Topic: My fan is now.... electric.

[/dev/null]

Well, after seeing the write-ups about the Taurus fan, I thought 'Gee, that sounds like fun!'
Step one: Procure fan. Easy. Quick stop at the U-Pick-'Em yard and $15 later. One 2-speed Ford issue fan. (gee I hope it works)
Step two: Procure Electical. After stopping at Pep-Boys, Autozone, and some other featureless auto parts store, I was able to collect all the wire, connectors, and adjustable thermostat with built in relay. Rated at 10 amps... Ok, so I'm too lazy to go to E-Bay and order a 60amp relay, so I start looking around town. Enter... Fry's.
Step three: Procure relay. Fry's, for those of you who don't know, is kinda the Super Wal-Mart of electonics. They have it ALL. Even the stuff you don't need. So I find a 50amp Solid-State relay(Ooooooooo!!!). I think 'wow! nobody's done this!'. I buy the part.
Step four: The install. Take out old fan. Check. Take out Shroud of Doom™. Check. Test fit the new fan. Check. Build brackets for PS and radiator tanks. Um.... Made one for the PS tank. The overflow, is, well, kinda zippy-tied in right now. Hacked the snot outa the shroud, trying to make it into a bracket. Remember kids, measure TWICE, cut once.
Step five: Wiring. Easy. No, really. got the sucker all wired up e-z!
Step six: The test. I start the Jeep. It runs. I crank the thermostat down and the fan starts right up. I crank the thermostat back up... and the fan still runs. Uh-oh. I turn the Jeep off. The fan still runs. Hmmm. I unplug the ground lead on the fan. Stops. Repeat the last step. Same results.(Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein) It's now late. I want to sleep.
Step seven: Drive Around all Morning with no fan and find some sort of mechanical relay. You get the point. Strange part, is the engine never got any hotter than it usually does. With no fan. Did I mention the fan wasn't working?
Step eight: Install relay. Wow! this works great!!
So, that was my weekend. How's everyone else doing?  :D

Peter M

[SMC4WD]

   

Pics would make this the post of the week!!  (Like we have a post of the week)...  Hey, wouldn't my beautiful peacock make the post of the week??

Alright..  enough thread hiesting...   Awesome post...  Fry's is right here in Renton, and NAPA/Smucks is everywhere...  Where's this mechanical relay??

[/dev/null]

A mechanical relay is just a regular old relay. A electromagnet closes a switch, then opens when current is removed from the electromagnet.
The solid state relay has no moving parts, but also wouldn't open back up when the current was dropped. I put in a 30amp relay, but plan on ordering 2 60amp so I can have the high speed on when needed.
I really wish I was taking pics... :?

Peter M

[Guardian7]

Installing the 15" Universal Black Magic Flex-a-lite Fan was a great experience! Extremely fast and easy to bolt-on and wire. It does not mount to the core which eliminates possible vibration damage & keeps the temp at the set 195F under every condition. I highly recommend this E-Fan! and thier other direct Jeep Wrangler replacements models too. I have talked to other Jeep owners who had overheating problems using other e-fans which did not have shrouds or thermostats especially on the 6bangers so I am glad I decided to go with the Flex-a-lite. they are also easy to find on Ebay.
http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html/black-magic.html
http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/150-99981.pdf
http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html/jeep-wrangler.html



The Thermostat can be bought seperately, this pic is from an Ebay Ad.

[chardrc]

got any dimisions on that.. as far as how long it is from the front to back.. (part tuching radiator to the other sid of fan).. i know it doesnt mader in 4banger yj $tj's but my boss has a cj2a that likes to put fans throw radiator hoses so we are looking for a low profile electriv fan that will fit the small space left by the buick v6 he put in it...

[Guardian7]

All the dimensions can be found on the web links.

[chardrc]

ow.. duh i gues it helps if i read the post befor i ask questions

[black99tj]

I Have done the same conversion, exept I used two relays out of an older junk ranger I had sitting around. I did not use a thermostat. Like you said the engine really does not need a fan most of the time. I just used a 3 position switch, Low, Off, High. I honestly never use the fan unless I am in heavy traffic or wheeling. Normal Driving Keeps the engine at it's normal 205-210 temp. I then went ahead and put a 180 degree thermostat in just to increase the benefit of the fan. Have never had any problems.

[Reyn]

i dont think i have a pic after i installed my fan, but here is a pic of the fan after i moved the engine forward 2 inches. if that helps.

[Guardian7]

That looks super clean, looks like a flex-a-lite but I cant tell which model you have from the picture. Is it a 15" or 16" & what model is it?

[Reyn]

i went with the flex-a-lite 475 it had the relays built in and came with all of the wires and connectors. the only thing i did not like was that i had to grind some of the bracket away from the the thermostat knob (about the size of a quarter) i also mounted a cut off switch with another light that is very bright to let me know when its off, on the dash for water crossings or just to let it warm up faster. if  i can get outside later i will throw some more pictures up.

[Guardian7]

Damn nice, Flex-a-lite is the only way to go, who did you buy yours from? I agree the thermostat adjustment could be better positioned, I use a 15" black magic 150 universal which gives me more room on the sides but I plan on upgrading to 485 when the money allows. I checked out the Website which is nicely done but was trying to find some specs on your upgrades as I own a YJ myself and would like to know who makes some of the parts like the roll cage, bumper, rock bars, etc..

[Reyn]

i got mine from 4wheelparts wholesalers and as for the rest of my mods i PM'ed you.