Flex fans pull in more air through the radiator than the clutch fans. This feature is more helpful when the engine runs at high compression ratios, making cooling harder. It means the engine can cool much faster and better than when any other fan is used.
Is a flex fan a good idea?
This fan turns with the rotation of the engine and draws air through the radiator and blows air onto the engine. A Flex Fan is very similar, but the fan blades flex at higher RPM, reducing drag, thus reducing the amount of energy needed to drive the fan – leaving more horsepower for the engine. Plastic Flex Fans are inexpensive and plentiful.
How much does it cost to replace a fan clutch?
When labor is factored in, the costs can be between $285 to $500 to replace the fan clutch only, depending on your geographical location, the car you drive and mechanic you choose. These prices, as indicated below, can increase, if the components causing the fan clutch to fail need to be replaced.
Does engine fan have a clutch?
The fan clutch is a cooling system component that controls the operation of the engine cooling fans. While many newer vehicles now use electric cooling fans to keep the engine cool, many older vehicles used a mechanical fan clutch to control the fans.
Are flex fans safe?
Fans are rated to a specific rpm range and as long as you keep it under that rating, you should be fine. The flex fan on my RC is rated to 6k which is fine as the cam is really only good to about 5500 anyway. If a driveshaft broke or the trans let go, I would replace the fan.
What is the advantage of a flex fan?
The biggest advantage to flex fans is their ability to pull more air through the radiator at an idle than a clutch-operated fan. This is particularly useful on engines running high compression ratios that are more difficult to cool.
Do you really need a clutch fan?
The sole purpose of your engine's fan system is to cool it down, and without the fan clutch activating, the fan itself cannot turn and keep your engine at the proper temperature for peak performance. The fan clutch is a thermostatic device, meaning that it's operated by the heat produced under the hood.
Can you run a flex fan with a electric fan?
0:203:44Flex-A-Lite - How & When to Use an Auxiliary Electric Fan - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd about 16 inches tall flex. Light has a couple of electric fans that work really well asMoreAnd about 16 inches tall flex. Light has a couple of electric fans that work really well as exhilarating fans. This is part number 114.
Do you need a fan shroud with a flex fan?
Without a shroud, air will take the path of least resistance, pulling air from over and under the radiator instead of through it.
Are Flex fans good?
For high rpm use, flex fans are considered an upgrade over clutch fans. They can be a good choice for modified vehicles turning 6,000 – 8,000 rpm. Advantages include: They move more air for better cooling.
How much horsepower does a clutch fan use?
If the fan is required the clutch kicks in and the fan uses maybe one or two HP to turn it. If you have electric fans, your engine must drive the alternator to provide the electric power for them. This might add up to one or two HP also.
Do electric fans save HP?
In a normal pickup situation, even in high ambient temperatures, the electric fan system will only draw a maximum of about 5 horsepower from the engine. This significant savings improves fuel economy, and, in turn, reduces emissions while improving vehicle performance.
Is a puller or pusher fan better?
When a vehicle is moving, a pusher fan can obstruct airflow due to its positioning in front of the radiator. A puller fan on the other hand sits right behind the radiator. It pulls air through the radiator and has less impact on airflow at high speeds than a pusher fan since it is behind the radiator.
Does an electric fan add horsepower?
We'll jump right into the heart of the matter: An electric fan is the better performance solution, freeing up maximum horsepower and mpg.
How much difference does a fan shroud make?
Without a shroud, that's a waste of 143 square inches (38%) of the cooling capacity. A properly fitting fan shroud ensures that 100% of the radiator is being used. As an added benefit, the shroud also protects you, the fan, and the radiator. The shroud keeps road debris from hitting the fan and radiator.
Are electric radiator fans worth it?
Although they will place an additional draw on the electrical system, they are a more efficient alternative to mechanical fans and don't cause the dreaded parasitic horsepower loss. Here are a few other advantages of electric fans: Consistent cooling—they maintain their airflow at all times. Reduced water pump wear.
How far should the fan be away from the radiator?
The fan is designed to create negative pressure behind the radiator to pull air through. But the farther away the fan is from the radiator, the less effective it becomes. Flex-A-lite recommends that the fan blades be within 1 inch of the radiator and no more than 2 inches away. But that may not be enough.
What happens when your fan clutch goes out?
A bad or failing fan clutch leaves the fan permanently engaged, causing a noisy engine and a decrease in performance. More importantly, a stuck fan clutch can cause excessive, unnecessary drag on the engine, which results in a drop in acceleration, power & fuel efficiency, sometimes to a quite noticeable degree.
Should a fan clutch spin freely when hot?
Should the fan clutch spin freely when hot? When the clutch is hot, it should engage with the drive portion and become immovable by hand. If your clutch is spinning freely when the engine is hot, that means that the clutch failed in the closed position.
When should a fan clutch engage?
about 170°FAt what temperatures do fan clutches engage? Answer: Most fan clutches engage at about 170°F air temperature (about 180-190°F engine temperature). They reduce the temperature about 20°F before disengaging.
How can you tell if a fan clutch is bad?
To confirm the diagnosis, start with this simple test: Spin the fan as hard as you can on an engine that has not been started that day. If the fan rotates more than five times, you can bet the clutch is bad. You should feel some resistance and the fan may spin up to three times, depending on the ambient temperature.
76z28 Veteran Member
So I know there are TONS of threads on these but I am closing in on which one I want to go with... clutch fan or electric fan ...
Gary S Administrator Lifetime Gold Member
It would take only minutes to install the clutch fan you already have. GM found that their cars with heavy duty cooling systems and large engines cooled best with a clutch fan. The fixed fans and flex fans were inferior to the clutch fan.
junkyardZ28find Veteran Member
If you already have a perfectly good thermal clutch setup id just say go for that-its all free to you at that rate. Electric fans gained prominence when transverse engines became the norm-has nothing to do with what kind of motor you're cooling-its all about heat transfer not engine type.
Damon Veteran Member
I'm with Gary. You got it, so give it a shot. Even a factory clutch-fan setup is better than those awful flex fans. The HD clutch will "roar" the fan quite a bit when it's dead-cold, but should quiet down considerably after you drive it a mile or so. (Think: late 90s GM pickup truck)
BonzoHansen Administrator Lifetime Gold Member
I'm with Gary. You got it, so give it a shot. Even a factory clutch-fan setup is better than those awful flex fans. The HD clutch will "roar" the fan quite a bit when it's dead-cold, but should quiet down considerably after you drive it a mile or so. (Think: late 90s GM pickup truck)
GoldenOne7710 Equal Opportunity Offender Lifetime Gold Member
I'm using a HD clutch and 7-blade fan with a 4-row brass radiator. It cools like a champ and is relatively quiet, IMO.
76z28 Veteran Member
EDIT: I will try the clutch fan. I hope it gives some throttle response and power when it isn't hot.
What does a Flex fan do?
A flex fan always pulls air at low rpms and disengages (flattens out) and pulls less air at high rpms whether even if the engine is running hot such as may happen if you downshift to climb a steep long grade on the highway. Jason. X.
Which is better, flex or clutch fan?
Clutch fans almost always work better than flex fans. The main advantage of a clutch fan is that the fan engages when the engine runs hot and disengages when its not needed.
Do clutch fans stop turning?
Clutch fans never stop turning, they always turn, just usually slower than the water pump unless it's super hot and the demand is there for high fan speed. Anyways, clutch fans are great, but it sounds like the Taurus electric fan is ideal. I think I am going to try that with my jeep. N.