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electric fan pros and cons

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Old Sep 12, 2011 | 02:13 AM
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ID electric fan pros and cons

my rx7 is the first car i have really owned with a belt driven fan and it warms up to temperature very slowly.... even after flushing the radiator... here in Idaho where winters hover around 20 deg that's a bad thing, i have herd taking the belt driven fan out helps horse power and from experience i know they are more efficient at cooling off the engine when it actually needs it, i would connect it up to a thermostat so it will come on just above normal operating temp and possibly a allays running for in the hot summer days.
so pros and cons to this idea?
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Old Sep 12, 2011 | 09:22 AM
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Make sure there is a thermostat installed, first. Stupid people remove them because they think it makes the car run better.

In general, the clutch fan is more reliable and just plain works. Few electric fans will properly cool the car and the limited capacity of the alternator will need to be upgraded before you can run a decent electric fan.

http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/efanmyth.htm
http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/efaninstall.htm
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Old Sep 12, 2011 | 03:22 PM
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thanks, that cleared up allot! i just replaced my thermostat because it was stuck shut and overheating, any ideas to help my Mazda warm up and stay at a constant temp in the cold weather? possible grill block or something like that??
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Old Sep 12, 2011 | 05:06 PM
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I personally have an electric fan setup in my Turbo FC and I love it to death. I still have a thermostat, and the fan is hooked up to an engine coolant temperature switch to come on accordingly at the right temperature. It freed up a lot of space in the engine compartment (which is probably it's only real benefit), and just looks cool on top of that.

Honestly, I don't think switching to an electric fan will noticeably speed up the time it takes to warm up... maybe a little.
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by jellis1793
thanks, that cleared up allot! i just replaced my thermostat because it was stuck shut and overheating, any ideas to help my Mazda warm up and stay at a constant temp in the cold weather? possible grill block or something like that??
It sounds like there is some other problem with the cooling system.

Did you install a Mazda thermostat? They are a bypass type. Some aftermarket thermostats don't have a bypass.

Check to make sure the clutch fan isn't locked up. You should be able to spin the fan with your fingers while the engine is off. Though with a working thermostat the effect would be minimal.

Should only take about 5 - 6 minutes to come up to thermostat temp in this weather.

Oh, maybe your gauge is broken. What year is your car?
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 12:24 PM
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it is an 85 and im shure my gauge is off but running with the heater on the cold nights we have had lately the air is only a bit warm, not what i expect from the car, I have had smaller engines put off better heat, clogged heater core possoblly?
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 04:54 PM
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Bad thermostat. Get a Mazda replacement...




.
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 05:42 PM
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your thermostat may be bad? if you decide to go with electric, make sure the CFM's are pretty high, just so it has good cooling like the OEM would.
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 09:46 PM
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Sounds like a bad thermostat stuck open, but there is a chance it could also be your clutch fan. If the clutch fan has seized is spinning full speed all the time then it could be overcooling your engine?
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Old Sep 13, 2011 | 10:02 PM
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Nope, the thermostat would close and the engine would warm up again. Sounds like his thermo is just plain stuck open (which is a lot better than stuck closed). At least it will be an easy fix...
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Old Sep 14, 2011 | 04:39 PM
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i will double check because i just replaced it because the one that i took out was stuck shut... if the new one is s stuck open its just my luck haha

Last edited by jellis1793; Sep 14, 2011 at 04:57 PM.
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