Over the years I have heard that an electrical fan has benefits over a stock mechanical fan. My daily driver is a '49 Chevy 1/2 ton w/ 235 6cyl, Fentons, one H-W, soon to be 2 deuces on a 50's Edelbrock dual intake. Still, I will only be around 150 horses, but that also means that an electrical fan could give me a couple horses with less stress on the water pump. Please assist me in preparing to debate a mechanical engineer (he's pro stock mechanical fan). Thanks to one and all.
I doubt that you'd really see the difference in horsepower. A mechanical fan doesn't go bad and not work just when you need it. If you insist on an electrical fan don't buy a cheap one.
You probably won't see any noticeable difference in H.P. gain with an electrical fan. What you will see is better cooling at slower road speeds where you need it. .....Bob
The fact that most new cars, including some of the most expensive and highest performing cars in the world, use electric fans should end the debate. Higher performance, better economy.........end of story.
at 150hp, you won't notice much either way,electrical fans are nice when they are wired and installed correctly,especially with an afterrun feature to cool the motor once its shut off.Prolongs the eninge life.
Indeed it does... Electric fans for new cars and mechanical one for old cars. THAT'S the end of story.
I thought the debate was with a mechanical engineer as to the efficiency of the two designs, not whether or not one is more traditional than the other. (That should be obvious.)
Heavy duty trucks used for towing and hauling use mechanical fans, even brand new ones... and they'd require the most efficient cooling of anything.
Yup, electric fans are more efficient, that's why you find them on new hondacars and not 60 year old pickups.
Unless you want an efficient 60 year old pickup! I'll propose a compromise; Fan on the water pump and an electric fan on the dobermann condenser.
Look around. Do you know where you are? I've no problem with efficiency and there are tradeoffs I have made on my coupe like the front disk brakes. A butt ugly electric fan isn't one of them.
Look, I 'm not typically in the business of getting in other people's way of thinking.........I don't care what anyone uses of THEIR car.......Technology evolves over time, cars can be made safer, faster and thermodynamically more efficient by using disc brakes, HEI, fuel injection, modern suspensions, fuel cells, aluminum radiators with electric fans and on and on and on. Again, do what ever you feel like doing, but don't rebuke people who want to do something different. I'm for what works.
I added an electrical fan to my Pontiac and it got hotter. So now im back at running a mechanical fan and I dont worry as much. Go figure.
That would probably change if the new designs weren't mostly sidewinder engines with the crank running east and west instead of north and south. They'd still be using the cheaper to produce mechanical fan if they could.
That's nice, but this board is about not doing all that stuff, and enjoying old cars/trucks "the way they used to be"
Probably right Tommy..............., BMW, Mercedes and my '65 Plymouth convertable have fans on the water pump and electric fans on the condenser........best of both worlds.........You can't see the electric fan on my Plymouth when the hood is down.........does that help?
Correct me if I'm wrong, (I'm sure you will) but I see plenty of "upgraded" rides on this board..........so I really can't understand the quote. By the way, I don't recall a single mechanical fan on the '60's era "Mercury" space missions. That's old school, baby. "The way it used to be."
You keep talking about putting the electric fan on the condenser. I'm guessing here but I'd bet his Chevy doesn't have a condenser.
If you have the room a stock mechanical fan with a clutch will move more air than 99% of electric fans out there. And use a fan like a 7 blade caddy not some tin flex fan. The clutch will keep it from fighting your engine at higher speeds.
I guess you don't understand what the HAMB is all about? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44274 might shed some light. We all know that you can make old cars more effcient...but you can also leave them inefficient, and enjoy the simplicity and aesthetics of how they used to be. Mechanical fans work just fine, they've always worked just fine, they get along well with generators, they look good, they sound "right", and they belong on traditional rods. Electric fans are ugly, noisy, require electrical system upgrades, and just look completely out of place on these cars.
You're putting all the "traditional" hop up stuff on a traditionally slow-ass engine in an old truck... If you really wanted to "GO" you'd be putting a '57 Olds with a J2 tripower in it like my Uncle did with his back in '58. If you want to feel a bit more power and get better mileage too, drive wuth the tailgate (airdam?) down, or off, but don't put an ugly-ass electric fan under the hood of an otherwise traditional setup.
I think a mechanical with a properly designed shroud and clutch will work better than an electric with less hassles(electrical system upgrade, relays, generator and what not). On a vehicle with an open engine compartment, the shroud just won't do, which opens a whole new can of worms. That is just one uneducated hillbilly hotrodder's opinion though.
Forget everthing I've posted here.........I'm gonna go pull all of that electric shit off my car. Thermodynamics is a funny subject. The first time you go through it, you don't understand it at all. The second time you go through it, you think you understand it, except for one or two small points. The third time you go through it, you know you don't understand it, but by that time you are so used to it, it doesn't bother you any more. I can't remember who said that.
My take is to only use an electrical fan if it is impossible to engineer a shroud and mechanical fan on your ride. The OEM's aren't doing anyone but themselves a favor with electric fans/controllers that fail shortly after the warranty runs out and cost $200-$300 dollars just for the unit and a couple hours labor to install. On the other hand I've never had to replace a steel fan...period. Charlie
My mechanical fan works fine...electric fans, from the folks I know that have used 'em, are nice for a supplement, in a 50's car, with a closed engine bay,AND mechanical fan, but...on a fenderless hot rod...not beautiful. My motor, in my coupe ( small Chevy, yeah, whatever...) won't go over 180 in the hottest of heat. The radiator is the right size, the motor is very healthy, more power than many "hot rods" on the street, and the mechanical fan is fine. Electric fans alone, don't cool as well as a good mechanical fan...oh, yeah...and lets not forget they're ugly.
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