Am I the only one who thinks that electric fans are a downgrade?

[Jeff Lange]

I'm of the school that anything that turns with the motor steals power from the motor

Where is the power for those fans coming from? The alternator, what's turning that? The engine.

Unless the fans are off, you're stealing power from the engine. When the clutch fan isn't locked up, it doesn't steal that much.

Jeff

 

[mjsn1]

i know that a well installed clutch fan will do the job. but if you dont have the space an electric fan is your only option. I have a 1999 v8 mustang fan . and in a place where the average temperature is 110 Fahrenheit it does the job way to good, i connected the fan to two relays, one for the low, and the other for the high.
the only problem that i have with it is that it consumes too much electricity

 

[QWIKSTRIKE]

Using a Ford contour fan, or a Taurus fan will keep you nice and cool. Then to keep it working flawlessly you need to run a minimum of 10 to 12 gauge wire. I have tried both, and the Taurus fan rocks but space is limited. The contour fans take a lil more juice but the shroud covers more of the radiator than the Taurus fan. I run 2 ,80 amp relays, and control it with my Wolf V500. During winters the fan barely runs, and during summers they works effortlessly. The problem with elelctric fans is mostly faulty wiring i.e. low gauge wires, and to low of a relay. I wired my power to a remote battery block since my battery is in my trunk. I use battery compensation to offset power when it kicks in just like when the A/C comes in the stock ecu feeds extra power to off set the draw. When done correctly, and the proper fans are used E-fans work effectively.

 

[Flateric]

Maybe Jeff remembers which Lexus efan I was running but they fit very nicely and moved more air than the twin fals I had. The lexus fan setup also came with a very nice little fan/temp reading control box that was easy to integrate. Fit with my koyo rad in my 2jz cramped engine bay. The lexus fan was also quieter than the 3 other efan options I tried.

In the end though I still went back to clutch fan, the air moved by it is unmatched. Also if it does "fail" it still performs full cooling. And by far the most silent of all options.

 

[Cz.]

If you don't know what you're doing or can't be bothered to get good components, then yes, you should keep the clutch fan.
My e-fans work great and they're quiet as well.
That being said, the only reason why I needed to swap to them was because the 2jz swap doesn't leave enough room for a clutch fan.

 

[Dylan JZ]

I will always have some sort of clutch fan in the cars I own, unless they come with something different from the factory.. In the Supra, it's been great.

 

[supraman7mgte]

I upgraded to a thicker radiator and had to go to elc. as a matter of space.
I tried using the stock shroud and fan/clutch and ended up having issues
If you install an elc fan,you have to calculate how much air you need and driving conditions.
Doing the wiring job right will keep you from burning up on the side of the road.

 

[MA70witBoost]

My .02 cents on the subject. The fan controllers have alot to do with the longevity of the fans. Some controlers just hard start the fans wich will cause current spikes (FAL Controlers are notoriouse for this) and melt the fuse. I'd also imagine that depending on how the wiring for the fans and way the circuit is layed out would also effect how long the fans last. Like any automotive parts, things can fail. Dont see why people are running around saying "my fan failed" when fan clutches fail too. For a daily driver a more accurate water temp gauge would be better maybe with a audible warning for temp spikes. My Spal fan controler has an output for a light that lets you know when theres a problem with the fans. Main problem with electric fan upgrades is people not thinking the circuit out or just not wanting to spend the money to do it right.

 

[Dirgle]

...... Dont see why people are running around saying "my fan failed" when fan clutches fail too.

While it's true they fail, look at the difference in failures. One isn't going to leave you stranded somewhere if it fails.

 

[SupraMario]

If you don't know what you're doing or can't be bothered to get good components, then yes, you should keep the clutch fan.
My e-fans work great and they're quiet as well.
That being said, the only reason why I needed to swap to them was because the 2jz swap doesn't leave enough room for a clutch fan.

Thicker Radiator? Cause my clutch fan fits perfect even with the shroud on, on my 2jzgte swap.

 

[IJ.]

My findings after setting the LsX up in the Mk3 with e-fans.....

I spared NO EXPENSE at all and while I got it to work I seriously doubt anyone else would go to that sort of trouble/expense/effort....

I used a pair of AU Falcon OEM fans on their shroud trimmed and mounted to my PWR Rad and managed by the MoTeC ECU and PDM15's, I also used a Pair of DaviesCraig fans on the IC as pushers to help out, in testing I found the Inrush current if you fired all 4 fans at 100% was just on the limit of the 140a Chev alternator (this is why you'll kill wires/relays/batteries) the solution in my case was to stagger the starts as well as spool them up over a 7 second period so you didn't get the massive in rush from a stopped>100% start.

I also found if you waited until your target temp to run them it was too late and would take a long time for temps to settle back to normal in stop start AC on weather so advise setting a much lower on temp than you think you may need, YES they can and do work but when you have a ready made better alternative (GTE 10 blade and GTE Clutch) why would you bother......

By all means "add" an E-fan but to use one as the only fan if not done correctly with a well designed shroud on a 7M is just asking for failure.

 

[CyFi6]

A good old clutch fan will keep your engine cool while driving through Death valley at high noon in the middle of summer with the AC blasting, so why downgrade your cooling system with an electric fan?

Depends on your idea of cool I guess. My engine will run upwards of 225 deg F in the AZ summers with AC on in slow traffic. New OEM GTE fan clutch and 10 blade fan, all shrouds in place and a KoyoRad. Sure 225 is still in the "safe" range but temps could definitely be better.

 

[3p141592654]

Well, just about all new cars use an electric fan these days, so what's happened? First, alternator efficiency is up from 50-60% 20 years ago to >80% today. Capacity is up too, a typical new car will have a 160 to 180 amp alternator as a minimum, that's nearly double the Supra, and it will have the wiring to match. Also, reliable power electronics allows variable speed fans to control noise and reduce electrical load.

When you put an electrical fan into a MK3, it's never going to be properly engineered for the reasons above. You are adding 60% more electrical load without doing anything to compensate on the supply side. Stuck on a Los Angeles freeway in summer with the engine idling, AC on for two hours you will likely drain the battery dead. Also, the inefficiency of an alternator with 50% efficiency driving an electrical fan motor with 80% efficiency means that mechanical fan setup is going to be putting less load on the engine.

 

[speedfreak426]

I used an electric fan simply because I had no other option.
Not much room in front of a 7M when it is in the bay of a 1st gen Celica
the stock fan would have stuck out the front of my grille!

 

[Flateric]

^^^^ I love this little sleeper Celica!

 

[speedfreak426]

Thank you

It sure surprises a lot of ZO6 Owners haha

 

[te72]

1/2J swap + PWR radiator = no room for clutch fan.

Dunno if you're just venting or looking for business here Aaron, but I have the same problem GrimJack mentioned. Got a solution for us JZ/PWR guys?

I'm contemplating picking up a Koyo so I can go back to a clutch fan, but I'd hate for this ~$450 radiator to go to waste...

 

[Poodles]

:rofl: that guy's face is classic

And Aaron is more than likely venting because he has customers come in with hack job e-fans all the time...

 

[87M-GTE]

Thank you

It sure surprises a lot of ZO6 Owners haha

Good to see you posting Chris! Hows the car?
That thing was a fucking beast last time I saw it!

GTE clutch/10 blade fan > e-fans

Sam