Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Off Topic Posts Welcome. Personal Attacks, Profanity or Obcenity will not be Tolerated.
lavron
Site Admin
Posts: 4710
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 9:17 am
Location: Missouri, Ozarks
Contact:

Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by lavron »

I have been sitting watching Engine Masters, I had been debating what kind of fan to use, I think I know now :roll: well and the fact that I don't have a lot of choice in the limited space I will have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXdLgaFXZzs

See Ya,
Mike
Mike's build thread
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13058
Image

Comechero65
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Santa Clara, Ca

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Comechero65 »

From what I saw watching that video it looked like the 'plastic' as they called was the one that took the least hp though they never actually admitted to that. Or if they said i missed it. I got that from watching the power runs and power curves. Only thing that was better was the no fan run. Was really surprised the fixed blade all metal was the worst one. I wonder if my 5 blade fans results in about the same hp loss.
In doing some searching on line could not find a plastic fan, what i did find were nylon. And they look similar to what they called plastic.
And they are not that expensive. Makes me temped to give one a try. What does anyone else who watched the video think?
Watched another episode of that show where they did a port match on some heads and intake. They picked up almost 100 hp with those changes. That was pretty impressive what a little honing and grinding can do.
Ron
Image

popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by popscomet »

WE have found out on these race motors,,,plastic fans are the best,,,,someone told me or I read it ,that a metal fan like factory puts on ate 12hp.....just to spin it........pop
Image
pop/glenda

Comechero65
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Santa Clara, Ca

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Comechero65 »

If I remember right the all metal fan took something like 30 hp to run. man that's a big drop. Even the clutch fan was better.
Ron
Image

lavron
Site Admin
Posts: 4710
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 9:17 am
Location: Missouri, Ozarks
Contact:

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by lavron »

I think the clutch fan was best in the test, it took a lot of RPM to get the plastic fan to flatten out because it was so stiff so it only had an advantage in the upper end.

When you have an engine as small as mine I can't afford 30HP so an electric one will go in there, they said at the beginning that an electric uses maybe 1HP or less from the draw on the alternator, plus, I don't think I will have the space for a fan anyway.

It was interesting that the shroud made no difference but I would be inclined to think it makes a difference in how well the system cools or manufactures would not go to the expense to put them on.

They have some good info in their videos you have to ignore that most of the time they are the wrong brand :roll: Heck for me they are even the wrong configuration because the best Ford engine has 6 in a row :lol: :lol:

I watched the header, X & H pipe and muffler comparison videos as well, I think there is a lot they prove in actual testing instead of what people just think something should do or how it changes performance.

I do think I will do an X pipe on my car because sound is important and they said (subjectively) that it droned the least and sounded the best.

See Ya,
Mike
Mike's build thread
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13058
Image

User avatar
poboyjo65
Moderator
Posts: 7037
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:40 pm
Location: Camden, Tenn.

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by poboyjo65 »

I wish they would have did a run with the clutch fan hot. who cares what it does cold :roll: I'd guess its' numbers would be more closer to the others if it was hot. I wrote down the HP numbers;

no fan 349
cold clutch- 335
lo profile alum- 328
plastic- 325
steel- 318

steel/no shroud was 326. it made 8 more HP without the shroud. which make sense, it forces the fan to pull air thru the more constricted radiator. Makes me glad I made my shroud quick & easy to remove, if I ever go to the strip I'll take it off! :D

I think he meant to order a metal flexfan like I have when he got the lo pro alum one. but probably good that I dont know how much hp I'm losing with it. :lol: :lol:

I also wish they would do another test to see which one pulled the most CFM.

I have a nice electric fan but dont have room for it. the ones I have seen on comets/falcons are duel fans so the w pump snout can go between them & they are on much wider rads than stock. You gotta be careful when buying an electric one & pay attention to how much CFM they put out. the thin ones with no shroud generally dont pull many cubic feet per minute (cfm)
Image
Johno

lavron
Site Admin
Posts: 4710
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2003 9:17 am
Location: Missouri, Ozarks
Contact:

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by lavron »

poboyjo65 wrote:I think he meant to order a metal flexfan like I have when he got the lo pro alum one. but probably good that I dont know how much hp I'm losing with it.
Yes that is what he said, I was really surprised at how much drag they cause, I never really thought about it too much.

See Ya,
Mike
Mike's build thread
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13058
Image

User avatar
Groover
Posts: 1795
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2010 11:36 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Groover »

I found this video interesting as well. I also liked the "Headers and Hammers" video.

