Forums/Z31P/z31-basics basic-modifications-basic-questions-aka-the-newbie-forum/Worth it to do E-fan mod
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300zxturboftw: (2009-07-22 13:15:09)
I'm debating back and forth whether its worth it to do the E-fan mod. I wouldn't see any real reason to do it unless some of you have definitely noticed some gains in throttle response and even a little HP, I realize it's not going to be much. Also I'm afraid if i get something like the flex-a-lite black magic xtreme 188 or 180 that its not going to be constantly cooling the engine like the clutch fan and will only come on through the set temperature. Any thoughts?
bronzemfp: (2009-07-22 13:40:16)
what does it matter if the fan isn't on constantly? thats why you run e-fans off a thermostat. they come on only when they need to. do you want them on at highway speeds when the airflow past the radiator is doing all the work? not really. even the clutch fan freewheels at lower temps when it's not needed.
as far as advantages, you might get a little better engine response/power, but probably not enough to notice. but it does clear up a TON of room in front of the motor when you remove the clutch fan and shroud.
300zxturboftw: (2009-07-22 14:07:10)
Ya I think the whole point of the e-fan for me was to fit space for an intercooler I suppose.
New 2 Z: (2009-07-22 14:18:31)
wow… just wow…
a e-fan doesn't add hp it doesn't add throttle response it cools your engine while your idle, these cars have a very small area for air to pass trough. These cars can overheat VERY easily. having a E-fan only helps with crawling and slow moment.
do you honestly think a e-fan is going to cool at speeds of 50mph+? at that speed theres more air going in then the e-fan can push/pull.
vagabond: (2009-07-22 14:44:52)
Yes, if you have the dough.
300zxturboftw: (2009-07-22 15:58:21)
1st when i was talking about hp i was more recognizing the throttle response and taking drag off the engine. I figured it wouldn't be necessary as much at higher speeds, and was only worried about stop and go which is why i was wondering if a fan blowing at a low speed would be better than on and off. but from your suggestions it seems to be fine with the on and off, so thats all I needed to know. Thanks
Guest: (2009-07-22 18:10:43)
I bought a $17.00 thermostat controller, and a $50.00 efan from advance. I haven't had any cooling problems, used the same setup on an 85 turbo and a 87 na2t. The na2t went a tad warm one day at the drive thru on a 100 degree day. I do not have a/c or as much power as some of the guys.
floridaZ: (2009-07-22 19:39:42)
Removing the clutch fan from the water pump may free up a few horses. Not enough for you to feel, though it might show up on a dyno. Reduced water pump wear is another possible plus, though I haven't seen anything telling me how much, if any, difference in life it makes. But the engine bay space… is most certainly worth it IMO.
hypcodiiihop: (2009-07-22 21:18:15)
holy jeebus does it make a difference. looks cleaner, no more fan clutches going out, tons more room for IC piping or whatever you may be doing to your Z, etc.
but in my opinion the number 1 reason next to space for an e-fan is you can setup a switch to use it for in between runs at the strip to cool off. :-)
CruiserZ31: (2009-07-23 04:22:35)
[quote]vagabond wrote:
I'm debating back and forth whether its worth it to do the E-fan mod.
Yes, if you have the dough.
If you have the dough? It's like a $40 mod! Well, it could be. If I were to do the e-fan mod I'd want the maxima alternator as well. Plus, I would want all my wiring to be secret squirrel and look stock. I'd say it's worth it just because it cleans up the engine bay soooo much.
300zxturboftw: (2009-07-23 15:50:44)
ordered the flexalite 180. it draws 18 amps when its on, so I doubt i'll need a new alternator as I dont have any stereo equipment or extra stuff in the car. Anyone have any problems with stock alternator drawing around 18 more amps?
Careless: (2009-07-25 21:49:09)
Thats not true. a "few" horses is a bit shyof what they really can hold back.
you can see very large (respectively) gains from removing your clutch fan from the accessory drive. Especially in the upper rpm ranges of certain engines. Infact, you might even see more gains than you would from a performance air filter kit.
A friend of mine with a camaro has seen pretty healthy gains in power at certain rpm. Only thing changed was suspension components and clutch fan to e-fan swap.
zachary.ard: (2009-07-28 03:12:58)
+1 for the free space.
-Strike-: (2009-07-28 11:57:58)
I haven't done it yet, but I will.. I took the fan and shroud off the other day to do something down there; and yay the room available with just the shroud out of the way.. I like - But, it's gotta go back in for now!
