Engine Fan
05-22-06, 10:50 AM
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Engine Fan
what's up guyz, listen i have a 1992 sc400..it over heated last night, i took it into the shop this mouring an they told me my fan was not runing right.. an since is was a hydrolic fan, it wud be $$$ to get it fixed! now my question is can i just take that fan out an install a normal electric fan. or wud that not work? get back to me please thanks 
Last edited by ira1031; 05-22-06 at 10:51 AM. Reason: afdl'
05-22-06, 07:16 PM
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Actually people do not commonly do this on the SC400s. SC400s, as he said, use a hydraulic fan setup which puts almost zero load on the engine. Switching to electric fans will not get you any significant horsepower.
However, if they are going to charge you an arm and a leg to fix it... find a better place to go. Chances are the clutch in the fan just wore out. Not difficult to replace, and I think parts are like $100ish from the dealer.
If thats not worth it to you, the go with the electric setup. You will save a little bit of space by switching over, but I also think you will also have to recirculate the hydraulic fan fluid, or just pick up a water pump out of a gs/ls400.
Oh, for what its worth, I'm currently weighing my options too. My hydraulic fan clutch recently burnt up too. Haven't had any over heating problems, but then I don't get stuck in city traffic much either.
However, if they are going to charge you an arm and a leg to fix it... find a better place to go. Chances are the clutch in the fan just wore out. Not difficult to replace, and I think parts are like $100ish from the dealer.
If thats not worth it to you, the go with the electric setup. You will save a little bit of space by switching over, but I also think you will also have to recirculate the hydraulic fan fluid, or just pick up a water pump out of a gs/ls400.
Oh, for what its worth, I'm currently weighing my options too. My hydraulic fan clutch recently burnt up too. Haven't had any over heating problems, but then I don't get stuck in city traffic much either.
05-22-06, 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Mwmorph
Yes people do this all the time. They also pick up a nice hp lift(~maybe 10 hp or 15). One of the best extra power mods for the money. You just have to find the right size.
Scott
05-22-06, 08:57 PM
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Here is Jibbby!!!!! What's up fellas....Yeah I did the summit racing dual flex-a-fan and am happy with the results.... The hardest part of that swap is deleting the Hydralic fan pump and installing an idler pulley.......Actually it is nott that hard at all if you do what I did....
Required parts - dual fan, universal idler pulley, and 5/8 tap, 5/8 bolt, lock washer, thread lock...that is it...Pep boys has the pulley for $20...
If you want to see my swap details with pic's go to Lextreme.com and look under sc400 section, go search and look for Electric fan swap, or flex-a lite dual fan...You will see Jibby posts....There is three fan threads on that forum and the one I did I put step by step pictures....
If I were to do the swap today it would take me one maybe two hours top to complete.....When I originally did it I had no directions it took me a week after failing with a few ideas... Bottom line is remove the hydraulic pump face (6 bolts), hoses, stock fan...Unscrew the hydro fan cylinoid but keep the cylinoid plugged in to keep the ECU signals intact... Remove the radiator which has maybe six bolts then mount the electric fan with the 4 brackest provided and reinstall the radiator with the electric fan connected to it.....
The biggest problem is the hydralic pump deletion and it will need to be altered into an idler pulley...so what I did is use the top right threaded pump bolt hole which you will see when the face of the pump is removed...Grab a larger tap and tap that hole larger to house a larger bolt which will hold a universal idler and serp belt......Fit a new belt and wire up the electric fan and off you go...Hard to explain, but if you want you can pm me if your serious..... Good luck and I recommend the swap if you do it like I did...and you will notice some power gains....Like running with the a/c on and not....that is the difference...
I would post pictures but my computer fried and lost everything and it is too dark out to snap now....
Required parts - dual fan, universal idler pulley, and 5/8 tap, 5/8 bolt, lock washer, thread lock...that is it...Pep boys has the pulley for $20...
If you want to see my swap details with pic's go to Lextreme.com and look under sc400 section, go search and look for Electric fan swap, or flex-a lite dual fan...You will see Jibby posts....There is three fan threads on that forum and the one I did I put step by step pictures....
If I were to do the swap today it would take me one maybe two hours top to complete.....When I originally did it I had no directions it took me a week after failing with a few ideas... Bottom line is remove the hydraulic pump face (6 bolts), hoses, stock fan...Unscrew the hydro fan cylinoid but keep the cylinoid plugged in to keep the ECU signals intact... Remove the radiator which has maybe six bolts then mount the electric fan with the 4 brackest provided and reinstall the radiator with the electric fan connected to it.....
The biggest problem is the hydralic pump deletion and it will need to be altered into an idler pulley...so what I did is use the top right threaded pump bolt hole which you will see when the face of the pump is removed...Grab a larger tap and tap that hole larger to house a larger bolt which will hold a universal idler and serp belt......Fit a new belt and wire up the electric fan and off you go...Hard to explain, but if you want you can pm me if your serious..... Good luck and I recommend the swap if you do it like I did...and you will notice some power gains....Like running with the a/c on and not....that is the difference...