Can we assume that the HP gained/or lost is proportional to the engine displacement/HP?

That is to say that while this costs or saves 30 hp on a 350 chevy, it would cost or save proportionally less on a 260 SBF.

?
Image
1964 Comet Caliente Convertible
30,000 miles on our rebuild

All Comets start out as dreams...

Lip Ripper
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:47 am
Location: Lake Placid, Florida

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Lip Ripper »

So my antiquated Fomoco clutch fan is still king after 51 years.

While on this HP robbing thing. The Falcon will have electric fan power only and the under drive pulley set. I'd be curious to see that on a before and after pull. Ain't gonna happen though. Hell I may get this 5.0 roller up to 90HP before all is said and done.

Stacey
66 Cyclone GT; 245/60R15's on 15x8's and 215/70R15's on 15x7 Magnum's.
There's nothing like the sound of a pushrod V8 singing at the top of her lung's.

User avatar
poboyjo65
Moderator
Posts: 7037
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:40 pm
Location: Camden, Tenn.

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by poboyjo65 »

Lip Ripper wrote:So my antiquated Fomoco clutch fan is still king after 51 years.

Stacey
when it is cold it is king, but we dont know how it would do hot since they didn't test it hot. most of us dont have room for a clutch :( .
Image
Johno

Comechero65
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Santa Clara, Ca

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Comechero65 »

Well I was wrong on the plastic fan being the least hp loss though at the lower rpms around the peak torque speed it wasn't to bad. Just dropped off badly around the 5200 area. But since i never hit those high rpms it isnt as important. I could live with that.
I also wish they had tested the clutch fan with it hot which would be more realistic test. Had they done a hot test I feel it wouldn't have done much better than the fixed all metal factory type fan.
All their tests makes it look like the electric fans are the way go as the added electical load wasn't nearly as bad.
When they did the test with no shroud it's obvious the hp loss was less since the fan is pulling or recycling some of the underhood air so not all is coming through the rad hence a little less friction.

It's making me rethink what I'm running now and consider trying some other fan setup. Though I don't have the dyno setup for trying something else and as long as it causes no overheating condition may help to know what will still work.
Ron
Last edited by Comechero65 on Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Image

Lip Ripper
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 6:47 am
Location: Lake Placid, Florida

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Lip Ripper »

I really only notice my fan clutch engaging in town and namely when stopped. Reference there, the Cyclone. And really, unless you're a horsepower junky like myself, it really doesn't mean that much.
66 Cyclone GT; 245/60R15's on 15x8's and 215/70R15's on 15x7 Magnum's.
There's nothing like the sound of a pushrod V8 singing at the top of her lung's.

Comechero65
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Santa Clara, Ca

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Comechero65 »

Years ago I had a motorhome with a 454 with a clutch fan. Can't say I noticed any loss of power when the fan clutch was engaged but I always knew when it was by the sound. More so after I installed a heavy duty clutch on the fan. Always sounded like the trans was slipping which it wasn't.
Ron
Image

User avatar
poboyjo65
Moderator
Posts: 7037
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 9:40 pm
Location: Camden, Tenn.

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by poboyjo65 »

When I was building my shroud I ran across a place that built shrouds & they had made a fan dyno for testing. I have always heard that you need the fan half in & half out of the shroud. However! I noticed that all of the pics of the shrouds they built the fan was all of the way IN the shroud. Even though they never mention that, or at least I never read anything mentioned about it, not one of his pics had the fan sticking out ...at all. maybe it was his secret? but anyway I built mine like his :lol: here is the site;
http://www.mahaffeymotorsports.com/FanShrouds.htm
The way I see it, he has most likely tested & figured out they pull more cfm with the fan all the way in.

here are some of the ones he built,all have the fan all the way in the shroud;
http://www.mahaffeymotorsports.com/FanS ... tomers.htm
Last edited by poboyjo65 on Thu Aug 17, 2017 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
Johno

Comechero65
Posts: 1870
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:37 pm
Location: Santa Clara, Ca

Re: Interesting Test on Engine Fans

Post by Comechero65 »

I too have always heard the fan blade should be half in the shroud and half out but never seen any data to substantuate that. Just what everyone says. So I set mine up close to that. Don't have much room to do otherwise or get the fan further into the shroud. About all I could do would be to extend the shroud further out as the only choice. So far it works ok so don't know if it's worth the time experimenting any further.
Image

Post Reply