Radiator Fan

[N2mesnob]

So I'm looking to replace the radiator fan in my 95 Pathy for an electric one. So I was thinking bout pulling one out of a 89-94 Maxi. I went to the salvage yard to pull one not realizing it was not as simple as i thought it was going to be so now my question is should i jus get an aftermarket one or continue with the transplant? If i continue with the transplant any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Infinitiguy19]

Why do you want an electric fan when after all there is little difference between them concerning performance gains. Sure there is far more control as to when the fan works but if you get a problem with the wiring then you will have cooling problems. Only thing that goes wrong with the clutch or viscous fan is the plastic fan cracks. But that takes time to happen and if you open the hood and check it once in a blue moon you can replace it before damage occurs. Then again the same thing can happen with a plastic electric fan but takes much more time for it to happen.

[N2mesnob]

I have what I call idle hand syndrome I'm always looking for the next project. The performance gain will be small and lost back when i put on the bigger alternator. Having said that the goal of this project is not for performance gain but more so to get rid of the current bulky fan shroud giving the engine bay a cleaner look and providing more room for easier access and or future upgrades.

[maikan]

For off-road use electric fan are a great improvement.
You can turn it off when you are crossing seas.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

I think an electric fan conversion is a great idea, I've been researching it and whatnot so I can do the conversion to my Pathy. An electric fan has LOTS of benefits over the mechanical clutch fan, the most obvious being the power gain. The Pathfinders fan clutch is extremely inefficient and it leaves a lot to be desired. The only thing that the mechanical fan has over an electric fan is CFM's. Since the mechanical fan turns at the same speed as the crankshaft (at 100% duty cycle) it can pull a LOT of air while sacrificing fuel mileage. However, when you think about it, when the engine is turning at 5000-6000 RPM's you are most likely on the highway which means the fan is never at 100% duty cycle, which means the fan will almost never turn at the full crankshaft speed. So in reality, the mechanical fan really shines when hauling, off-roading or if you live in a very hilly area where you spend most of your time in 1st and 2nd gear. This is the reason most SUV's and trucks have mechanical fans and sedans and coupes will have electric fans, SUV's need sufficient cooling in lower gears at higher RPM's.

Now if that doesn't apply to you, then an electric fan could be a beneficial upgrade. Picking an electric fan is tricky because you really have to pick one that works best for your vehicle. Using a fan off of another car really only works if the engine on the donor vehicle is larger. For example, if you were to remove the electric fan from a ford focus and place it on a Pathfinder then it won't work, the Pathfinder will always overheat. You need a fan that will pull enough air that it will be effective in cooling in all scenarios. When looking at fans, you really need to rate each fan by two specs, the fan size and the CFM's. Obviously you need to choose a fan that will cover most of the finned area of the radiator; the less fins cooled by the fan will mean the higher the coolant temperature. Your best bet is to find two smaller fans instead of one large fan. The next spec is CFM's, this is crucial because this will determine the cooling ability of the fans. The higher the CFM's the better the cooling ability of the fan. The fan RPM is really a meaningless number, it doesn't matter how fast the fan turns if the CFM's are low. For example, if you have a fan that turns 4000 RPM's but it only pulls 1500 CFM's then that fast turning fan will not cool well at all, your vehicle will overheat. Of course, if you were to buy a fan that was rated at 2800 CFM's at only 3000 RPM's then it will provide excellent cooling and probably more cooling then necessary, which is never a bad thing.

Now if you were to find a fan that pulled more air than the stock fan then you have the best of both worlds. You have excellent cooling abilities in all gears and at all speeds as well as excellent cooling during city/highway driving. Also, like maikan said, if you off-road a lot then this will give you the ability to switch the fans off if you're in deep water.

Check out my thread, it kinda talks about electric fans and why they are so beneficial. I also just found a new fan that will probably blow the stock mechanical fan out of the water (if two are used).

Right now I can't find my thread on the Electric Fan Conversion since search and the 'View Your Posts' link is down. I'll see if I can find it later and post it up here.

[N2mesnob]

Thanks Pwnin O'Bien great info can't wait to read your other thread. I originally chose the 89-94 Maxi rad fan for the cost and they shared the same engine as my Pathy but after reading what you had to say i think I will be best served with an aftermarket fan.

[Pwnin O'Brien]

Ok, found the thread. It's not extremely informative, but it covers a lot of information on the electric fan conversion.

electric-fan-conversion-t455221.html

[N2mesnob]

So do i also remove the fan pulley or jus the fan and the fan coupling ?

[Pwnin O'Brien]

You just remove the fan and clutch; the pulley will become an idler pulley.

[maikan]

Great information in you post O'Brien,

Was thinking about electric fan, but as I am mostly OUTSIDE the water and needing
cooling mostly at lower speed...I will look a little more in this

Thanks.

[maikan]

Is this posible or suitable to replace the stock fan by a similar fan who is electricly powered ?
Gives you the same cooling power as original but also the ability to turn it off for offroad ??