Electric Fan and Towing
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
ORIGINAL: tdmopar59
there is one in my near future on a lot of forums these are popular though i have been told a flex a lite 180 is a good choice hemiyellow has one!
there is one in my near future on a lot of forums these are popular though i have been told a flex a lite 180 is a good choice hemiyellow has one!
Champion
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,313
Likes: 8
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
I have personally seen Dodge Rams and Ford F150s/SuperDooties
running through Death Valley in caravans of trucks
testing out cooling systems towing trailers.
It is my guess that
the stock clutch fan, water pump, radiator, 16 psi cap, 50/50 anti-freeze
is all part of a system that will successfully tow
the rated pounds through 100 degree heat up 6% grades
at speeds of 45 to 70 mph
without going past 240 degrees F of coolant temperature.
I don't believe an electrical fan could take the place of a clutch fan in those kind of conditions, but it could be successful at lower temperatures, lesser hills, or with lighter trailer loads.
Roughly 50 amps of DC current from your alternator
is equivalent to about 1 horsepower on the fan.
I believe the stock clutch fan uses 1.2 to 1.5 hp when unengaged and it is slipping in the silicone fluid at about 900 rpm,
and this climbs rapidly with rpm when the clutch engages
going up to about 20 hp at 4000+ rpm.
You can think of the unengaged stock clutch fan
as equivalent to an 'always on' electric fan
that pulls about 60 amps.
running through Death Valley in caravans of trucks
testing out cooling systems towing trailers.
It is my guess that
the stock clutch fan, water pump, radiator, 16 psi cap, 50/50 anti-freeze
is all part of a system that will successfully tow
the rated pounds through 100 degree heat up 6% grades
at speeds of 45 to 70 mph
without going past 240 degrees F of coolant temperature.
I don't believe an electrical fan could take the place of a clutch fan in those kind of conditions, but it could be successful at lower temperatures, lesser hills, or with lighter trailer loads.
Roughly 50 amps of DC current from your alternator
is equivalent to about 1 horsepower on the fan.
I believe the stock clutch fan uses 1.2 to 1.5 hp when unengaged and it is slipping in the silicone fluid at about 900 rpm,
and this climbs rapidly with rpm when the clutch engages
going up to about 20 hp at 4000+ rpm.
You can think of the unengaged stock clutch fan
as equivalent to an 'always on' electric fan
that pulls about 60 amps.
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 313
Likes: 0
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
You can get them here,
http://www.krcperformance.com/krc/in...&Itemid=26
or here
http://moesperformance.com/index.php...&cPath=1_9
Might be able to find them on ebay to.
http://www.krcperformance.com/krc/in...&Itemid=26
or here
http://moesperformance.com/index.php...&cPath=1_9
Might be able to find them on ebay to.
Record Breaker
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
ORIGINAL: HankL
I have personally seen Dodge Rams and Ford F150s/SuperDooties
running through Death Valley in caravans of trucks
testing out cooling systems towing trailers.
It is my guess that
the stock clutch fan, water pump, radiator, 16 psi cap, 50/50 anti-freeze
is all part of a system that will successfully tow
the rated pounds through 100 degree heat up 6% grades
at speeds of 45 to 70 mph
without going past 240 degrees F of coolant temperature.
I don't believe an electrical fan could take the place of a clutch fan in those kind of conditions, but it could be successful at lower temperatures, lesser hills, or with lighter trailer loads.
Roughly 50 amps of DC current from your alternator
is equivalent to about 1 horsepower on the fan.
I believe the stock clutch fan uses 1.2 to 1.5 hp when unengaged and it is slipping in the silicone fluid at about 900 rpm,
and this climbs rapidly with rpm when the clutch engages
going up to about 20 hp at 4000+ rpm.
You can think of the unengaged stock clutch fan
as equivalent to an 'always on' electric fan
that pulls about 60 amps.
So if i understand you correctly, you're saying that a "electric fan" is not necessary. Is this right?
I have personally seen Dodge Rams and Ford F150s/SuperDooties
running through Death Valley in caravans of trucks
testing out cooling systems towing trailers.
It is my guess that
the stock clutch fan, water pump, radiator, 16 psi cap, 50/50 anti-freeze
is all part of a system that will successfully tow
the rated pounds through 100 degree heat up 6% grades
at speeds of 45 to 70 mph
without going past 240 degrees F of coolant temperature.
