Any One tried this

Ok I have a 72 with a 304. Discussing this with a couple of the guys at NAPA where I work. The general consensis is that if I remove the flex fan that is now installed and replace it with an electric unit I would gain in fuel economy due to the decrease in load on the engine. I drive mostly on the road and get around 13mph. Any Input???

Thanks

 

Yeah sure that will help.. but beware, an electric may or may not have the capacity to keep the engine cool! Personally I like the electric fans...


BUBBA

 

True. I doubt you'll be able to measure a difference though. It'll be quieter too. The Taurus electric fan is a popular junkyard upgrade. You can put a switch on the dash to shut it off during water crossings.

 

I am looking at a unit I can get from NAPA (I get a very good discount as an employee) and an electronic controller for about $120 total. It is rated at 2000 cfm. My radiator is 3yrs old and a 3 core hd so I think it will move enough air to keep things cool. Its just in the what if stage right now.

 

I dunno, the whole idea of the flex fan is that it flattens out at speed. Thus very little load on the engine... When you run electrics, especially the taurus ones there is a huge load on the vehicles electrical system. You will probably be able to see a difference at idle when the fan kicks in. The extra load on the alternator will slow the motor. As I recall the currant draw of the tauras is like 40 amps?

Like Tim said, the electrics have some big advantages in that you have control over them. Especially if you install some form of temperature activated switch so they shut off automatically when not needed. In the winter time they probably will hardly run. The heater in my jeep is enough to cool it in the winter.

 

Sorry in advance for deviating from your questions but......I wonder why you are only getting 13mpg? Are you running 2 or 4 barrel? How about diff gearing? You may find a better / cheaper / easier way to improve gas mileage. I'm get close to 20mpg with my 304.

 

20mpg with a 304. That's pretty good. I get like 12-13 with my 258.

What gears do you have in the diffs????

High5

 

My buddie blew his fan clutch apart and replaced it with an electric one that I had laying around (he's cheap and lazy). Right away, he noticed his engine ran better. He's got the wrangler 4cyl. by the way.

 

sac13
I have 3.73 gears with a stock 2 barrel. I don't think carb or gears would be cheaper.

JeepTherapy
I understand the theory behind the flexfan but when you watch it I am not so sure it really flatens out that much. The setup I am looking at has a controller that has a probe that goes into the upper rad. hose and is adjustable for on and off temp.

 

I have the electric fan/temp switch on my '99. I haven't noticed any mileage increase, but it is nice in hot weather to let it continue cooling even after the Jeep is shut down. The temp switchs seem to have a short life span so I've also wired in a rocker switch so I can turn the fan on when the temp bit stops working.

 

Nope, you right. Just curious. I keep forgetting I have wimpy 3.07s in my diffs right now. I'm sure my mileage will take a dump when I throw in the 4.56s. I'll be lucky to get 10 or 11........

I had an oversize 4bbl on mine before and went down to a 2bbl and gained 8-10 mpg........that's the only reason I asked.

I like the though of an electrical fan also so I'll keep my eyes peeled on this post also......