Witch is more ideal for street use??? Flex fan or a clutched fan?

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Depends, was it Samantha or Endora??

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Depends, was it Samantha or Endora??

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Come again???

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Depends, was it Samantha or Endora??

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For the 2 point bonus: Who did Sam call when she was sick?

To the OP. Flex fans are lighter and cheaper but noisier.

For the 2 point bonus: Who did Sam call when she was sick?

To the OP. Flex fans are lighter and cheaper but noisier.

Im not worried about noise, but iv been told they make warm-up take longer.. Is that true?

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Dr Bombbay!!

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LOL. Emergency, emergency, come right away.

Im not worried about noise, but iv been told they make warm-up take longer.. Is that true?
Your thermostat will determine warm up time, not the fan.

Your thermostat will determine warm up time, not the fan.

Than wtf is the point of having a clutched type! lol If there is no downfall of a flex other than noise, Im chucking the clutched fan! Let me know the reason for a clutched fan cuz I don't know!

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Less drag at high RPM is what I was always told.
We used to chuck them because they were more expensive when they broke.

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At a certain speed you don't need a fan sucking the air in cause there's enough getting driven in. Clutch fan slips at a certain speed and just rotates slow when it reaches a certain temp. Advantage---> HP
A non clutch fan spins all the time and needs HP to turn. Chuck that flex fan.
The good flex fans will bend flat at high rpm so it slices through the air to save some HP.

At a certain speed you don't need a fan sucking the air in cause there's enough getting driven in. Clutch fan slips at a certain speed and just rotates slow when it reaches a certain temp. Advantage---> HP
A non clutch fan spins all the time and needs HP to turn. Chuck that flex fan.
The good flex fans will bend flat at high rpm so it slices through the air to save some HP.

The flex fan I got seems to be very pliable. It seems it would flatten out at high rpms... Should I still run it or keep the clutched style?

Keep them both and see which ones cools the rad better when the hot summer days hit. I bet the flex fan will cool better.
Flex fans should be able to flex by the moving air. So it shouldn't be hard. I myself always like the engineering behind the clutch fan.

I myself always like the engineering behind the clutch fan.
Clutch fan has a temp activated clutch. When the air coming through the rad is hot enough (sitting at a light) the clutch 'engages' and fan is under power. When the air is cooler (driving down hwy) its 'disengaged' so its not wasting power. Superior design.

better yet....toss them both and put on an electric fan :) :) :)

^ as long as your alternator can handle the 2 fans, stereo etc.

Surprised no one said anything about the flex fan coming apart. I've had one come apart on me and I've heard from other people who races having problem with them coming apart and denting the hood, taking the radiator out and leaving you stranded until you take the fan off to get home.

For street use I would stick with the clutch fan if it's working properly and the blades are on the center tight. After that I would go electric fans.

the fan clutch with the bi-metalic coil winding in front are for a/c equipped cars. they are temp sensitive. the ones with no bimetalic coil on front are rpm sensitive. hope it helps.
andy

I tried a cheap flex fan for a while. Like Marv says, only a rich person can really afford to buy the cheap stuff... I now run the thermo type clutch fan.

Surprised no one said anything about the flex fan coming apart. I've had one come apart on me and I've heard from other people who races having problem with them coming apart and denting the hood, taking the radiator out and leaving you stranded until you take the fan off to get home.

For street use I would stick with the clutch fan if it's working properly and the blades are on the center tight. After that I would go electric fans.

Clutch fans can come apart too. Well, the blades can. I still prefer the clutch over flex.

If the car companies could have gotten away with using a Flex fan vs a Clutch fan, Wouldn't they have done so?
A $5 flex fan vs $50 tied up in a clutch fan x 10,000,000 vehicles a year......


Its also been proven time and time again,,, Clutch fans SUCK a lot more air than a flex fan. And a good sucking is what is needed to cool your Hotrod. The clutch fan also uses less power as the engine RPM rises the fan slips as the car is moving forward, thus the fan is not needed as much.

the fan clutch with the bi-metalic coil winding in front are for a/c equipped cars. they are temp sensitive. the ones with no bimetalic coil on front are rpm sensitive. hope it helps.
andy

Both my 70 Z28 and 77 Z28 that I ordered A/C with has the coil.

Who makes a good clutch fan set up?