I don't believe an electrical fan could take the place of a clutch fan in those kind of conditions, but it could be successful at lower temperatures, lesser hills, or with lighter trailer loads.
Roughly 50 amps of DC current from your alternator
is equivalent to about 1 horsepower on the fan.
I believe the stock clutch fan uses 1.2 to 1.5 hp when unengaged and it is slipping in the silicone fluid at about 900 rpm,
and this climbs rapidly with rpm when the clutch engages
going up to about 20 hp at 4000+ rpm.
You can think of the unengaged stock clutch fan
as equivalent to an 'always on' electric fan
that pulls about 60 amps.
So if i understand you correctly, you're saying that a "electric fan" is not necessary. Is this right?
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 24,686
Likes: 21
From: South Georgia/East Florida
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
NYPANAMA42:
Take my advice, see the little red hand on the bottom of HankL's post? Click on it....
E-fans are by no means necessary. Neither are Cat-Back exhausts, tuners, CAI's, Headers, or any other mods. Your truck will run just fine the way it comes from the factory. So to answer your question, no, it is not necessary, but does it free up some horsepower for use at the rear wheels? YES. Is it a whole ton of horsepower? Not at all. But, in combination with other mods, it does performs it's function quite well.
ALL racers use an e-fan! Plus, you will NEVER have to worry about overheating in heavy traffic, as the e-fan pulls just as much air sitting still as it does at highway speed. It also has a couple of HUGE advantages off-road. You are usually moving along at a crawl off road, so you are moving a vast amount more air with the e-fan as you would with the stock fan. Also, an efan can be equipped with a very inexpensive dash mounted on/off switch, so the fan could be turned off while crossing streams or in heavy mud, etc., so as to not suck water and/or debris into your delicateradiator fins.
It's basically for off-road use that I put mine in. But I've already gotten stuck on I-95 traffic, miles behind an accident, and watched a few over heat or get close and have to pull off the side to shut down and let it cool down, while my temp. needle never budged!
Remember when at idle or barely moving, your stock fan is pulling almost no air across that radiator, while an E-fan is moving it's rated cfm all the time.
Take my advice, see the little red hand on the bottom of HankL's post? Click on it....
E-fans are by no means necessary. Neither are Cat-Back exhausts, tuners, CAI's, Headers, or any other mods. Your truck will run just fine the way it comes from the factory. So to answer your question, no, it is not necessary, but does it free up some horsepower for use at the rear wheels? YES. Is it a whole ton of horsepower? Not at all. But, in combination with other mods, it does performs it's function quite well.
ALL racers use an e-fan! Plus, you will NEVER have to worry about overheating in heavy traffic, as the e-fan pulls just as much air sitting still as it does at highway speed. It also has a couple of HUGE advantages off-road. You are usually moving along at a crawl off road, so you are moving a vast amount more air with the e-fan as you would with the stock fan. Also, an efan can be equipped with a very inexpensive dash mounted on/off switch, so the fan could be turned off while crossing streams or in heavy mud, etc., so as to not suck water and/or debris into your delicateradiator fins.
It's basically for off-road use that I put mine in. But I've already gotten stuck on I-95 traffic, miles behind an accident, and watched a few over heat or get close and have to pull off the side to shut down and let it cool down, while my temp. needle never budged!
Remember when at idle or barely moving, your stock fan is pulling almost no air across that radiator, while an E-fan is moving it's rated cfm all the time.
Rookie
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
ORIGINAL: HammerZ71
NYPANAMA42:
Take my advice, see the little red hand on the bottom of HankL's post? Click on it....
E-fans are by no means necessary. Neither are Cat-Back exhausts, tuners, CAI's, Headers, or any other mods. Your truck will run just fine the way it comes from the factory. So to answer your question, no, it is not necessary, but does it free up some horsepower for use at the rear wheels? YES. Is it a whole ton of horsepower? Not at all. But, in combination with other mods, it does performs it's function quite well.
ALL racers use an e-fan! Plus, you will NEVER have to worry about overheating in heavy traffic, as the e-fan pulls just as much air sitting still as it does at highway speed. It also has a couple of HUGE advantages off-road. You are usually moving along at a crawl off road, so you are moving a vast amount more air with the e-fan as you would with the stock fan. Also, an efan can be equipped with a very inexpensive dash mounted on/off switch, so the fan could be turned off while crossing streams or in heavy mud, etc., so as to not suck water and/or debris into your delicateradiator fins.
