I don't remember how many cfms the BM pulls but that sure sounds
stronger. If you need a good strong relay, try a Ford Mustang starter
relay, the old kind. They are cheap and they work. I also have Hella
500 lights on my brush guard, four of them...they do light up the
night and yes, I am growing more blind now so I need the light at
night on those Kentucky backroads.
Rascal
On Wed, May 27, 2009 at 4:02 PM, Matt Beazer <teseract@moparhowto.com> wrote:
>
>
> I've learned a few things about the Taurus fan:
>
> 1.) Use the one from the 90-95 ** 3.8L V6 ** Taurus or Lincoln Mark
> VIII with the 5.0L V8. These are 2 speed fans with 3 wires. The
> 3.0L, single speed 2 wire ones aren't as strong.
>
> 2.) Supposedly this sucker pulls ~40 amps running on high and has
> spikes up to 130 amps for less than a second when starting. You need
> a good alternator if you're going to run it on "high". Which is why I
> was happy to find I have the 120amp alt instead of the 90, especially
> with the draw the Hella 500's I have will put on it.
>
> 3.) Because of the amp draw, you need a relay that can handle it - the
> typical 30-40 amp relay won't cut it, plus an inline fuse/breaker/fuse
> link to match for safety. Most people are using a 75 amp Bosh relay.
> Anything less people have problems with relays/wires melting... eek.
>
> 4.) Supposedly it pulls 2500cfm on low and 4500cfm on high. Either
> way everyone agrees it pulls more than the black magic fan even on low
> speed, and has less problems with burning out (which seems to be a
> problem on the newer BM fans). Here's a (Non-Dodge) thread here
> showing temp results from testing between the BM fan and the Taurus:
>
> http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=73400
>
> 5.) Rockauto last I looked has these on sale brand new for "wholesaler
> closeout" for $42, which is much much less than the overpriced Black
> magic fans.
>
> 6.) The mounting depth is 4.6-5" deep including shroud. So it's not a
> slimline fan at all. If you trimmed the shroud I bet it would be 1/2"
> or so shallower, but you'd lose some efficiency of airflow. The '97+
> guys tend to have 1/2" of clearance to the water pump fan threads.
> We'll see what happens when I try it in my '95.
>
> I've ordered a variable speed fan controller with a 40/50 amp relay,
> but that won't cut it, so I'll have to use the fan controller to
> trigger a 75 amp relay. The nice thing about this one is that it has
> an A/C switch so I can make it kick on whenever the A/C is on. I
> think I'll put a 75 amp automotive breaker on it too so I can reset it
> easily instead of trying to replace a fuse link or find a 75 amp fuse
> locally. The relay runs $20-30 and the breaker is $30, so the cost of
> the wiring is way more than the fan itself.
>
> I have no idea how well it will fit on the radiator in the 1st/2nd gen
> Dakotas yet -- all the writeups I've seen are on 97+ models. I'll
> take some pics and let everyone know when I finally mount it when I
> get the $$$ to order the rest of the parts -- my wife and father in
> law broke my Minivan so I've got $$$ going out on that. :(
>
> I'm a little concerned about overflow bottle mounting, I might just
> put the stock shroud back on.
>
> Supposedly benefits are getting 1-2mpg better fuel economy, less load
> on the water pump bearings and the serpentine belt, colder A/C (if you
> wire it so it kicks on when the AC is on), especially when sitting in
> traffic, and the engine revs nicer. I bet on a 5 speed this would be
> like lightening the flywheel since you're taking so much weight off
> the rotational load the crank. Also no Cessna-style roar when you
> first start the truck when the clutch locks up, and a smoother idle.
>
> Some also say +10hp, but I can only see this happening when the engine
> is hot enough for the clutch to engage, and I don't know how much more
> power the alternator sucks with an extra 40 amp load.
>
> Some useful info is in the below article from F*rd Muscle (I know... I
> know...) for some pics/info and part numbers for the Bosh relay:
>
> http://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2003/02/electricfan/index.php
>
> I think the only reason we have mechanical fans is because a fan with
> a viscous clutch is cheaper than a fan, wiring, and a bunch of relays.
> Saving a couple bucks a car is a dream for beancounters, who usually
> drool over saving 15 cents a car.
>
> I guess we should just be happy that Ford liked to design cars in the
> late '80s and early '90s that had next to no front end airflow. ;)
>
>
> MattB
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, 27 May 2009 08:55:08 -0400, radon220@gmail.com (Don Rey)
> wrote:
>
> >
> >Matt,
> >Can you keep us updated on how that Taurus fan installs and works? I
> >have a pair of crappy pusher fans that are not doing the job... if I
> >move the radiator forward I might have enough room for a puller fan.
> >I'm gathering options right now.
> >
> >Oh, and when you get it, would you mind giving me a "thickness"
> >dimension? I have very little room to play with on my Gen1. In
> >comparison, your Gen2 nose gives you all the room in the world!
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Don in CT
> >89 Dak Vert 318 NV3500 4x4
> >74 Dart Sport 340
> >98 JeepGC
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Jun 01 2009 - 00:37:01 EDT