Hi all, I have a 2003 1500 ram van. I've decided that I want to put an eFan on my van. I'm probably going to go with the taurus eFan mod and was wondering if anyone has done that mod on a ram van. If so, how has it worked in terms of cooling? All my research has indicated that it does an exceptional job, even when only wired on the low setting. Also, how does the flex fan option compare with going with an eFan? I'm already leaning toward the eFan but just thought I'd ask. All I know is that I am getting rid of the stock clutch/fan setup asap! The noise of that damned thing is mind-boggling on hot days.

 

The eFan is a great thing to have. Some have used the taurus and others the Viper (as in Dodge Viper since the shroud is very much like the Ram Truck and Van.)

The only thing to remember is that the vans have a dog-house and unlike the Ram Truck, venting the heat out of the engine compartment is a bear. So, think about the heat build-up when the eFan isn't running. Some have installed side vents just before the doors. Of course, I have no idea if anyone has done this to 1994-2003 era Ram Vans.

 

The noise you hear is the air movement from the fan not the fan clutch. How long is the noise running? On my van it generally does not last more than a minute after pulling away from a stop light or sign that I have had to sit at for a few moments. Now on these hotter days we have had here it has run up to 2 minutes or even 45 mph before kicking back out.

If yours is running what seems like all the time then I would replace the fan clutch with a new one.

An efan or even flex fan will make close to or as much noise as the clutch fan when engaged.

I do have a flex fan on my Impala and it makes a lot of noise in town, and I can still hear it while at highway speeds.

 

On the side of our vans would not be practical for heat removal with the engine sitting in the firewall tunnel, so the vents would be before the engine itself.

Vents in the hood might work but only when parked and a problem with that is it would allow water to enter from the top.

 

I've actually already replaced the fan clutch. Let me ask you this, with the engine stone cold how freely should the fan blade spin? I know it shouldn't free wheel, but exactly how much of a turn should you be able to make with it by hand when the engine is stone cold?

 

I've actually determined that my fan clutch is working as expected. I guess I'm just not happy with how loud and somewhat sluggish the van is during everyday driving in hot weather. If I can get the same level of cooling going the taurus efan route then I'm all for it.

 

I just installed an entirely new cooling setup in my 97 B2500 including:

New Water Pump
Hoses (Upper, Lower & Bypass)
195 Degree Stant Thermostat
16 # Stant Radiator Cap
Ready-Rad Aluminum Radiator (Plastic Tanks)
16" Electric Cooling Fan
Electric Thermo Switch & Relay
Peak Coolant (65% Mix w/ Distilled Water)
Manual Fan Switch on Dash (Just in case)

I completely removed and discarded the upper & lower fan shrouds & the clutch/fan combo.

The difference in cooling performance is nothing short of amazing! The electric fan rarely comes on during the course of regular driving unless I'm running the A/C. Temp gauge hovers just above the first hash mark once engine reaches operating temp.

I have experienced no problems whatsoever regarding the venting of hot air from the engine compartment -- IMHO this is a non-issue.

If anyone wants pics I can post them.

 

I would love to see pics. I was wondering about whether or not to keep the factory shroud. The fan I pulled off a Lincoln has built in shrouds but wasn't sure it would be the same as having the large factory shroud in place.

 

If the E fan blades are the same size and offset as the OEM fan then I would use the stock shroud, but I doubt that is the case.

Without a tight fitting shroud around the fan, it is not pulling air across the whole radiator, and can just recirculate engine bay air.

It will also be louder.

 

I plan on doing all of this tomorrow. Just 2 questions. First, I plan on hooking it up to the AC so that the fan runs all the time whenever the AC is on, so should I hook it up to run on low or should I use the high setting for that? Secondly, just where exactly is the AC switch that I'm splicing into? I think I have it located but don't want to make any mistakes.

UPDATE: OK, forget the location of the AC switch question, I found that (right by the compressor DUH!). Just want to ask one more question. Is there any advantage to using the thermostatic controller vs. just wiring the thing to run on low whenever the van is running?