Update: I have mentioned hearing alot of squeaking in another thread here, after doing the fan install, thinking it was bushings. After some thinking, I think my fan is rubbing on the inside of the original shroud. I have to swap it out with another so I am thinking about removing the bottom half of the original shroud. This will give me that little bit of clearance needed to get rid of the squeaks. Cooling wise.... this fan pulls the temp down within 30-45 seconds when the high speed kicks on. I am having just a bit of an issue with the consistency of the temp controller. Sometimes it kicks on where I want it to (200 degF, since I have the 195 tstat..) and sometimes it kicks on at 180, sometimes at 210... I am going to switch controllers to see if that helps. I have the 136 amp alternator according the the local dealership, but I see above there is a 160 amp version...will probably get that one in the future.
Performance wise, well, I can't keep my foot out of the gas to really see if the highway milage has gone up much. I had to take my computer back to stock and then I couldn't resist going with the 93 octane setup...tons of pickup and feels like a bit more "seat of the pants" power than the last time I installed the 93 octane setup...

 

Hey guys,
Quick update. My Flexilite controller comes with an inline 30amp fuse. The controller is supposed to help regulate the current when the fan starts up and it seems to be working pretty good now. they do not make any fuses higher than 30amp(for my setup), but they do make an auto-resetting 40amp. I just bought a bunch of regular 30amp fused so I could trouble shoot the problem. I stuck a second fuse in and have had it running perfectly for two days now. My fan controller has an adjustable temp range and when I first started the Durango I was adjusting it and you could hear the fan kick in and felt it in the controller. I think as I was turning the **** back and forth for adjustment It was just too much for the fuse, because I have been running it for two days now with no problems on the 30 amp fuse. FYI..if you have an adjustable temp deal like mine, I started turning off the truck to adjust the temp(that the fan kicks in) so I don't blow the fuse. My Mark VIII fan is only running high speed, but my controller lets it turn on via temp probe in the radiator and it ties into the ac so anytime I turn on my ac the fan kicks on as well. Seems to be working well in stop and go traffic hear in Florida. I am driving from Tampa to Orlando this weekend so that will be the big test. FYI..I also have the 160amp alternator. I went with this setup for ease of intall and cost. I am gonna run this for a while and monitor the temps to see if I use the same setup or buy a more expensive viper or dual fan setup for my '99 R/T Dakota. Oh yea, another thing. I can hook up my controller to ignition or directly to the battery. Using the ignition only allows the fan to work with the ignition on. I have it hooked directly to the battery which allows the fan to run for about 30 seconds after you shut off the truck. I really like the controller which is good because I already bought one for my R/T. Anyway, I will put an update on here after the weekend as to how its all working.

P.s...The truck is definately faster reving and the engine just feels lighter. The clutch fan was sucking so much power during the hot days with the ac on it was crazy. I will see if it makes a difference in fuel economy this weekend.

 

The real test of this Mark Fan is for the D owners that do towing. So far, there has been negative feedback on the mark fans not able to keep the D cool when driving in areas where there are hills or if they are doing moderate towing. Knowing this, I would recommend going with the dual fan setup for those that do any towing or drive in mountainous areas.

 

BTW, there are controllers that allow the D to startup BEFORE sending current to the fan thus eliminating high initial startup amperage draws thus allowing the alt to be at full speed before starting the fan. You may want to look into those if you have a spike situation at startup causing problems.

IndyD

 

Nice update Harveye...I am also looking into the controller that you speak of. I do not tow anything with my D, so I do not think I have to worry, also since I currently live in western NY.

 

I checked my amp draw and like I thought mine was fluctuating between 20 and 21 amps. I think I am going to wire up my own controller I just have to track down all of the components.

 

was that slow or fast speed?

 

I only have high speed running constant right now.

 

It's me again,

Ok. Here is some basic info on my efan conversion;

2000 Dodge Durango 5.9L, 140,000 miles

I used a Mark VIII fan from a '97 ($50)

Flexalite temp. control module part # 31149 ($80)
-adjustable 160 - 220
-a/c relay turns on fan when a/c is on
-built in connector for adding a manual override switch
-connects directly to battery which allows fan to cool after motor is
shut off or connects to igniton source so fan only works when ignition
is on
-comes with all wiring and connectors needed.
-25 amp rating

The truck ran beautifully this weekend. The fan & controller worked perfectly. However, I do not use my Durango to haul/tow anything so I don't know if it would work well for those purposes. However, it seems to be working well for just a basic people hauler. I loved being able to drive for 1 1/2 hour and then be able to step on it at a light to get in front of somebody without the clutch fan sucking all my power. I did seem to get a little extra gas mileage. I don't keep specific numbers, but I drive Tampa to Orlando all the time and I did use less gas this trip. I do realize its only been a few days, so I will keep updating and let you know how it works over the nex few weeks. The fan controller seems to be working great, so I may do this install on my '99 R/T Dakota, because if the fan doesn't cool enough, I can replace it very easily while still using the same fan controller. Again, I am very pleased with the controller, easy install, takes all the guesswork out, and so far is handling the mark VIII fan just fine.

Hope this helps anyone else with their decision to convert.

P.s....I am still using a 30amp inline fuse with no problems.

Go Tampa Bay Rays ! ! !

 

Nice update...I am in the same situation as far as not hauling/towing stuff. My 2000 5.9 4X4 has been running really good so far...(knock on wood). I think I will go with the same temp controller since the one I am using seems to have a mind of its own at times. As I mentioned earlier, I changed my tune up to the 93 octane setting on my D and I have driven it more than my wife lately. I can't say that I have been able to really keep my foot out of it and still my IN TOWN milage has only gone down 0.3 MPG (average as displayed by the onboard unit in the overhead). That drop is not a good representation since before this fan swap, I had it tuned with the 87 octane option... Anyway, my new fan arrived today so I will be swapping it out soon (low speed burned out on the first one)