4.0L OHV & SOHC V6 Tech General discussion of 4.0L OHV and SOHC V6 Ford Ranger engines.

E-fan needed-point me in the right direction.

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Old 11-24-2007
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E-fan needed-point me in the right direction.

So after I replaced the belt and all idlers I found my noise was coming from the cooling fan. It even sqeeks when you spin it by hand! The time has come for it to come off.

Who has the best package deal for the money? Right now I'm looking at the Jones unit, but I know there are others. I want one that comes complete, everything that I need is there. Keep in mind I have an auto and I have heard of overheating from E-fans?

I have done some seaches but the more I read the more comfused I get. Please point me in the right direction. Any pics are great too. Thanks.
 
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Old 11-24-2007
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i like my setup....

i have a 3.8L Taurus efan (pulls roughly 4500 CFM) and a SPAL controller for it.....

i have never had any overheating problems with the fan, engine or tranny......i can see both temp gauges (Auto Meter aftermarket gauges on both) drop when the fan kicks on.......

i have about $150 in both the efan and the controller.......
 
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Old 11-25-2007
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I use flex-a-lite products usually. Here is what I've done at my cooling web page.
(VSC controller & the largest S-blade fan they sell)

Rich
 
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Old 11-25-2007
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From what I've read, the Taurus fan seems to be the best fan for our application, but there seems to be some controversy on the size controller needed. However, I know a few people that have smaller fans mounted in the stock shroud that are doing just fine. Regardless of the fan you choose, do yourself a favor and put on a tranny temp gauge. I had the Jusnes 16" e-fan mounted on the rad and it cooled the engine beautifully, but it could not keep the tranny cool at all. I eventually had to go back to the mechanical fan. A couple of guys I know have mounted their Jusnes' fans in the stock shrouds and sealed around them, and so far seem to be working well. I'm going to try this setup come spring (only because I already have the fan and controller), but if it doesn't work out then I'm definetly going with the Taurus fan.
 
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Old 11-26-2007
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Originally Posted by tekrsq
Regardless of the fan you choose, do yourself a favor and put on a tranny temp gauge. I had the Jusnes 16" e-fan mounted on the rad and it cooled the engine beautifully, but it could not keep the tranny cool at all.
Did you keep the stock mechanical shroud? If so that might be your problem. The only way the stock shroud will be effective w/a e-fan is if you put the fan in the hole and the fan needs to 100% fill it.

Leaving the shroud off & placing the e-fan over the tranny cooler is a solution for 95% of ranger guys. If you were pulling 4000+ lbs then I'd suggest adding a small fan to the cooler it'self.

Also and/or... if you put shroud on the cooler that duct air to the rad it will pull more air accross it when the fan is running. (I tried this with cardboard to prove it. It works)

(look at the bottom picture on the above linked web page)

Regards, Rich
 

Last edited by wydopnthrtl; 11-26-2007 at 10:24 AM.
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Old 11-26-2007
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the good thing about the Taurus efan is it is already in a shroud that covers 98% of the stock radiator......
 
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Old 11-26-2007
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Originally Posted by wydopnthrtl
Did you keep the stock mechanical shroud? If so that might be your problem. The only way the stock shroud will be effective w/a e-fan is if you put the fan in the hole and the fan needs to 100% fill it.

Leaving the shroud off & placing the e-fan over the tranny cooler is a solution for 95% of ranger guys. If you were pulling 4000+ lbs then I'd suggest adding a small fan to the cooler it'self.

Also and/or... if you put shroud on the cooler that duct air to the rad it will pull more air accross it when the fan is running. (I tried this with cardboard to prove it. It works)

(look at the bottom picture on the above linked web page)

Regards, Rich
I tried all of the above...including the small fan on the tranny cooler (which is still there, check out my car domain). I routinely pull 3500+lbs and even with the tranny cooler fan, the Jusnes fan could not keep the tranny cool. The only thing I haven't done is seal the Jusnes fan in the hole of the stock shroud, but I will try it come spring. Like I said, a couple of buddies have tried this, and it worked fairly well this past summer. But if I come across a Taurus or 18" Jeep e-fan in the mean time, that's going on, and I'm not waisting my time with the Jusnes anymore. I KNOW both of tose fans will get the job done.
 
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Old 11-27-2007
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Thanks all for the replies. Wish me luck.......
 
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Old 11-27-2007
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Originally Posted by tekrsq
I tried all of the above...including the small fan on the tranny cooler (which is still there, check out my car domain).

If you've left the tranny cooler fan in place? Then the amount of air flowing across it is really not much more than it was with the main e-fan. There is no ducting of the air between the cooler and the rad so I don't see any significant air flow across the tranny cooler?

