95 and earlier metal to 96 and newer plastic cooling fan swap

1. 2015-07-25 at 1:12 AM UTC

   #1
   

   CountBlah Tuskegee Airman
   OK so a lot of people are like "ditch it and go electric fan" "the engine driven fan robs power" blah blah blah
   
   Here's why I did the swap
   
   1. I can't see spending 200 for a proper electric fan conversion
   
   2. Engine driven clutch fans work good and are dependable. (you just need the right fan)
   
   3 My AC outlet temps would go up to 60 at idle in traffic as well as the engine temp would creep over 210
   
   So what did I do to fix this shit without spending tons of coin on an electric fan you ask? Well I swapped in a 96 and newer 11 blade composite fan. This fan was a huge leap for these trucks. They were composite for less weight, Had less of a blade pitch to save on power loss and moved way more air than the old 7 blade metal fan
   
   Here's a pic of the old fan
   
   
   
   
   You'll notice the extreme blade pitch which made for a shit ton of noise and also made the engine work harder. Also note the rivets on the blades, these have been known to fatigue, break and send fan blaldes through hoods and radiators. Fun shit
   
   And now the new fan
   
   
   
   Less blade pitch, light weight, one piece with nothing to break
   
   The whole job took me around 30 minutes with a smoke break. I will admit the working room to bolt the clutch back on is a little tighter than the old fan but it wasnt a huge deal.
   
   
   So did it work?
   
   Sure as hell did
   
   1 At idle for over 20 minutes my air blew out at 40 degrees and my engine temp stayed at 185
   2.Immediate notice of better throttle response and easier engine reving
   3.MPG calcutaions are in progress but I conservatively expect 1-1.5 MPG more from what I saw today.
   
   I hope this helps someone with one of these trucks who just can't afford the electric fan swap. The new fan was only 35 from the parts store.
2. 2015-07-29 at 9:56 PM UTC

   #2
   

   AngryOnion Big Wig [the nightly self-effacing broadsheet]
   I remember the early to mid 70's GM metal fans could fly apart and could take your head off.
   I like the plastic ones better.
   As far as getting the A/C real cold on a hot day I always wanted to hook up a washer sprayer pump and nozzles so they spray on the condenser,You could just hit a switch a few times and cool everything down.
3. 2015-08-05 at 3:27 AM UTC

   #3
   

   CountBlah Tuskegee Airman

   I remember the early to mid 70's GM metal fans could fly apart and could take your head off.
   I like the plastic ones better.
   As far as getting the A/C real cold on a hot day I always wanted to hook up a washer sprayer pump and nozzles so they spray on the condenser,You could just hit a switch a few times and cool everything down.

   
   
   yep, I've seen fansseprate first hand, not pretty
   
   
   That idea is fucking genius man, you should patent it and make a kit.
4. 2020-11-28 at 5:35 AM UTC

   #4
   

   Ghost Black Hole
   look a cat