Flex Fan Install
- Thread starter Tynan918
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Tynan, what is it about a flex fan that makes you want another one so much? Years ago I put one on a Cutlass with a 350 in it. Back then, flex fans were a fairly new concept and every speed shop in my area sold them. It accomplished three things. Created a lot of wind noise, reduced my fuel mileage and robbed horsepower. Most new cars have electric fans (not flex fans) for a reason…. The technology is superior. Have you considered getting some fans from the junkyard and wiring them in? There are several write ups on how to do this and we can help walk you through the process.
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I just want to thank you all for your contributions to this thread, I have not laughed this hard in a long time.
I know you’re dead set on the flex fan, but here’s some information for you. You can’t beat a good clutch fan, unless you step up to electric.
waterpumpu.com
Flex Fans Versus Clutch Fans - Their Pros and Cons
Engine cooling fans are necessary to draw air through the radiator while the vehicle is moving at a slow speed or when at an idle. When the vehicle is moving at sufficient speed, air is being forced through the radiator at greater cubic feet per minute (CFM) than the fan is capable of, making...
waterpumpu.com
7 pages in a day.
Why is everyone trying to talk Tynan out of a flex fan? Because they are a gimmick. At their inception it was deemed they were less of a drag on HP, they are lighter, and they offer more cooling (air flow) at low rpms than they do at high rpms because less air flow is needed from the fan for 10 second blasts at WOT/high rpm's. That is all pretty much marketing BS. The proven facts is that they will identify any type of cooling system issue. Meaning if your cooling system is marginally keeping your engine cool, then the addition of a flex fan will put it over the edge and you'll have overheating issues. And most importantly, they are dangerous. Personally, I couldn't live with myself if one of these blades came off and hurt someone - forget about damage to the car because that can always be fixed.
Other than that, measure your shaft from the water pump pulley surface to your current fan blade mounting surface. I'll go out on a limb and say that any spacer from 1.5-3" will work.
p.s. I asked him to measure his shaft. And I think if he put all of these threads together, then this could give the flat cam BBC thread a run for it's money on the 100+ page length in to general discussion area.
Why is everyone trying to talk Tynan out of a flex fan? Because they are a gimmick. At their inception it was deemed they were less of a drag on HP, they are lighter, and they offer more cooling (air flow) at low rpms than they do at high rpms because less air flow is needed from the fan for 10 second blasts at WOT/high rpm's. That is all pretty much marketing BS. The proven facts is that they will identify any type of cooling system issue. Meaning if your cooling system is marginally keeping your engine cool, then the addition of a flex fan will put it over the edge and you'll have overheating issues. And most importantly, they are dangerous. Personally, I couldn't live with myself if one of these blades came off and hurt someone - forget about damage to the car because that can always be fixed.
Other than that, measure your shaft from the water pump pulley surface to your current fan blade mounting surface. I'll go out on a limb and say that any spacer from 1.5-3" will work.
p.s. I asked him to measure his shaft. And I think if he put all of these threads together, then this could give the flat cam BBC thread a run for it's money on the 100+ page length in to general discussion area.
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I don't know,that thread provided a lot of popcorn for this kid.
Of course he went in with the most confrontive attitude possible. The factory GM 4 blade fixed fan cools very well if he was dead set on no clutch or electric fan.
Well, I learned something here, at least... the flex fan on my Monte will be replaced here soon. I wasn't aware they're prone to exploding, and I don't know how old it is, but I do know it's got at least 60k miles on it. I'll be putting a clutch and fixed blade fan on it, I think.
Cool, that's what I bought...👍🏾
I also found a new wide paddle blade stainless steel reverse rotation flex lite fan.
It's 18.5" instead of the 18". Figured the shroud is 21" so it's enough room.
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