What does a fan spacer do?

The Fan Spacer takes up the area where the clutch used to be. This properly locates the new fan in the shroud. Without the spacer, the fan could hit other engine parts. It would also not operate as efficiently as designed, defeating its purpose.

How much clearance do you need for a fan shroud?

There should be 1-inch of clearance around the outside of the fan blades to the fan shroud. The last measurement you should check is the distance from the face of the fan to the radiator. There should be at least 1 inch of clearance between the two.

What is the big fan in front of the engine?

A fan clutch is a thermostatic engine cooling fan that can freewheel at low temperatures when cooling is not needed, allowing the engine to warm up faster, relieving unnecessary load on the engine. As temperatures increase, the clutch engages so that the fan is driven by engine power and moves air to cool the engine.

How does a flex fan work?

Flex fans use a stainless steel frame and blades of either plastic or steel riveted to the frame. By design, their blades flatten out at a preset RPM to reduce power-robbing drag on the engine. Drag is defined as the power necessary to turn the fan.

Does a fan shroud have to cover the entire radiator?

The shroud focuses the airflow through the radiator and across the engine. The shroud also acts like a funnel, pulling air through the entire radiator. Without a shroud, the fan only pulls a column of air equal to its surface area. This means the area of the radiator that is not covered by the fan is wasted.

Does a fan shroud help with cooling?

The fan-shroud assembly is an important component of the cooling system. While the fan is responsible for drawing in air, the fan shroud’s job is to ensure uniform air distribution to the radiator core. By assisting airflow in the engine compartment the fan shroud helps in dismissing excess heat from the engine.

Should car radiator fans push or pull?

Preference should be given to a “pull” vs. a “push” fan. Mounted on the engine side of the radiator, a pull fan does not interfere with airflow at highway speeds. All shrouded fans should be on the engine side of the radiator.

Whats better push or pull fans?

As seen in our performance tests, a push-pull configuration gives you better performance if you have a radiator with higher FPI, where a single fan can’t create enough pressure, or at least not at lower fan speeds. In any case, a push-pull configuration is a better choice, especially for radiators larger than 120mm.

How much horsepower does a radiator fan use?

In a normal pickup situation, even in high ambient temperatures, the electric fan system will only draw a maximum of about 5 horsepower from the engine. This significant savings improves fuel economy, and, in turn, reduces emissions while improving vehicle performance.

What temperature does a fan clutch engage?

about 170°F

At what temperatures do fan clutches engage? Answer: Most fan clutches engage at about 170°F air temperature (about 180-190°F engine temperature). They reduce the temperature about 20°F before disengaging.

Is it better to push or pull air through a radiator?

Both give an identical cooling performance. Push-pull gives you better performance than push or pull, but it costs more. If you can afford the extra fans, the push-pull configuration is worth it. But it’s typically better to spend the extra money on a larger or a thicker radiator.

Will an engine run hot without the thermostat installed?

Will Your Engine Overheat Without a Thermostat? – YouTube

Should the radiator fans push or pull air?

A Push configuration is more efficient in cooling when its blowing cool(er) air from outside the plenum through a radiator. A Push also makes your build louder. In Pull configuration the fan or fans are drawing an air stream out of the radiator.

Should fan be in front or behind radiator?

it will get hot and ideally it would be placed at the top of the system – where the fan is. intakes at front and rear will exhaust through the top radiator. heat rises naturally and this would take advantage of that.

How much airflow does a radiator need?

A radiator needs to have a solid and consistent stream of air passing through it on most occasions while the engine is in operation. The front opening, air intake is one key aspect to its performance. Ideally, the radiator needs to be squared up to the air.

Can you put fans on both sides of the radiator?

Using fans on both sides of the radiator is fine but if your radiator is cooling as well as it possibly can with fans on only one side, doubling your fan count is only going to cost more money and make the whole setup louder. Heat rises by convection. It’s a force of nature, but it’s a very weak force.

Do fans go in front or behind radiator?

there are no rules. if you had a massive air cooler instead of the rad, the top and rear fans would be ideal as exhaust. they would draw in air from the bottom get hot and exhaust in the rear/top.

How many CFM do I need to cool my engine?

As a general rule of thumb, follow these minimum cubic feet per minute (cfm) ratings when using an electric fan as the primary cooling source on a basic engine: 1,250 cfm for a 4-cylinder. 2,000 cfm for a 6-cylinder. 2,500 cfm for a 8-cylinder.

How much CFM do I need to cool a v8?

2,500 cfm
CFM Rating

Engine Size Minimum Fan CFM
4 cylinder 1,250 cfm
6 cylinder 2,000 cfm
Small 8 cylinder (under 302 c.i.d.) 2,500 cfm
Large 8 cylinder (302 c.i.d. +) 2,800 cfm +

What sensor turns on the radiator fan?

coolant temperature sensor
On most modern cars, the cooling fan is controlled by the Engine Control Unit (ECU) which gets a signal from the coolant temperature sensor. If it’s not working, the fan won’t turn on when it needs to, which means the engine might overheat.

What tells the cooling fan to come on?

Fan Trigger
The engine temperature should trigger the fan to turn on. It will also turn the fan off once the engine has cooled to under 200 degrees. You may have heard of a part called the radiator fan switch or temperature fan switch. This is linked to a thermostat and works much like your home’s HVAC system.

How do I increase the cooling capacity of my radiator?

Increase flow through the cooling system
The flow through the cooling system can be increased by installing a water pump impeller designed to increase the flow rate of the coolant.

Do thicker radiators cool better?

Thicker radiators cool better if they have enough air flow. Between a thick and thin radiator with low to moderate but equal air flow the thinner radiator will very likely perform better. A high fin count can make a cooling setup loud if the air flow is high enough.

Is 180 or 195 thermostat better?

To get close, long time hot rodder and magazine guy Ron Ceridono says sticking around 180 degrees is best for carbureted cars, while modern fuel injection systems like running at or even a little above 195 degrees.

Why is my car overheating but it has coolant in it?

However, if your car is overheating, but the coolant is full, it is probably not a leak. Instead, it may be that it’s having trouble circulating correctly. This can stem from several things, including a faulty water pump, a radiator blockage, a stuck thermostat, or a plugged heater core.