280Z Turbo: (2009-07-29 05:58:14)
The biggest thing for me was that my engine stopped making fan noise. I had a seized fan clutch.
Just be careful you don't go too big on the electric fan. I run a 16" Summit S-blade fan and an 84-85 N/A alternator and it really bogs down when I turn it on.
floridaZ: (2009-07-29 08:16:06)
[quote]Careless wrote:
Removing the clutch fan from the water pump may free up a few horses. Not enough for you to feel, though it might show up on a dyno. Reduced water pump wear is another possible plus, though I haven't seen anything telling me how much, if any, difference in life it makes. But the engine bay space… is most certainly worth it IMO.
Thats not true. a "few" horses is a bit shy
of what they really can hold back.
Well, what is your idea of how much power it would free up? I have yet to see anybody dyno a car just to see what difference an efan makes and probably never will. And until somebody actually does that, we will never really know.
lovemyfairlady: (2009-11-18 04:11:46)
Im also considering this mod. Ima pick one off the junk yard. Ive read alot of people use the taurus e fan. I have also read about people using maxima fans. I wana get the maxima fan because its two fans instead of just one. But stupid question for any one who could help. What year maxima has the fans i need?
StreetFighter: (2009-11-18 05:05:40)
A clutch fan will pull more CFM, but it does draw power. I don'tthink it is relevent, but on a 1500whp supra we picked up 56whp by doing electric fans. You WILL make a little more power on an electric fan.
I would do it to keep the car from sounding like a damn jeep.
Careless: (2009-11-18 06:04:12)
Glad you posted some numbers.
I was told by a friend of mine that he picked up 25-30 some odd hp on a 400 SBC.
I would happily assume (and test, if I really wanted to put a stupid clutch fan back on my engine) that my engine is making at least 10 more hp with the fan out of the way. Especially since the friggen thing was seized.
LOL @ Jeep. I have a friend with a 4.0 I6 that sounds like it's climbing the tallest mountain through one of it's caves when it's idling.
85z31t88: (2009-11-18 23:40:16)
I have a Jeep too and every 4.0 cherokee begins to heat up just sitting and idling. The engine driven fan doesnt pull enough at idle so the auxillary efan cycles on and off. I suppose the 12" tall radiator doesnt help things but you get my point.
I personally have a taurus 2 speed fan on mine and it never heats up enough to use high speed. I do however have it wired so that when I turn on my ac, it turns on high. There is also a temp probe that will set it on high if it gets too hot as well. Works great and opened up tons of space.
BLOZ UP: (2009-11-19 00:55:22)
Truth. I hate that sound. I much like to hear the engine, not the cooling system.
The most important things for me were a) the room, and b) the sound.
ZED X: (2009-11-19 09:15:00)
I too would be interested which year maxima fans people are using?
I'm interested in the mod simply to allow more room in the front of the engine bay.
I live in aus and its summer over here at the moment and my clutch fan is engaging quite regurlaly. The sound is also quite annoying.
zachary.ard: (2009-11-19 13:36:01)
I think you need the 89-94 model Maxima fans. Please someone correct me if I am wrong?
CruiserZ31: (2009-11-19 15:08:33)
that's right.
Rick88ss: (2009-11-19 15:13:02)
How do you have it wired up? What size relays and fuses?
I'm gonna be changing my radiator setup when I get my Z running. I guess I can set it to run on low all the time and switch to high when I turn on the AC and/or the temp goes over 180 like yours. My Microtech ecu has a trigger wire that you can hook up to the fan relay that turns it on at whatever temperature I set it to. I can use that for the high speed I guess. So there's no need for a thermo temp switch. How do I need to wire it up so the fan doesn't get power to the low and high speed at the same time?
85z31t88: (2009-11-20 00:37:09)
All the information you seek will be in here:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14762&hilit=+fan
8)
michaelp: (2009-11-20 02:06:09)
My 4th gen Maxima (95-99) looked like it had fans that would work, but i didn't try so its all on you :P
gardner86zx: (2009-11-20 06:37:52)
i used some from a 97 maxima. They fit with a little trimming
ZED X: (2009-11-21 05:39:46)
Cheers guys!
I might head down to my local wreckers tomorrow and take a look [archived image: smile.png]
If memory serves theres an 89 and a 95 maxima there though i cant remember if the fans are still remaining on the wrecks. If they dont cost too much and are both there might just grab both.
BenRR: (2009-11-22 04:05:40)
I used a dual fan from a 1997 Camry i had works great on my custom core.