I would post pictures but my computer fried and lost everything and it is too dark out to snap now....
Last edited by jibbby; 05-23-06 at 01:36 PM.
05-23-06, 03:01 AM
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Originally Posted by millions
Actually people do not commonly do this on the SC400s. SC400s, as he said, use a hydraulic fan setup which puts almost zero load on the engine. Switching to electric fans will not get you any significant horsepower.
However, if they are going to charge you an arm and a leg to fix it... find a better place to go. Chances are the clutch in the fan just wore out. Not difficult to replace, and I think parts are like $100ish from the dealer.
If thats not worth it to you, the go with the electric setup. You will save a little bit of space by switching over, but I also think you will also have to recirculate the hydraulic fan fluid, or just pick up a water pump out of a gs/ls400.
Oh, for what its worth, I'm currently weighing my options too. My hydraulic fan clutch recently burnt up too. Haven't had any over heating problems, but then I don't get stuck in city traffic much either.
However, if they are going to charge you an arm and a leg to fix it... find a better place to go. Chances are the clutch in the fan just wore out. Not difficult to replace, and I think parts are like $100ish from the dealer.
If thats not worth it to you, the go with the electric setup. You will save a little bit of space by switching over, but I also think you will also have to recirculate the hydraulic fan fluid, or just pick up a water pump out of a gs/ls400.
Oh, for what its worth, I'm currently weighing my options too. My hydraulic fan clutch recently burnt up too. Haven't had any over heating problems, but then I don't get stuck in city traffic much either.
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05-23-06, 01:12 PM
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Millions is wrong as I am living proof of that...The hydrofan does have a big load to push the fluid to drive the stock fan at huracane force winds.... The fluid doesn't recirculate when the fans are swapped because you remove and delete the hydro pump, fliuds, oil cooler, lines, tank, etc.. I can tell you this that besides gaining some horses and freeing up room under the hood, you also reduce your front end car weight by approx 25 pounds or so...
The only drawback I can see to the electric fans is that they are more noiser then the stock fans, but still sounds cool...Not too bad at all.... What I did is install a cut off fan switch when racing which allows me to shut down the electric fans for a street race and then turn them back on after the race is over... Oh and the engine doesn't overheat even while running the nos after a race, the temp needle doesn't even move......In effect there is now no fan load at all on the engine..... I can also tell you this that when your reving that engine and the hydo pump is working hard like during a race it is taking away power from the engine, trust me.....
The electric fans are not as powerful as the stock fans but are more then adequate...I run at quarter temp always with the A/C on and on a hot day...No problems....Hope this helps, took me many moons to figure this setup out with the idler...those treads run deep to hold that new idler pulley in place...I am very pleased with the entire swap....
Oh and people do yourself a favor and don't try and convert the hydo-pump into an idler pulley, more trouble is what you will find....THis is the easiest and most effecient way in my opinion to perform this swap...
The only drawback I can see to the electric fans is that they are more noiser then the stock fans, but still sounds cool...Not too bad at all.... What I did is install a cut off fan switch when racing which allows me to shut down the electric fans for a street race and then turn them back on after the race is over... Oh and the engine doesn't overheat even while running the nos after a race, the temp needle doesn't even move......In effect there is now no fan load at all on the engine..... I can also tell you this that when your reving that engine and the hydo pump is working hard like during a race it is taking away power from the engine, trust me.....
The electric fans are not as powerful as the stock fans but are more then adequate...I run at quarter temp always with the A/C on and on a hot day...No problems....Hope this helps, took me many moons to figure this setup out with the idler...those treads run deep to hold that new idler pulley in place...I am very pleased with the entire swap....
Oh and people do yourself a favor and don't try and convert the hydo-pump into an idler pulley, more trouble is what you will find....THis is the easiest and most effecient way in my opinion to perform this swap...
Last edited by jibbby; 05-23-06 at 01:47 PM.
05-23-06, 01:57 PM
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This is a picture of my mounted nos control box and to the left of the nos box is my fan cut off switch, flick the switch up and that shuts off the fans, hit the left button on the control box and that turns the nos on , hit the gas hard and the rear wheels start spinning... 
Seriously - it does look pretty cool at night also, lots of lights on the box and that little fan switch has a red light...just another plus to ad.....I am always willing to help anyone and share info so feel free to Pm with any questions I don't mind.....see ya...
Seriously - it does look pretty cool at night also, lots of lights on the box and that little fan switch has a red light...just another plus to ad.....I am always willing to help anyone and share info so feel free to Pm with any questions I don't mind.....see ya...
05-24-06, 09:50 AM
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Originally Posted by jibbby
Millions is wrong as I am living proof of that...
You can take my recommendation with a grain of salt, but I am just relaying information I have seen on intellexual.net, planetsoarer and soarercentral that the hydro fan is very efficient.
With that said, one major plus I agree with is the weight reduction. 25lbs is pretty good.
