Plus, they definitely do not sound cool ... They sound like a small prop plane taking off :?1984-monte-carlo-ss said:
I am a fan of electric fans 8) They look so much cleaner :idea:
has anyone used a Flex Fan?
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I am a fan of electric fans 8) They look so much cleaner :idea:
flex fans are definietly old school.
I was running one for a while. Never had a problem with it. I also never sat in traffic or was doing slow speeds. Wasnt on a daily driver.
the stock set up is fine and cools good. puts extra weight on the car and on the water pump thats about it.
Electric fans do look killer.
I was running one for a while. Never had a problem with it. I also never sat in traffic or was doing slow speeds. Wasnt on a daily driver.
the stock set up is fine and cools good. puts extra weight on the car and on the water pump thats about it.
Electric fans do look killer.
“.... they flatten out while your cruisin and prevent the air from flowing through they also fly apart ....”
Not necessarily true. The factory (primarily Ford) used them for years with no problem. That being said there are a lot of aftermarket units out there that are junk with blades that are too rigid and will stress crack over the time and break, have very short blades, or not enough pitch that don’t move much air. A good OE/or OE replacement style 7 Blade flex fan well very well in a lot of applications especially if it’s coupled with a proper fan shroud. They are not suitable for every application however. One situation that comes to mind is towing.....pulling a long hill where the transmission shifts down and speeds drop is one. In that situation with the engine running faster due to being down shifted causes the blades to flatten moving less air and lower vehicle speed decreases the amount of air moving thru the radiator....defiantly a recipe for overheating.
As far as electric fans most people opt for the cheaper versions which really move less air than an OE setup. They also put an added strain on the charging system.
For moving the most air it’s still very hard to beat a stock 7-8 Blade fixed fan with a HD fan clutch and shroud.
You really need to look at what your cooling requirements are when you make a decision to alter the cooling system.
Not necessarily true. The factory (primarily Ford) used them for years with no problem. That being said there are a lot of aftermarket units out there that are junk with blades that are too rigid and will stress crack over the time and break, have very short blades, or not enough pitch that don’t move much air. A good OE/or OE replacement style 7 Blade flex fan well very well in a lot of applications especially if it’s coupled with a proper fan shroud. They are not suitable for every application however. One situation that comes to mind is towing.....pulling a long hill where the transmission shifts down and speeds drop is one. In that situation with the engine running faster due to being down shifted causes the blades to flatten moving less air and lower vehicle speed decreases the amount of air moving thru the radiator....defiantly a recipe for overheating.
As far as electric fans most people opt for the cheaper versions which really move less air than an OE setup. They also put an added strain on the charging system.
For moving the most air it’s still very hard to beat a stock 7-8 Blade fixed fan with a HD fan clutch and shroud.
You really need to look at what your cooling requirements are when you make a decision to alter the cooling system.
I have factory flex fans on all my G-bodys. I havent had any problems with them. A good place to look in the salvage yards is in the Chevrolet/GMC truck`s with V8`s.
Doug
Doug
I think they are a waste of time. They are a throwback to the old racing days when you wanted the fan to flex and to free up power at high rpm's, and at low rpm's it supposedly pulls enough air to keep from overheating. Another "race" item that found it's way onto street cars, with mixed results. I have several like new hanging in my garage. If you want one it's yours, free. Then if you don't like it, no big loss. I'm in Queens, right by the CIP.
Clutch fan or flex fan? The clutch can wear but thats easily checked by grabbing the blades and rocking it forward and backward. Or when the engine stops and the fan keeps on spinning longer that usual. The grease will also leak out and start leaving a trail. I personally like a "Good Flex Fan" pulls more air at idle. Just have to check it routinely for cracks but even OEM Plastic fans will crack too..
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