[elhigh]

I'm getting ready to pull my engine fan to switch to an electric fan; it'll drag more on the alternator but I'm certain that I'll land on the positive side of that equation. Switching out lights, when and if that ever happens, will make up some of the deficit - not much, rarely driving in the dark.

Hear's a thought, though: I've considered switching my alternator out to a high-output version, which I know would probably add drag to the engine regardless of whether I add loads, but then switch to underdrive pulleys to slow it down. My main goal here isn't reducing drag as much as reducing noise. There isn't a lot of noise insulation in my old stripper truck, and that little fan doing its thing has to be making a fair amount of racket. Slow it down and the noise gets lower. Any opinions?

This is all blue-sky of course, those alternators are couple hundred bucks and I'm not Daddy Warbucks.