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Electric cooling fan??....

13K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Eric Animal 
#1 ·
I was just trying to get some input on getting rid of my pulley fan and buying an electric one. My car is a 1969 GTO with a 400 engine. I have a standard radiator that is probably original. Would I need to get a shroud to go around the fans? What CFM would I need. My car is pretty stock. I just rebuilt the engine and had it bored 30 over. That's about it. Anything would help.

thanks
 
#2 ·
The best and most trouble free set up for a mostly original engine is the stock clutch type fan with a fan shroud. For highly modified engines at max HP, electric fans can be an improvement, but on a stocker/slightly modified, they are a lot of expense and added complexity, IMHO. Others running electric fans are sure to chime in.
 
#4 ·
I'm running twin electrics on my 69 and I like them, but first let me ask you why you want to do this? Are you trying to solve a cooling problem, or are you looking for "free" horsepower by getting rid of the engine driven fan?

FYI, I'm also running a big aluminum radiator and my engine has been somewhat "surgically enhanced" to up the power. For a more or less stock setup, I agree that the original setup is probably the best and the most trouble-free. If you convert to electric(s), you're also going to have to up your game alternator-wise because the stock 65 amp alternator won't be able to keep up.

Bear
 
#5 ·
Electric fans are easy to set up. The aftermarket ones new are a waste of money, look at a junkyard one of the best bang for the bucks are the mid 90's taurus fans. It is a single fan that pulls 4,000 cfm's (people are using these on swap LS cars that are highly modded), The other one I suggest is the cooling fans from a 4th gen F-body, but you might need to modify it a little the shroud is a bit bigger than stock rads..
 
#6 ·
PO put a twin fan setup with a built in shroud and aluminum radiator in my car. Works well, the only thing I dont like is that this particular unit is a little loud with somewhat of a high pitch wine. I know they make much quieter fans you can buy. A stock clutch fan can be loud, but at least it is a "roar" and not a whine. If I had a decent clutch fan & radiator, I would not spend the money on electric. If you need to start over, maybe not a bad option. At least your timing light wires will not get caught in the fan... :)
 
#9 ·
Like Eric, I have a similar DeRale setup on my 72 LeMans. Fans work great, I am using them with a Summit house brand aluminum radiator and a Painless pwm proportional controller. Keeps the 400 cool even in the middle of the summer.

Had to create my own mounting setup, so a radiator from a major manufacturer with a mounting setup included might be better depending on your abilities. Also some teething trouble with the pwm controller that turned out to be a defective unit. Painless replaced the unit and it's worked fine ever since.

When I had the original radiator and clutch fan, I had overheating issues. The larger surface area and airflow with this setup keeps engine temp where I set the controller. Currently running a 180 thermostat with controller cycling at 195. In traffic it fluctuates on the controller deadband, 3-5 degrees. On the open road even in August it will come down and ride the thermostat setting. Because of this I think I'm going to put the 195 back in and cycle the fans around 205-208. Just want to make sure the fans aren't running when I'm driving down the road and the thermostat is controlling temp.
 

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#10 ·
I will TRY to find the part number...however the shroud size is almost an exact fit to my AIR COND RAD....so if you don't use an A?C set up, you will need the smaller size.....The staff at DERALE is very helpful....measure your CORE LxW....and know how much depth you have available! They will know which shroud/fan/ controller you need!!!
 
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