Electric Fan Yeah Or Nay

[norsemanberg]

I would like yo put a Electric fan in my truck (2003 GMC sierra 1500). I'm unsure of the the brand i'm going to use. is there an output from the ECM that i might be able to use yo controle the fan on/off temp?

[norsemanberg]

Does anyone know where i ca get a good deal on them?

[2 fast]

I got a set of LS1 fans out of the bone yard for 25 bucks. They fit perfect in my 2002 silverado. Then bought the relay setup for 70 bucks and hooked them into the pcm. I forget the pin numbers but I can look it up. Turned on the fan settings with my HP Tuner.

[Zembonez]

I'm sure it takes less to run the electrics... BUT even with electric fans, it takes power to generate the voltage just like it would to turn the fan. Nothing is free. I'm sure GM would not have gone with the more complex electric setup if it wasn't at least somewhat more efficient.

 

I hate how my electric fans sound like a turbo spooling when they come on. Gimme back my fan clutch!

[C & A s Dad]

Erik, it can certainly be done and there are some good aftermarket kits out there or you can do what Fred did. I would have to agree with Bonez, the impact will be minimal because a properly operating fan clutch is slipping allowing the fan to free wheel most of the time. When it is doing this, it is pulling very little HP from the motor. However, when the clutch locks, it is pulling hard on the engine then, but so will your alternator when both your fans are running. Again there is some advantage.

 

A word of caution. Be sure you have a 140 Amp Alternator. An alt produces about 40% of it's max at idle. This would mean a 110 amp alt would be producing approx 44 amps at idle. No problem in running the fans, but you have to consider, lights, wipers, heat/AC, radio etc. Just do your homework, do the job right, don't cut any corners and you will be fine if you decide to go this route..

[Wingnut]

I know Alvin at PCMForLess sells complete kits for the TBSS...You might want to give him a call.

[norsemanberg]

Good advice, thank you!

[L29er]

hey guys i new here, but i noticed the topic and wanted to share my experience. i have perma-cool`s dual 14" cooling system in my truck, it was a very easy instalation, it requires only power and ground and comes with a manual "on" wire. it has adjustable "on" temperature settings adjustable witha small screwdriver, it uses a temprobe installed into the rad to determine temp. now, this setup is not for towing! what i have found is that the 6000cfm that it flows is only just enough to keep her cool on a hot day, of cousre though i have a big block so a small block might be better an application. also it may have just been my luck but after a month one of the motors ate its cookies and i had to send it back for warranty, it was replaced and sent back to me without problem. i have noticed that my engine seems to run a little hotter all the time, this has caused my tranny to run hotter aswell, have had to change the fluid more often, and i have recntley installed a deep sump pan and probe to monitor its temp. i opted intially for the perma-cool unit because of ease of intallation and use, initially i didn`t feel confident enough to get two aftermarket fans, install them and be able to tune them properly. in summation (i feel like i`m writing a high school essay!!( i`m still on the fence about electric fans, i did gain noticable power but my engine and trans are suffering a bit, i am however not going to give up i will try modifying the fan unit, possibly scraping everything but the module and wiring and getting some higher flowing units, but i`l keep tweakin`!

[MyBigToy]

I've had the Flex-A-Lites for about 3 years now with no issues. I'm using their VSC controller with no problems but I paid special attention to the connections and soldered the connectors. The fans move a TON of air and the temperature never moves above 190 degrees, which is where I have the fans set to come on. They aren't cheap but they are an easy bolt-on project. I bought mine from someone who never put them on their truck prior to selling it.

 

They made a noticeable difference in off-the-line acceleration; the motor seems to spool up quicker with the weight off the front.

[sbcathey]

Any gas mileage improvments?

[L29er]

well, i didn`t actually calculate it but there must be, because it was VERY noticible without the fan on for power, she had alot more getup and go!! i`m guessing .5 to 1mpg, like i say i didn`t do a before and after fuel test, i did the conversion purley for the power, and figured it couldn`t hurt but help the fuel usage.

[Wires]

You should be seeing more power + better MPG with the electric fan. With the clutch type fans, they still semi-couple when off, and spin with the engine (so you lose power with the extra drag). The electric ones only click on when needed.

[96chevy7.4L]

Hi if you are looking for a great electric fan setup try SPAL. they make some awesome fans. I had one 14 inch fan in my camraro with a big block and it worked awesome. As for the power pulleyds mentioned if you talk to spal who makes fans and stewart componets who makes very hi-flo water pumps they say not to use the power pulleys. Just a lil insight.

[TexasAl]

I added this mod to my Jeep Wrangler, and it does make a big difference in power. I ended up getting about 2 mpg more after the swap. I decided to go with a cheap kit I bought at Autozone. You can purchase the fans for less that $100 and then purchase the harness that connects to your sensors so the fan can come on and off at ceartain temperature. I purchased the adjustable sensor control for about $25. Very good mod on my Jeep.

[Schmids5.3l]

Nelson performance sells a wiring harness for the trucks, and you can swap in fans from an Fbody, which cost around $90 all over Ebay, the harness costs around the same. Then you have to have them turned on Via HP Tuners, EFI Live, or send your PCM to a tuner. For the price & simplicity it's completely worth it IMO, I'll be doing it this summer.