My biggest fan...

[ZEUS]

...and a lightning bolt to drop down the shorts of anyone who pisses me off.

I hope you are not suggesting you pissed me off, because that would be ridiculous. I think you took something I wrote out of context. But if you think I am a God, you can get off your knees now, thank you. Otherwise, I don't know what your issue is.

[tom4bren]

Naw, I just have a chronic problem with trying to be funny and failing miserably. People just take me too seriously.

Maybe if I had a cool godlike name, I could pull it off better. You may call me Vulcan.

[Joe Isuzu]

back to a more serious note.....
For the mechanical novices who have never tried something like this before, are there step-by-step instructions?, do they come with a kit or would we need to scavenge the salvage yards? this is something that would be neat to do even if the HP savings was negligible, I would just need some directions as to how to get it done.
any suggestions?
thanks!

[ZEUS]

Flex-a-lite is the name brand I have always looked at. I ordered their CJ V8 kit for my Jeep a couple of years ago (I checked; it is too big for the VX radiator) and the quality seems to be as good as you'll find anywhere else. They make several universal applications; there should be something that fits our needs. See here. You want a puller style fan or one that can be switched to push or pull. The VX radiator is about 24"wx21"h and we have about 4.5" max available bewteen the rad. and the pulley. Our stock fan is about 21" dia. It is best to stay away from the strap mounting style that is known for damaging the cooling fins so you might have to fab up some brackets. You want a shroud that will envelope the whole cooling surface so the basket style shrouds are not as good, unless you figure out a way to reuse the stock VX shroud with an electric mounted beneath it. I am not sure about the cfm needed yet. Anybody else have info on the cfm needed?

Orion, please keep us posted on how the Cara'fan' works for you. I might use your method, except I think I will try a different temp probe so I don't have to drill anywhere near the engine.

[Joe Isuzu]

Thanks for the info Zeus, I'll check it out and see if I'm daring enough to give it a try

[orion]

Well, I've gone through two tanks of gas and show an increase of 1 MPG. i know that don't seem that good but this is all short trip stop an go driving. it's only a 2 minute drive to work so it took a wile to get through 2 tanks. and i say every bit helps, when i first got my VX i was getting 11 MPG and now( after much work) I'm get 16 MPG. it looks like my first highway test will be my trip to MOAB next year.

[kobie]

Orion,
What are the other things you've done to increase your mileage and which mods made the most significant difference?

[orion]

I switched the cone intake back to the stock air box, the more air that goes by the MAF sensor, the more gas gets sprayed in, yes you get more power but at the expense of MPG. the others were bosh plugs, a hi flow muffler, and removing weight(rear seat).

[eternal21]

Back from the dead.....Orion, as my fan clutch is going out, it was contemplating an electric fan. You mentioned that you used a unit out of a 90s Dodge Caravan. Is your setup a dual or single fan?

[orion]

It is a single fan.

[circmand]

You are not peeing on my charcoal! I see the potential for increased performance; if you don't, that is your own fire you are putting out. I am about to fit bigger, heavier tires. The tires about 1% bigger and are going to rob some performance. Judging by calculations I have seen over time, your calculations are off. I have read mechanical fans can rob as much as 5 hp. Electric fans may use as much as 2 hp - but they are hardly ever on, so at most times no hp is lost. I have grown accustomed to being overgeared with my 4.77's and would like to offset the torque lost by adding these new tires as much as possible. An electric fan is cheap and easy.

I have an old english roadster. In the AZ heat it is always overheating. So after a 3 core radiator, OEM oil cooler still not working I added an electric fan. It does quite a job keeping things cool but it needs to run all the time. After 3 minutes it need sto be on, sitting in traffic needs to be on, in slow traffic on, in fas moving traffic on (tunnel effect) It great that I do not lose the power so I see a positive but after getting to temp it needs to go on all the time

[ZEUS]

Circ, since it runs all the time, did you notice any power or mpg loss from that addition?

[RallyDude]

Not that it will help with a bad fan clutch, but I thought I mention an old-school mod. Not as good as an electric, but definitely quicker to install. Several manufacturers like Moroso made light-weight aluminum fans that I think would give you nearly as good results.

[eternal21]

Orion, did you get part of the van's wiring harness to plug into the fan, or did you make your own?

[eternal21]

bump