I'm not doubting what you've seen/measured. I just don't see why it would cool better. Unless youe e-fan was not inline with the tranny cooler.. or maybe it just was not adequate to begin with?

btw, If you tow real heavy loads *a lot*? I'd just by-pass the radiator part of the circut. The rad actually **heats** the tranny fluid up to coolant temps. Then the tranny cooler cools it. (This is done for quicker warm ups in daily driver trucks.)

Rich
 
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Old 11-27-2007
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Originally Posted by jdpartsman99
Thanks all for the replies. Wish me luck.......
Well then. GOOD LUCK!
 
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Old 11-28-2007
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Originally Posted by wydopnthrtl
If you've left the tranny cooler fan in place? Then the amount of air flowing across it is really not much more than it was with the main e-fan. There is no ducting of the air between the cooler and the rad so I don't see any significant air flow across the tranny cooler?

I'm not doubting what you've seen/measured. I just don't see why it would cool better. Unless youe e-fan was not inline with the tranny cooler.. or maybe it just was not adequate to begin with?

btw, If you tow real heavy loads *a lot*? I'd just by-pass the radiator part of the circut. The rad actually **heats** the tranny fluid up to coolant temps. Then the tranny cooler cools it. (This is done for quicker warm ups in daily driver trucks.)

Rich
Got the t-shirt.

Without a ducting system for the e-fan (ie- the stock shroud), the e-fan only pulls air across a small section of the rad. I moved it around multiple places on the rad to find a "sweet spot". The best place for tranny temps was directly behind the tranny cooler (duh), but then truck cooling suffered. And yes, I bypassed the rad..which helped a lot, but still wasn't getting it where I wanted it. You would not believe the headaches I went through trying to get it to work.

Having said that though, I still think an e-fan on my truck is a viable option. I have seen what a few friends have done on their trucks, and read a few people's projects on here. Some of which I'll try come spring. I don't remember seeing it mentioned on here, but a guy on TRS put an 18" Jeep fan (from a V-8 Grand Cherokee, I think) in his stock shroud. It fit with almost no modding. He does a fair amount of pulling with his truck also, and hasn't had any problems in over 2 yrs. I REALLY want to do this fan, but when I have the money, I can't find a fan, and vice versa. lol.
 
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Old 11-28-2007
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Maybe your just pushing it hard enough that you need to step up to a 4core rad and two fans that will fit? That's probably what I'd investigate if in your "hot" shoes.

Rich
 
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Old 12-01-2007
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Ok, I'm off to a poor start. Went looking for a Taurus e-fan. I have not found one yet. I will try a few more places before giving up. A can get a "new" replacement aftermarket unit on E-Bay for $100.00 if I have to.

I also did alot of searches today. At first I was going to get the Jusnes kit. Now I'm scared not to due to tranny overheating issues. I could try it, not use the factory shroud and place fan closer to the tranny cooler. Thing is, I don't have a tranny temp. gauge so I wouldn't even know if it gets too hot? How much are they and are they hard to install?

I guess thats why I went looking for a Taurus fan. I really don't tow much, just my boat. It's small, less then 1000 lbs. total? I really like wydopnthrtl's set-up as well. Should I keep looking for a Taurus fan or try the Jusnes unit? Thanks.
 
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Old 12-01-2007
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The fan I used is $123
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

And the controller/kit is $96
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

I've heard nothing but good about spal stuff too.

Also, note that the fan I used is a "S-blade". The stright blade fans are usually cheaper.. but louder too. Mines very quiet. You can hear it.. but barely.

Rich
 
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Old 12-01-2007
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I would run wydopnthrtl's setup, I am running a efan currently and am tossed between what I should be using, Efan or Mechanical fan. I melted a fuse pulling the trailer last summer and it kinda scared me with overheating. I pegged both water gages in the truck. to find out about 20 min later i did it again, the fan motor had taken a crap and was pulling too many amps just to spin. it was a jusnes fan btw.


Any rate i bought a new efan and it cools perfectly fine, no issues with tranny or engine cooling. but i might go back to mechanical for other reasons.
 
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Old 12-01-2007
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i would go with the Taurus efan......it pulls A LOT more air then any aftermarket fan will and it has a shroud........

if you find the fan for the right price, you can put this kit together for $130....
 
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Old 12-01-2007
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If you can't find the Taurus fan, look for an 18" e-fan from a 2002+ Jeep Cherokee with the V-8. That fan pulls around 4500cfm (same as the Taurus fan) and can easily be mounted into your stock shroud where the current mechanical fan sits.
 
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