you are at the track and you do the 1/4 mile and let your car cool down some before shutting off, you can flip that switch and acutally feel the air change from hot to cold when the car is off.
Just my 2 cents.
You should be watching your gauges every so often anyways and when you flip a switch you know the fan is on...Another nice feature with a switch is that when you are at the track and you do the 1/4 mile and let your car cool down some before shutting off, you can flip that switch and acutally feel the air change from hot to cold when the car is off.
Just my 2 cents.
#35
New Project on the Way...
iTrader: (2)
I don't know what kind of thermoswitches you are buying but spend a little more... if they are consistently dying after a year? they have to be water resistant to work properly! so maybe that is your problem I have ran mine for just over a year now and still works like a charm!
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 375
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm not sure which brand the thermostate was, just a "universal" one that I've heard people say on here that it failed after like a year. Even one guy with a black magic fan's thermostate broke after a year. I persoanlly don't have an electric fan, stock fan for me.....keeps temps really kool and I use the moto "if it isn't broken, why fix it"
Post which brand of thermostate you use so "poor college student" can get that one instead of a universal one, if he is still planning on doing the electric fan.
i think the electric fan is nice and frees up the engine bay....I might do one later on but right now I'm kool
Mike
Post which brand of thermostate you use so "poor college student" can get that one instead of a universal one, if he is still planning on doing the electric fan.
i think the electric fan is nice and frees up the engine bay....I might do one later on but right now I'm kool
Mike
#37
Senior Member
Ok this is my tow cents on E fans vs clutch fans. I race or do drift events and Autocross every month......I also drive on the street, to and from work.......the mall and so on. I have had electric fans on my car at 3 different times. Every time was a disaster. once the fan broke apart and it started to over heat but I saved it. The other times the fan seems to work well until you went to the track first of all. The main problem is the shroud......I see pictures of guys with E-fans on there cars here with no shroud and all talking of the massive airflow and how they can hear the fan inside the car so it moves a lot of air.... well experience tells me that these guys are Posers who don't really race or maybe an occasional drag race. Alot of Pro drag cars don't have cooling systems I mean any engine can run for seconds without one right. If you could get a nice fan with the proper shroud it would probably work OK but you are not gonna ge that over night.....it will costmoney and require fabrication. The FC's cooling system is minimal at best and Mazda put that fan and shroud on there for a reason....I would just pick up another clutch fan......four 10mm bolts and you are driving again worry free. If you want an electric fan the take the time and money to do it right and ensure it works properly. Just buying even the largest fan from any company and wiring it to your car will not cool it effectivley especially if you are going to the track. Trust me I like the look of and electric fan and the response gained by using one but don't get caught up in the posers glamour and use what works the clutch fan.
#38
New Project on the Way...
iTrader: (2)
in more than one instance i agree with ranzo;
the efan needs a shroud i fabricated mine it too three attemps but now works extremely well, I think that an e-fan isn't nearly as efficient as the stock clutch fan unless there is a good shroud.
If you like the clean and easy access look of the e-fan, then go for it, however if you want 98% reliability go with the clutch fan,
I also autox my car and do solo events and drag race it with my e-fan and have yet to have a problem. this is simply from my personal experience thaugh I am certain there are people that have had nothing but problems with clutch fans! so either way you look at it, it is in the end up to you! Good luck on making your decision!
the efan needs a shroud i fabricated mine it too three attemps but now works extremely well, I think that an e-fan isn't nearly as efficient as the stock clutch fan unless there is a good shroud.
If you like the clean and easy access look of the e-fan, then go for it, however if you want 98% reliability go with the clutch fan,
I also autox my car and do solo events and drag race it with my e-fan and have yet to have a problem. this is simply from my personal experience thaugh I am certain there are people that have had nothing but problems with clutch fans! so either way you look at it, it is in the end up to you! Good luck on making your decision!
#40
Alcohol Fueled!
iTrader: (2)
My fan .02 cents.
I would RATHER be equipped with the stock cooling system. With a good running stock fan and cooling system, the drag on the pulley is minimal at best.
However, due to the sheer size of my radiator and my complete lack of fabrication skills, I was forced to go e-fan.
Right now I am running the Perma-cool, unshrouded, against a K2RD radiator. Probably not the best setup out there, but it DOES work(I seriously doubt I would be getting away with this unless I had the K2RD rad). And the fan IS controlled by a thermostatic switch. Seen WAY to many people blow motors using fan switches. I refuse to go that route.
Now correct me if I am wrong, but doesnt this topic come up like once a month? We need to archive a fan thread to refer to.
JArrett
I would RATHER be equipped with the stock cooling system. With a good running stock fan and cooling system, the drag on the pulley is minimal at best.
However, due to the sheer size of my radiator and my complete lack of fabrication skills, I was forced to go e-fan.
Right now I am running the Perma-cool, unshrouded, against a K2RD radiator. Probably not the best setup out there, but it DOES work(I seriously doubt I would be getting away with this unless I had the K2RD rad). And the fan IS controlled by a thermostatic switch. Seen WAY to many people blow motors using fan switches. I refuse to go that route.
Now correct me if I am wrong, but doesnt this topic come up like once a month? We need to archive a fan thread to refer to.
JArrett
#44
Sharp Claws
iTrader: (30)
not the same application but on the same subject, i had a 16" permacool installed on my s-10 4X4. it ran hotter than the stock fan clutch setup and after about 1.5 years started having problems with the permacool thermostat, after a while the electric thermostatic switch failed and the engine kept overheating in traffic, lucky it is a cast iron block and cast iron heads. my rx-7 couldn't handle that kind of abuse...
btw, i now have a stock fan clutch back in my truck. more reliable than anything else if you use it for a daily driver. though i must admit, my elcamino has a dual electric fan but i only drive that on "special" occasions.
btw, i now have a stock fan clutch back in my truck. more reliable than anything else if you use it for a daily driver. though i must admit, my elcamino has a dual electric fan but i only drive that on "special" occasions.
#46
ebay has "black magic" type fans for 145. im using one right now....been a few months and havent had any problems. i also use a manuel switch in the cockpit to turn it on after it warms up. came with a little resistor for the battery wire
#47
yeah the stock fan worked great until it pops on at the WRONG TIMES... like sitting at a light waiting to race and the fan pops on... oops... and sounds like crap when its on...
#49
Older than Dirt
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 1,448
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by DubbayoC
ebay has "black magic" type fans for 145. im using one right now....been a few months and havent had any problems. i also use a manuel switch in the cockpit to turn it on after it warms up. came with a little resistor for the battery wire
ebay has "black magic" type fans for 145. im using one right now....been a few months and havent had any problems. i also use a manuel switch in the cockpit to turn it on after it warms up. came with a little resistor for the battery wire
#50
Full Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by wozzoom
The stock mechanical fan is bullet-proof. Electric fans *can* fail.
The amount of HP gained by an electric fan is minimal. The clutch on the stock fan releases above ~3000 RPM, so the drain on the engine is only at idle or very slow speeds.
Save your money and put it into suspension. You'll get more out of it and you'll turn better track times.
The stock mechanical fan is bullet-proof. Electric fans *can* fail.
The amount of HP gained by an electric fan is minimal. The clutch on the stock fan releases above ~3000 RPM, so the drain on the engine is only at idle or very slow speeds.
Save your money and put it into suspension. You'll get more out of it and you'll turn better track times.
Last edited by RotaryForce13B; 12-14-03 at 11:21 PM.