05-24-06, 12:24 PM
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Millions - Don't need a dyno because I noticed the difference after I was done, just like when I changed out parts of my exhaust system........The before and after feel is all I need and besides I have no reason to lie...If it made no power I would say it made no power....It's not huge gains by any means but I would guess a 10hp difference at higher rpm's on average....
Yes the hydro fan is super effecient in blowing air and cooling the car, but the stock hydo fan does draw a good amount of juice from the engine running off that pulley and pressurising the fluid to power the fan.....There are vains inside the pump that rotate and build pressure to move the fan....Electric fans do the job just fine and even with nos, A/C on, and on a 100 degree day....The fans will be pressed to cooI but that temp gage needle won't move....Again I living proof of that..well maybe on a 90 degree day..... The electric fans pull power off the alternator and is a far less draw then when the stock hydro pump is working which is regularly when the car is running at operating temperature....
The hydro pump doesn't run all the time, so now you won't see gains if the hydro pump is idling in comparison to running electric fans...You will actually lose power in that case which is not often...A dyno may not provide proof of anything...I can tell you there is gains when the hydro pump is working which is most of the time and the electric fans are shut down..Like for a race...Maybe 10-15hp is my guess from the after mod pep feel.... I would bet there are still gains to be made when running the stock hydro fan incomparison to when the electric fans are running...My guess is 5-10hphp or so. Take all those facts into consideration and maybe you will understand what I am talking about........
Did planet soarer mention all that? I dought it....I gutted the pump,. completely understand how it functions, I know what I am talking about...That thing drove me crazy.....and in final millions I AM LIVING PROOF OF THAT!!!!!!
Yes the hydro fan is super effecient in blowing air and cooling the car, but the stock hydo fan does draw a good amount of juice from the engine running off that pulley and pressurising the fluid to power the fan.....There are vains inside the pump that rotate and build pressure to move the fan....Electric fans do the job just fine and even with nos, A/C on, and on a 100 degree day....The fans will be pressed to cooI but that temp gage needle won't move....Again I living proof of that..well maybe on a 90 degree day..... The electric fans pull power off the alternator and is a far less draw then when the stock hydro pump is working which is regularly when the car is running at operating temperature....
The hydro pump doesn't run all the time, so now you won't see gains if the hydro pump is idling in comparison to running electric fans...You will actually lose power in that case which is not often...A dyno may not provide proof of anything...I can tell you there is gains when the hydro pump is working which is most of the time and the electric fans are shut down..Like for a race...Maybe 10-15hp is my guess from the after mod pep feel.... I would bet there are still gains to be made when running the stock hydro fan incomparison to when the electric fans are running...My guess is 5-10hphp or so. Take all those facts into consideration and maybe you will understand what I am talking about........
Did planet soarer mention all that? I dought it....I gutted the pump,. completely understand how it functions, I know what I am talking about...That thing drove me crazy.....and in final millions I AM LIVING PROOF OF THAT!!!!!!
Last edited by jibbby; 05-24-06 at 12:28 PM.
05-24-06, 12:52 PM
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Now, when you took apart the pump, did you bother to fill it with fluid and measure how much torque was required to turn the pully? Without a dyno or timeslips you can say what you want all day long, you just can't say you have proof.
05-24-06, 02:04 PM
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EErrrrrrrrr - No millions I did not fill the pump up with fluid and measure the torque needed to drive the fan at full force..., Maybe, you should tell me from all your planet soarer and other website readings? If you honestly think that I am incorrect maybe you should provide the torque specifications needed to run the hydro pump at full blast yourself and then calculate the hp power needed from the engine to run it... I am not smart enough to figure out all that crap out.....Besides your asking not me so you find......
Anyway, I respect and understand your reasoning and where it might be coming from.. I read all that stuff too before I even did the fan swap...3 hp maybe, bla, bla bla,....Garbage I tell you!!!! Those websites don't paint the full picture or even explain where they derived the 3hp guess.. The hydro pump runs at different speeds constantly so at what speed was this 3hp gain measured and against what electric fan amp draw....Many factors to be considered......To further my claims, after taking apart the entire stock fan system and hydro pump myself and seeing and reading on how it functions and works to power the fan into motion. I got a very good idea of the foot pounds of ATP fluid pressure needed to operate and or push the fan into motion. Now if you are set on proving me wrong why don't you find the numbers needed to disprove my claims.... Good luck....
I did the mod you didn't........
Anyway, I respect and understand your reasoning and where it might be coming from.. I read all that stuff too before I even did the fan swap...3 hp maybe, bla, bla bla,....Garbage I tell you!!!! Those websites don't paint the full picture or even explain where they derived the 3hp guess.. The hydro pump runs at different speeds constantly so at what speed was this 3hp gain measured and against what electric fan amp draw....Many factors to be considered......To further my claims, after taking apart the entire stock fan system and hydro pump myself and seeing and reading on how it functions and works to power the fan into motion. I got a very good idea of the foot pounds of ATP fluid pressure needed to operate and or push the fan into motion. Now if you are set on proving me wrong why don't you find the numbers needed to disprove my claims.... Good luck....
I did the mod you didn't........