Possibly thinking about installing one of these. What are you guys running? And would you recommend a 180 t-stat with it?

 

Flex-A-Lite Black Magic Extreme 180 is what I'm using. It's now a 183 which is easier to install, it seems. I just went back to a 203 'stat from a 180, so I can get more heat in the winter. I don't plan to go back to the 180. The 180 'stat is some benefit if you have some performance mods, I believe.

 

you're going to be needing a tune on your PCM making it aware of the 180, if you go with a 180.. otherwise, your engine is going to dump excessive fuel in attempt to provide more certain ignition on what it believes is a cool engine.. there is zero benefit to a 180* stat unless you tune for it.. with a tune? a couple more ponies, but hardly worth the investment, unless that tune also advances timing as a part of it.. if it does that? you may let loose as many as 10 or so extra ponies.. that makes it worth it..

I have a couple eBay 16" fans.. they are set in a push/pull configuration.. one is mounted on the grill side of the radiator, nearest the lights- the other is inside the radiator and pretty much in front of where the clutch fan used to be.. I retained the factory shroud..

for power, I used a flex-a-lite two terminal controller with the little dial to pick starting temperature.. I shoved a temperature probe through the radiator, and like the fact that it operates independent of any other temperature reading gadgets.. It is both relay and fuse protected.. from battery to controller is 6ga wire.. from controller to fan(s) is 10ga.. It's all soldered and heat shrunk, and dribbled with silicone where the points terminate in the fans themselves..

the pusher fan pushes 2400cfm, the puller 2750cfm.. they both gobble upwards of 18a on start-up, and settle to around 10~12a while running.. If I had it to do again, or if this rig goes **** up, I'd wire in a controller that has a soft start- meaning, it starts slowly, and as temperature increases, so does the fan speed.. it is a lot easier on amperage draw, wires, fuses, relays, and the fans themselves..

I look at the fans as consumable items.. they will be replaced in due time.. I hope to get a couple years out of them, but I fully expect to replace them at least every two years- if for nothing else, for insurance.. they cost me $40 for the both of them..

all in all, I have about $150 or so in this over engineered system of mine, and so far the only thing that's ever happened is I blew a fuse on them.. It is predictable in it's ignition, and it only runs for about ten or so seconds at a time.. The only time it did more was once in stand still traffic on the highway and after rapidly shaving the speed off from around 70~75MPH to zip in about 150'.. it ran for about twice that average of ten seconds a couple times times during that spat..

 

Yea you're two best and easiest option are the 183 or the Taurus fan but the Taurus fan is a little more complicated than the 183. But cheaper. I would go with the 183