^ as long as your alternator can handle the 2 fans, stereo etc.

im running a 70 amp alternator with 2 electric fans, electric water pump, electric fuel pump....a nothing special stereo and have no problems, you have to remember...the fans don't run all the time. only when they hit the temp of the fan switch.

Who makes a good clutch fan set up?
Flex a lite, or GM.

So a clutched fan will allow maximum hp because the thermostat on the clutch only engages when its hot?

I dont really want to go to electric... I have an electric fan setup but im more about mechanical. I want minimum electronics. I do have a radio cuz I need my tuneage. But other than that all the other electronics are stock. I was raised to build it oldschool! People put all this electric junk in these camaro's and it just takes that vintage feel away. (dont get offended personal opinion) everybody has there way but vintage is mine!:cool:

Anyway, should have been in a different thread prolly.. sry

So should I chuck the flex and stick to thermostat clutched?

If you have one and its working, may as well keep it. Any fan can come apart, some of the cheap '70s flex fans were more notorious for losing blades...you probably won't find many of those old green fiberglass bladed ones still intact, if you do, treat it like a ticking bomb. A clutch fan is a far better design and will save a couple hp. If you like mechanical fans, they're the way to go, with a proper shroud of course.

As far as I'm concerned any mechanical fan is nothing more than a finger chopping, tool throwing menace and will be quickly replaced by an electric if I have to open the hood while the engine is running.

If you have one and its working, may as well keep it. Any fan can come apart, some of the cheap '70s flex fans were more notorious for losing blades...you probably won't find many of those old green fiberglass bladed ones still intact, if you do, treat it like a ticking bomb. A clutch fan is a far better design and will save a couple hp. If you like mechanical fans, they're the way to go, with a proper shroud of course.

As far as I'm concerned any mechanical fan is nothing more than a finger chopping, tool throwing menace and will be quickly replaced by an electric if I have to open the hood while the engine is running.

so in other words you don't learn where to place your hands? :crazy:

some of the cheap '70s flex fans were more notorious for losing blades...you probably won't find many of those old green fiberglass bladed ones still intact, if you do, treat it like a ticking bomb



i've got one of the flex a lite "green" fiberglass flex fans !!!!! .......... as long as the rivets are not rusted your fan is okay and mine is in very good condition

when i went on the first power tour a few years ago i had some cooling problems, started out with an old clutch fan that went bad, bought another new clutch set up and it wasn't too bad but if stuck in traffic for a while it was still getting hot, put on a flex fan and it ran way hotter, switched to the electrics and never looked back.

Louich, what electric fans do you use? I've had nothing but trouble with electric fans. It's been a while though, I'm just getting back into the car thing. :bowtie:

Both my 70 Z28 and 77 Z28 that I ordered A/C with has the coil.

those "may" be rpm AND temp sensitive. it's been a while ,, but i know they are for sure temp sensitive with the coil winding. i've slept alot since then.
andy

Louich, what electric fans do you use? I've had nothing but trouble with electric fans. It's been a while though, I'm just getting back into the car thing. :bowtie:

fan qualities have improved,, but make sure you have enough relay capacity. branch apart and run through 2 relays if needed,, with a "Y" connection on each side of them for the main feed wire. you'll find the normal auto relays are only good for about 15amps continous due to the spade connections being the limiting factor. wish they had those with screw terminals.

also will need an alternator that puts out enough amps at low alternator speeds to carry the load. might be able to convert to a 12si type if the stock type 10si isn't getting it done due to stereo amps etc... or other add on electronics taxing the load, or under drive pulleys, etc....

powermaster shows linear amp curves for their products. can be a big help in that respect. figure your total amp load at idle and have enough alternator to do the job.
andy

74RAT, thank you sir!

this set up. ran them for 3 years now and 3 hot rod power tours. and 4th one's coming. and its twin turbo 496 so it makes lots of heat :)

http://www.spalusa.com/store/main.aspx?p=itemdetail&item=30102052

Louich, those look like a nice set up. I'll have to check them out. :bowtie:

when i went on the first power tour a few years ago i had some cooling problems, started out with an old clutch fan that went bad, bought another new clutch set up and it wasn't too bad but if stuck in traffic for a while it was still getting hot, put on a flex fan and it ran way hotter, switched to the electrics and never looked back.

"put on a flex fan and it ran way hotter" this is all I need to hear to chuck the flex-fan and keep the clutched jobber! Thanx Louich!

Joe

74RAT, thank you sir!
you're welcome.
andy