tuna55 wrote:
Bobzilla wrote:
funny... I'd heard the same horror stories but after 4 vehicles with them (all GM) I never had an issue. I think the Caprice one was on for 90+k miles.
All the same, do you think a flex fan has less drag than a thermal clutch fan? I don't, but am curious of your thoughts.
yes/no. There's a LOT less mass. On my 9C1 the stock fan/clutch weighed in at 11 lbs. The spacer and flex fan weighed in at 2. You could watch the fan blade flatten out as you revved the engine, so it wasn't creating as MUCH drag as the stocker. The car revved off idle easier and would accelerate from 90-110 easier than with the stocker, but no imperical data to support this.
But in my view, even if there was just as much drag from wind resistance, the loss of almost 10lbs off the nose of the waterpump was worth it to me.
Keith Tanner wrote:
Ranger, did you take off the clutch or the whole fan?
Whole fan. Fan blades bolt to the clutch fan which then bolts to the water pump.
BTW, this is my regular old POFS 2wd 95 Dakota with the stuck in the 60's technology 3.9L V6.
Ranger50 wrote:
Keith Tanner wrote:
Ranger, did you take off the clutch or the whole fan?
Whole fan. Fan blades bolt to the clutch fan which then bolts to the water pump.
BTW, this is my regular old POFS 2wd 95 Dakota with the stuck in the 60's technology 3.9L V6.
I've always wondered if swapping to an electric fan in my '97 Dakota would help the gas mileage. Mine gets about 16mpg with real easy around town driving. 
i thought this thread would be about the three pedal mafia
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote:
I've been debating swapping the one out on my Durango for an electric fan for this reason.
Do this. You will be very happy with the results.
tuna55
UberDork
4/8/13 4:52 p.m.
Bobzilla wrote:
tuna55 wrote:
Bobzilla wrote:
funny... I'd heard the same horror stories but after 4 vehicles with them (all GM) I never had an issue. I think the Caprice one was on for 90+k miles.
All the same, do you think a flex fan has less drag than a thermal clutch fan? I don't, but am curious of your thoughts.
yes/no. There's a LOT less mass. On my 9C1 the stock fan/clutch weighed in at 11 lbs. The spacer and flex fan weighed in at 2. You could watch the fan blade flatten out as you revved the engine, so it wasn't creating as MUCH drag as the stocker. The car revved off idle easier and would accelerate from 90-110 easier than with the stocker, but no imperical data to support this.
But in my view, even if there was just as much drag from wind resistance, the loss of almost 10lbs off the nose of the waterpump was worth it to me.
I could see the weight difference, but bear in mind my fan isn't spinning typically, Also consider that it takes force to bend those blades, so you're still dragging in that way. My data says there isn't anything really to be gained. A less torquey engine may be different.
