bbeast

Well, I installed my nice new Flex-A-Lite fan this past Friday and wow what a nice unit. I would recommend this mod to anyone that wants to do it. Noticable inprovement in throttle response and (in theory) improved fuel economy. Have no figures to back up the last part unfortunately.

Anyway, here's the deal. For those of you that are familiar with this install, I put the sensor in the lower radiator inlet (draining the radiator first) and used the supplied rubber sleeve for this modification. This piece is intended to mask the copper tube's existence and retain the integrity of the seal between the inlet and the radiator hose. Well, after I was finished putting everything together and buttoning everything down, the antifreeze was poured back in and.......(drip... drip.... drip) from the lower hose. Ugh! It seemed that I hadn't really tightened down on the hose clamp enough because I was worried about crimping the hollow copper tube - so I started to twist. Now it's at the point where there is still a drip but its very very slow. The fan seems to work fine but I'm really hesitant to keep sinching down on the clamp, so I was wondering if you all had any ideas. Has this happened to anyone before that has done this mod? How tight did you have the clamp to stop the hose from leaking? Is there anything I can do besides just draining the radiator again and redoing the copper wire installation? thanx for any ideas....

bbeast

In case anyone is wondering I used this write-up to help me with the install......
http://www.nsmfinance.com/toyota/flex.htm

seafarinman

Hello, was wondering about the temp sensor that you used. So it was the one that goes into the radiator hose? I used one of those sensors on my Datsun once. I used that Quicksteel epoxy putty to build up a "shim" around the copper sensor wire. The epoxy hardened like rock, and even though the car doesn't run anymore, it never leaked. However, I did install the sensor in the upper radiator hose on the car. On my Toyota, I have one of the temp sensors that inserts into the cooling vanes of the radiator. Good luck!:confused:

bbeast

Yeah, I was thinking of using some sort of silicone sealant to fill up any gaps, but I hesitate for obvious reasons. I don't really want to seal the hose to the inlet pipe, you know.

1Runner

bbeast.... let us know w/ a follow-up what you think of this mod. I've been thinking about this one for a while now.... no 1st hand exp. w/ it though.

trangk

BBeast:

I'll let you know how it goes for me this weekend. I ordered this unit from Summit (after originally ordering it from Jegs back in December and regretting I ever ordered anything from them ) and it should be here in time to install during the weekend.

Anything during the install I should look out for?

bbeast

Well, last nite I put aside my apprehensions and just tightened down on the clamp a bit more - about a turn or so. I placed a saucer under the rig to collect any leaking fluid so I could judge how bad my problem really was. So this morning I pulled the saucer (about 8-9 hours later) and viola!! - it was squeeky clean!! So, knock on wood, I hope that was all it needed and I'll have smooth sailin from here on. Now to answer your questions....

1Runner - I installed the electric fan only 4 days ago, but I'm already very impressed with the results. Right off the mark, I could tell that the truck felt more responsive and throttle response was much improved. The truck is also a bit quieter and much easier to start on these cold mornings. I will say when the engine heats up and the rig is standing still, you can definitely hear and feel the unit switch on but it's not loud by any means, just a kind of cool turbine-like sound. Also, an added benefit is that the Flex-a-Lite fan is very low profile and thus when installed it creates some added room in the engine bay. Unfortunately, I don't have any fuel economy results as of yet, but from what I've read and as common sense would seem to dictate, I believe that the mpg should improve by doing this mod as well.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this install. It was nice and easy and for about $200 from Summit Racing, it's a pretty good way to go for a nice boost in performance and better fuel economy (at least theoretically).

trangk - Installing the Flex-a-Lite was pretty easy, it's a very nice piece and fits well on our application. I would suggest using the write-up I posted above as a guide and then take it from there. Just understand that in the kit they dont give you all the nuts, bolts and washers that you'll need (I went with all stainless components instead of the crumby plastic ones that come in the box), so be sure that you buy enough hardware for the install. Other than that, it's pretty straight forward - the only problem I had is the one I outlined in my initial post on this thread. I'd just be sure, if you're gonna mount the temp sensor in the lower inlet tube, be very careful to have the copper pipe lined up in the groove of the rubber strip that they provide before you tape it all up and put everything back together - this is tough because the lower inlet tube is not an easy place to gain access to unless you have an extended reach. Also, when clamping it down, don't make the same mistake I did and not tighten the clamp enough. They post a warning to be careful of the copper tube beacause it is hollow and if you crimp it then the sensor won't register, which would be bad, but that tube is still pretty tough so make sure everything is nice and snug before you put the radiator fluid back in. Regardless, I'm sure you'll do fine. Let us know how it goes......

Brad

midiwall

Congrats Brad!! But, just to be sure, set up this experiment again and let the truck run for a while. Remember that there will be pressure on that hose with the engine running.

Thank you for all the info! This is something that's been on my list of things to do, and I've been waiting for details like you've done up before doing it myself.

bbeast

Good Point, mpulver. (Ugh, I thought I was out of the dog house!!) I'll set this up this evening and keep my fingers crossed. Good luck with your install, I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.