I'm curious how difficult this is going to be, I have a 2004 QC 4.7l with 111k and I'm going to be driving it to school and back (2.5hrs each way) along with doing some recreational offroading and mudding while I'm there (NE PA if anyone is near Dallas PM me). I've read it increases throttle response and MPG so and on top of that my stock fan sounds like a helicopter landing when I'm sitting still.

The fan shouldn't be too expensive, and I have a basic level of knowledge of how engines and vehicles work but no fab experience. How difficult is this??

 

You'll find quite a few responses to the e-fan "question" in both the 1st and 3rd gen Dakota forums giving both practical and theoretical details. The first and most important thing you should do is to make yourself a comprehensive operational scenario (how you really want to use the truck & how the fan relates to that). This will dictate what control features you really need, what's nice to have, and what can't be done. The fan isn't difficult to find or to install - there are quite a few selections, from the auto salvage variety to after-market fans & complete kits. When you're selecting your fan, do the necessary research on what in-rush current the fan requires - this will point you in the direction of which "factory made" controllers will work for you and which won't - don't discount the DIY variety of controller, made with relays or solid state components (there are some kits that can be used to make a solid state pulse width modulated controller). DIY adventures are only limited by your confidence in building.

 

Like I said I will be driving on the highway along with some recreational offroading, so both throttle response( hp, torque) and gas mileage will be nice to have. It already has a k&n intake and an exhaust so it's got some pep, but I want more! Haha. I've heard the older Taurus e-fans work well so that's an option, and the controller I have to look into this a little more. Hopefully some other guys can chime in with what they have used, aftermarket or custom. I looked up the DIY thread but that is on a 6cyl. I'm guessing the same procedure can be used?

 

"Recreational offroading" can mean anything from driving half submerged in water, flailing away in a mud pond, to driving comfortably over a cow pasture - you need to define how much stress and how much "submerged" you plan to partake in. The stress will mean more heat due to slow movement and higher rpm and the submerged will mean that you will need to have a real OFF mode for the fan. A cleaned up intake and exhaust will give you some "pep" - the exhaust more than the intake if you have a crossover with a V8.

For the fan, if you want a Ford fan (like the Taurus), a solid state Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) controller will be harder to find and will also be more expensive than getting one for a fan like the HHR - the inrush current is high on all the Ford fans (including Taurus and Lincoln Mark fans) so you need a unit that will handle both the inrush as well as the operating amp requirements. The easiest to get is made by Painless and is around $300 and they come for either dual fan or dual speed (with the PWM controller you would only use the high speed hookup & the controller will vary the speed through changing pulses). With a relay controller (either homemade or bought assembled), you need something that'll handle about 75 amps. If you don't need the throughput of the Taurus, don't use it, there are lots of other lower amp fans that will suit for highway & a bit of off road. Also keep in mind that you can reduce the size of the fan throughput by increasing the size of the radiator, so if you do need some serious off road capacity, this might be something to consider. I've discussed a lot of these same issues in both 1st and 3rd gen Dakota forums (the model of your vehicle doesn't matter a great deal, it's how much heat you need to dissipate and how quickly).