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86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS

flex fan worth it?

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Old May 26, 2007 | 02:05 PM
  #1  
91muddog's Avatar
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From: Santa Clara California
flex fan worth it?

the fan clutch on my 3.0 appears to be locked up. i was thinkiong about putting a flex fan on instead since the fan on it now is ugly as hell anyways.

would a flex fan help at all with anything to be woth the extra $$??
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Old May 26, 2007 | 02:42 PM
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Yes, and you can choose between metal, plastic, fiberglass in at least 3 levels of cooling. They are noisey so the lighter cooling level the better. But, they are reliable, much less expensive and take less power to move.

Go fer it......
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Old May 26, 2007 | 03:02 PM
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From: cookeville tn.
yeh LC Eng has them on sell right NOW !!!! I got one luv it
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Old May 26, 2007 | 04:30 PM
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From: Manahawkin NJ
Had 1. I liked it at first. It was an Aluminum Flex fan with a spacer. When you put on the A/C and step on the gas there is alot of lag. The fan is direct to the Waterpump pulley and that accompanied with the A/c drag kills my little 4cyl. Anyway to make a long story short, I will sell them both for 40.00 plus shipping if anyone needs one for a 2.7l . Or it might fit others engines as well.

Last edited by Shoretaco; May 26, 2007 at 04:43 PM.
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Old May 29, 2007 | 07:20 AM
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From: GRASS valley, CA
i run the LCE set up with billet spacer it is loud and i could'nt really tell if it made any more power
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Old May 29, 2007 | 07:28 AM
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From: Pineapple County
"flex" as in Flex-a-Lite? or something else... I've got a F-a-L on my truck and it pushes over 2800cfm (I believe the factory one was around 1700cfm) plus an electra-fan is kinda nice on a four-cylinder... again, if this isn't what you're talking about just disregard this post
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Old May 29, 2007 | 09:06 AM
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New fan clutches are stupidly expensive. I'd hit the junkyard with a tape measure, and you should be able to find either a cheap fan that will fit or another 'yota fan clutch assembly to swap in. Personally, I would try to find another stock fan setup and swap it in. Efans are overrated imo unless you are short on space or need extra airflow at idle. The hp difference is minute.
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Old May 29, 2007 | 10:15 AM
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amusement's Avatar
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Is it necessary to change alternators if you install an electric fan(s)? Seems that would draw more current.
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 01:02 PM
  #9  
Belize Off Road Team's Avatar
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From: Edmonton, Alberta
i too want to run a Flex-A-Lite fan on my 3.0 and just want to know how much some one has paid for it, and where can you get it in aluminum? i think the lighter the better? is it a butt load of work to change stock to FAL fans? do you get to choose between electric or not? or is it all electric from FAL?
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 01:25 PM
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From: Phx, AZ
I had a Flex-A-Lite installed on my 3.0. I didn't really see a power increase, but liked how it was pulling at full power even at idle. Good air flow for crawling.

That said, it was plenty loud. I found myself getting nervous relying on the electrical components, although I didn't really have a founding for this. It worked flawlessly and never let me down. I just kept thinking a physical fan is ultimately more reliable.

I took it out recently and returned to stock. I purchased a stock fan assembly from the local salvage for around $45. Seems to be working fine.

Now I have a Flex-A-Lite fan for sale that will work on a 3.0. I haven't set the price, but obviously will be much cheaper than new. Let me know if anyone is interested. Might be a way to try one out without the full financial commitment.

Oh, and the install is pretty easy. Just unbolt the 4 bolts that hold the stock fan assembly on, and attach the new E-fan to the back of the radiator.
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 02:26 PM
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From: GRASS valley, CA
the one from LCE is a mech one with out a clutch on there
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 02:34 PM
  #12  
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From: guam
i have an electric flex on mine (3.0) and it works like a charm..it's been on for over 8years and the rig has been down for 5 years....but as soon as i got the rig working the fan worked as if i just bought it
a little loud but who cares... i'm getting 2800cfm at idle..
i also have it hooked up so i could turn the fan on w/o running the motor.....i think that's a big advantage...not to mention it one less belt and less drag
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 02:39 PM
  #13  
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From: Santa Clara California
Originally Posted by norcalsvx
the one from LCE is a mech one with out a clutch on there
thats what i was talking about origionaly.

wow 4x4, diggin up an old post there eh?
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 07:02 PM
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From: Simi Valley, CA
clutchless

What is the difference between one with a fan and one without? And why is it louder?
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 08:18 PM
  #15  
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From: Phx, AZ
The noise is from the increased blade speed and air flow. The E-fan motor itself is not loud. You can't hear it when driving, but can make things like ordering at a drivethru or sometimes getting direction from spotters a bit more difficult to hear.

A separate on/off switch for the fan will cure this of course... all though I have forgot and left it off on occasion which has led to overheating.

Without a clutch, the fan is hard mounted to the engine.

I believe the Toyota clutch is actually supposed to be heat sensitive. When the motor is cool, the fan doesn't spin. When things heat up, the clutch engages and the fan spins.
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 08:25 PM
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From: Central NJ
Ford taurus fan, fits like a glove and insanely cheaper. Couldnt be easier to wire in unless you wanna have it come on with the temp. Me, I could care less and plan on wiring it right up to a switch in the cab and using a temp sensor/gauge or something to let me know.

Also a V6 rad and the E fan will work SOOOO much better, its highly worth it b/c it has more capacity to cool and combined with the fan it will work super well.
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 08:28 PM
  #17  
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My fan clutch went bad on my 22r, and I had hell replacing it. I tried a few junkyard ones and a few parts store replacements, and none worked the way I wanted. I ended up finding an internet vendor that sold me an aisin clutch new in a box for $50.. works great
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Old Jul 19, 2007 | 08:41 PM
  #18  
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JnJ
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From: Hesperia, CA
We had a Flex-a-lite electric fan. All but one blade broke off during our last run; caused the engine to over heat something fierce. It worked great until that day, though!
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