So i was lookin at these Flex-a-lite wide blade flex fans, i was wondering if there really worth it to get one. The reason i considered it is im lookin to get rid of the fan clutch with a spacer, or get a non thermal one.
Flex-a-lite Fans
- Thread starter Redneck86
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
Broncobill78
New member
They have good points & bad points. The flex fans generally provide better cooling but *what* you do with the truck makes a difference. The first time I replaced my clutch fan w/a flax-fan and solid spaced I was thrilled. The water temp went down 20* and everything was cool in the world. The next time I took it to an off-road spot a lot of us used I ran into problems. You had to get to the head of the trail by driving around the edge of a small lake, problem was the trees were too thick at the shore so the easiest way was to use the boat ramp to go a few feet into the water & then drive maybe 1/8-mi around the lake to the trail. I'd never had a problem w/my clutch fan because with the clutch the fan can run at a slower rate & the clutch will compensate. The flex-fan had a solid spacer & when *that* thing hit the water all sorts of things happened. With a solid spacer instead of a clutch the engine WILL spin that fan, regardless of what's in the way. that's something you might want to keep in the back of your mind. they DO sell replacement clutches and an alternative to consider is mounting the larger flex-fan onto the clutch, but that won't always provide enough air so sometimes the solid spacer works better. It can be a trial & error sort of thing.
OP
OP
Redneck86
First On Race Day
What exactly happend when the fan hit the water? Did it f*ck stuff up of just throw water everywhere and drown out the engine? The reason i wanted that set up was for better cooling and less engine drag on the highway. Never thought about what would happen if it was to get in really deep water.
BroncoJoe19
Active member
LOL... :lol: Is this Dave's real life story of...
when the $hit hits the fan?
Sorry guys... I know I'm off topic, but it hit me as real funny.
muddinlate86
New member
stick with the clutch fan more power from what i have herd
Last edited by a moderator:
BroncoJoe19
Active member
If you are interested in a big upgrade, SeaBronc put electric fans on his, you may ask him about it.
joe
joe
OP
OP
Redneck86
First On Race Day
Im puttin the Flex-a-lite wide blade flex fan on it becuase they cool better and free up more power because the blades flatten out at higher RPM so reduce engine drag. So since it works like that i was goin to take out the clutch for less rotating mass, so id have even less drag that way too.
aqua_wonder
New member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2007
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 0
How's the cooling system in the truck? What condition is the radiator? The condition of the thermostat? If the radiator has obstructions inside that may hinder the flowing ability of the radiator. I used to have cooling issues, the engine ran warmer when playing offroad. I added an electric fan to assist the factory non flex, non clutch fan. Worked decent. I dropped in a fresh engine with a new radiator and never experienced cooling issues, even on the hottest days in summer. Never used the electric fan again.
Last edited by a moderator:
2NDTOUR89
New member
Let us know how this works for you, I might be interested as well. I am considering an electic fan swap but this might do just as good. Post some pics and part numbers too...
BroncoJoe19
Active member
Earlier today I started thinking along the same lines.
IF you are thinking about getting the new fan blade in part because you are having cooling issues, then most likely your radiator is on its last legs and it won't be long before you are looking to replace it. IF that's the case IMO you would be better served by saving the $40-$50 for the fan, and putting it into a new radiator fund $100-$200.
IF you are having cooling issues, you may also take it to a radiator shop and have the core rodded. (They take off the tanks, and slide a thin rod through each of the tubes to clear it of bult up crystalized antifreeze and rust. The danger is that they *may* cause an irrepairable leak) I had a ten year old radiator rodded and used it to cool an overloaded stationwagon that was pulling an overloaded trailer through the SouthDakota badlands in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer, with no problems.
IF you are thinking about making the change because you think that it will MPG, I can't comment. I have not read any comparative studies.
OP
OP
Redneck86
First On Race Day
Nah im not havein any coolin issue the radiator in the truck was replaced not long before i bought it. I just wanted that Flex-a-lite fan for *better* cooling and to free up some ponies and milage on the highway. I was lookin at makin my cooling even better after that with a summit alumium radiator. Ill post some pics and say how its doin once and if i ever take it that far before i sell it.
Billy Toppless
New member
Broncobill78
New member
Well no. A clutch fan generally just slows down & stops when this happens. A fan that is mechanicaly attached to the crankshaft (yes, even thru pulleys) has a tendancy to slap the living $hit out of everything in it's path. Drive down into the water w/a mechanically attached flex-fan and you can be SURE it will make a mess of everything under the hood. It's not an experience I'd recommend for everyone but for the adreneline guys out there, hey, go for it. The fan goes absolutely nuts, it slaps the living $hit out of the water, makes an ungodly noise and then the water shoots out from everythere. The grille, the sides of the hood, some of it even blows up across the windshield. You'll be temped to hit the wipers but the noise will be so unusual you probably won't touch anything for a moment or two. IF you *haven't* waterproofed the $hit out of your distributer the truck will just stall & die before you can do anything other than say "what the **** was that noise ? ". IF you *have* then it will continue to scare everyone by shooting water everywhere in an unnatural fashion. Chances are it will scare the **** out of anyone you're driving with & when they see the water exploding out of your truck they'll be concerned. If you're lucky nobody will panic & throw you a towstrap with a hook that breaks a sidewindow (pls remember that I said this would happen IF you were lucky. People throw things when they get anxious and glass is a fragile substance. Find the nervous guys BEFORE you head up the trail and try to get someone in *their* particular rig to keep an eye on them. Panicy people do really *strange* and unpredictable things. They can be real wildcards, life can be interesting in and of itself without scared people throwing $hit @ your truck. Keep an eye on these guys.)
Last edited by a moderator:
OP
OP
Redneck86
First On Race Day
Well as long it wont f*ck up the fan im cool. i dont really care if sh*t gets wet, **** im in a pretty damn deep water hole already if its touchin the fan 
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> How do i water proof the distributor though so it wont drown out?
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> How do i water proof the distributor though so it wont drown out?
Broncobill78
New member
I can't say it *won't* mess up the fan, depends on how deep the water is & how hard you hit it. The flex-fan blades are pretty tough though & I never broke one but that's not to say that it can't be done by a motivated/reckless individual.
As for waterproofing the dist. I ran a bead of silicone around the bottom of the cap & then filled each sparkplug boot (both ends) with dialectric grease. Be carefull sealing up the dizzy though, those things need to breathe.There's a small airhole in the top of most of them anyways, I just drilled mine out a little bigger & epoxied a piece of brake line in there. I had bent it into a "J" shape beforehand and just epoxied it into the hole so it looked like an upside-down "J". It worked pretty well until the water reached the leve of the distributer, but by then you're more concerned about the carb & hydrolocking the engine.
As for waterproofing the dist. I ran a bead of silicone around the bottom of the cap & then filled each sparkplug boot (both ends) with dialectric grease. Be carefull sealing up the dizzy though, those things need to breathe.There's a small airhole in the top of most of them anyways, I just drilled mine out a little bigger & epoxied a piece of brake line in there. I had bent it into a "J" shape beforehand and just epoxied it into the hole so it looked like an upside-down "J". It worked pretty well until the water reached the leve of the distributer, but by then you're more concerned about the carb & hydrolocking the engine.
