Radiator Fans - a new dilema

[JeeperChris]

So I have this massive 4-row aluminum radiator for my CJ5 with the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l I6. It's not installed yet but will be soon. (I like things cool and I'm looking to eventually move to Texas and do a lot of desert driving so I figured I'd get it now rather than need it later)

With my Jeep up on the hoist right now I finally looked at the stock radiator (the one with the leak) and the stock (I'm assuming) 4-blade fixed fan (no clutch) and there's not a lot of room in there as it is. I was hoping to put in a clutch fan (with more blades) and a couple pusher electrics on the outside as backups but that doesn't seem doable now. The new radiator would be right up against that fixed fan so now I'm thinking I might just have to go electric all the way.

I had been looking into the Ford dual fan conversion that a few guys here have done for the puller fans and may still put a couple on the outside, or maybe just one on the outside as a backup. I'm asking for thoughts, ideas, divine wisdom.... etc. What have you done, what would you do, what do you think?

 

[jay59l]

That’s a lot of fans! Are you going to put the pusher fans outside of the grill or between the radiator and grill? I don’t think there is a ton of room to slide one in between. Maybe a slim 14”.

Since you are running the stock engine I’m thinking a good system (stock or electric), maybe a high flow water pump, that new radiator, maybe a hood lovuver and you should be ok

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Get a shroud and keep the OEM fan set up.
The ele 'puller' fans use a lot of 'juice', and are noisy as heck.
I run the OEM setup where I live, with no issues.
You might want to look at a ele pusher fan you can mount to the inside of the grill, and set it to come on at 200*-210*.
Nice to have when rock crawling in the desert heat of summer.
LG

 

[RiverandSand]

I have a 2 row AL cross flow with a 16" Spal electric puller fan keeping the small block in mine cool without any problems. To many fans makes it way to complex, keep it simple _ (KISS), one fan and your 4 row. Which is big radiator for a stock six.

 

[JeeperChris]

The six won't be stock forever but it will always be a torquey little Jeep motor.

I did some more surfing and reading and I found where someone said they mounted their radiator to the front of the bracket, that put it closer to the grill. I like that idea and will be looking to see if I can do that to mine, that way I may be able to use a stock fan after all, or even put a clutch on it. Right now it's just the stock solid four blade fan with no shroud.

 

[RiverandSand]

Are you talking about moving it to outside of the core support? I not sure how you could get the filler neck to clear without cutting into the support.

 

[jay59l]

Are you talking about moving it to outside of the core support? I not sure how you could get the filler neck to clear without cutting into the support.

I think I read something long time ago where someone hogged out the grill to move the radiator. Sounds like a lot of cutting. I'd ventilate the inner fenders and hood first

 

[JeeperChris]

I have only read that a few people had moved their radiators to the outside of the support for a little extra clearance, I have not seen pics of it done. If any cutting of the support has to be done then it's not going to happen, I'm not cutting up my Jeep like that.

I was just at the shop looking things over again (it's still at my mechanics) and I have the fixed four blade fan with no spacer. I was really hoping to put a clutch in it but oh-well. I would like a another blade or two on there but it's probably not even needed with the 4-row. A shroud would be nice even though I don't think it came with one.

So, if the original four-blade fan fits with the new radiator I'll keep it like that, but if it's too close I'll have to look at pusher fans on the front.

Thanks for the replies gang.

 

[Oldguyinajeep]

Had some difficulties overheating. Put a six blade flex fan on it, which helped some, but still had a couple of episodes of overheating on really tough trails. I did not have a fan shroud, however, which would have helped some, I’m sure.

I found a double electric fan out of a cougar, 2002, I believe, for $20 at the salvage yard. Bought a fan controller from AutoZone, for around $60. Haven’t had any overheating problems since, and that’s been several years ago. I wired it up with the kill switch so that I can turn it off while going through deep water.

Noise and power demands have not been an issue for me.

 

[jay59l]

I think the contour and cougar fans are fairly similar. If I remember they pull over 3000 CFM which should be able to cool any V6 and mild V8s. And they come with a built in shroud

 

[JeeperChris]

Yes, I'm still looking at both the mechanical and electric options. It'll be a couple of weeks still until the new radiator goes in and I see just how much room I'm working with, and I want to install new motor mounts too, then I'll decide on the final outcome.

Something like a six-blade fan and a clutch would have been ideal.

The other thing I need to remember is that all this cooling is for a future use when I move to Texas. Up here in Michigan it would not overheat even if I left it stock. The motor will stay stock and I don't do any slow rock climbing. The most it will see up here is some slow trails to get me into nature so I can do some photography in the wild.