It's basically for off-road use that I put mine in. But I've already gotten stuck on I-95 traffic, miles behind an accident, and watched a few over heat or get close and have to pull off the side to shut down and let it cool down, while my temp. needle never budged!
Remember when at idle or barely moving, your stock fan is pulling almost no air across that radiator, while an E-fan is moving it's rated cfm all the time.
NYPANAMA42:
Take my advice, see the little red hand on the bottom of HankL's post? Click on it....
E-fans are by no means necessary. Neither are Cat-Back exhausts, tuners, CAI's, Headers, or any other mods. Your truck will run just fine the way it comes from the factory. So to answer your question, no, it is not necessary, but does it free up some horsepower for use at the rear wheels? YES. Is it a whole ton of horsepower? Not at all. But, in combination with other mods, it does performs it's function quite well.
ALL racers use an e-fan! Plus, you will NEVER have to worry about overheating in heavy traffic, as the e-fan pulls just as much air sitting still as it does at highway speed. It also has a couple of HUGE advantages off-road. You are usually moving along at a crawl off road, so you are moving a vast amount more air with the e-fan as you would with the stock fan. Also, an efan can be equipped with a very inexpensive dash mounted on/off switch, so the fan could be turned off while crossing streams or in heavy mud, etc., so as to not suck water and/or debris into your delicateradiator fins.
It's basically for off-road use that I put mine in. But I've already gotten stuck on I-95 traffic, miles behind an accident, and watched a few over heat or get close and have to pull off the side to shut down and let it cool down, while my temp. needle never budged!
Remember when at idle or barely moving, your stock fan is pulling almost no air across that radiator, while an E-fan is moving it's rated cfm all the time.
and NYPANAMA42 the fan i mentioned i believe is off a lincoln mark VIII car, its the one i was told to look into because you can get the used for about $200 cheaper than the flexlite 180 and pullsabout double but i believe the have to remove your stock fan shroud and use the one that comes with the fan, so there may be some custom fabbing to do. if you can get ahold of AirRam, i believe he has the mark VII on his 4.7 he should be able to tell you exactly whats involved.
Champion
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,313
Likes: 8
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
There is a gain in MPG with an electric fan when the truck is not towing.
As I have said in prior posts (search)
removing the 5 bladed fan but leaving the viscous clutch in place
and then mounting an electric fan inside the shroud
at a spot that does not interfere with putting the stock fan blades back on
might be the best of both worlds. The stock blades could be put on much faster and easier if it was precisely cut in two at the flange, so that you would not have to take off the large 36 mm clutch nut.
This way the electric fan could be used when the truck was doing light duty
but when towing in challenging conditions
the stock fan blade could be put back on
and either used alone or...in 'super series flow' mode...with the electric fan turned on too.
An even better modification might be to go with the fan that is powered by the power steering fluid like on some of the Lexus models.
With winter temperatures coming,
most Ram owners could remove their fans (except in deep South)
and find out for themselves how much fuel economy benefit exists for them that would justify spending $ or time.
As I have said in prior posts (search)
removing the 5 bladed fan but leaving the viscous clutch in place
and then mounting an electric fan inside the shroud
at a spot that does not interfere with putting the stock fan blades back on
might be the best of both worlds. The stock blades could be put on much faster and easier if it was precisely cut in two at the flange, so that you would not have to take off the large 36 mm clutch nut.
This way the electric fan could be used when the truck was doing light duty
but when towing in challenging conditions
the stock fan blade could be put back on
and either used alone or...in 'super series flow' mode...with the electric fan turned on too.
An even better modification might be to go with the fan that is powered by the power steering fluid like on some of the Lexus models.
With winter temperatures coming,
most Ram owners could remove their fans (except in deep South)
and find out for themselves how much fuel economy benefit exists for them that would justify spending $ or time.
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 313
Likes: 0
RE: Electric Fan and Towing
ORIGINAL: HankL
With winter temperatures coming,
most Ram owners could remove their fans (except in deep South)
and find out for themselves how much fuel economy benefit exists for them that would justify spending $ or time.
With winter temperatures coming,
most Ram owners could remove their fans (except in deep South)
and find out for themselves how much fuel economy benefit exists for them that would justify spending $ or time.