Mechanical to electric radiator fan
Introduction
Cars have used on-demand electric radiator fans for decades, but some trucks still have less efficient, belt-driven ones.
Aftermarket kits are available for many models, or you can retrofit a junkyard electric cooling fan from another vehicle.
Contents
Instructions for mod
Unbolt the belt driven fan
Mount the electric fan directly to the radiator and connect the power wires to the battery supply
User experiences
Two users
| User Name | Car Make, Model, Year | Cost of Mod | Time to Perform Mod | MPG Before Mod | MPG After Mod | MPG improvement guess | Instruction Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ecoTruck | 10.5% engine load | 9.0% engine load | 14% | Is an Electric fan conversion worth it? My testing procedure | |||
| oil pan 4 | 1984 diesel suburban | $140 | 2 days | 19.8 | 22 | +2.2mpg combind city and highway | N/A |
| Slow S10 | 1988 S10 | $10 | 1 day | 14.5 | 18 | +3.5MPG or about +20% | N/A |
Problems / Consequences of mod
Electric fans normally do not have the air moving power of a belt driven fan. To many or too much electric fan can drain power from the electrical system and may require an alternator up grade if you have to run the fans a lot. Engine cranks over faster, runs quieter with out the belt driven fan beating air all the time and the engine warms up 2 to 3 minutes faster for me. When running 2 or 3 electric fans on a car or truck you dont have one single point of failure such as the thermal clutch.
References
Forum thread links
Electric vs. belt driven cooling fan
Is an Electric fan conversion worth it? My testing procedure
