Better Than Stock 2G Cooling Fan?

[WaWaZat]

Need to put a slimline A/C fan on 'cause the J pipe for my new 16G won't clear the stock one. I figured while I'm at it I'd look into a better performing set of fans & replace 'em both...who knows what future mods may cause the main fan to get in the way. Does anyone know if the OE replacement dual FAL fan is proven to be better than stock as their claims state? What raises my suspicions is the fact that the stock fan is deeper & has more blade suface area than the FAL slimmy. My other choice is to put a slim A/C fan on & leave the stock main, but there doesn't seem to be much out there w/the all important shroud. I hear a lot of raves about the SPAL's, but they just don't look as effective as the FAL. Any others I've might have missed??? Any experienced input is greatly appreciated!

 

[GILZTSIAWD]

I have a 12 inch and 15 inch spal fan on my car and they work great, car stays plenty cool and they move ALOT of air. I would recommend going with two 12 inch fans, as the 15 doesnt fit right.

 

[WaWaZat]

I have a 12 inch and 15 inch spal fan on my car and they work great, car stays plenty cool and they move ALOT of air. I would recommend going with two 12 inch fans, as the 15 doesnt fit right.

Do yours have shrouds? Any pix??

 

[sickgsx-316]

I run Fals, and they work great. No complaints. Definitely noisier than stock ones. They have a Kind of a higher pitched howl to them, not bad though. Not a true "bolt on" affair as their description says. Had to cut some part of the plastic in the top middle to get the upper radiator hose to fit, and drill in a few spots on the top for the trusty old zip ties, as well as custom make some brackets for the lower support, nothing too bad though. Just do some research with how to wire it correctly so you can do it right the first time.

If your down for used ones check the supra forums/trader sights. They use the DSM part # on their cars and sell them way cheaper used then DSM guys, I got mine looking BRAND new for $120 shipped and have had 0 problems 2 years later.

 

[dpbgst13]

What are some of the supra sites?? I need two new fans also. dan

 

[WaWaZat]

I run Fals, and they work great. No complaints. Definitely noisier than stock ones. They have a Kind of a higher pitched howl to them, not bad though. Not a true "bolt on" affair as their description says. Had to cut some part of the plastic in the top middle to get the upper radiator hose to fit, and drill in a few spots on the top for the trusty old zip ties, as well as custom make some brackets for the lower support, nothing too bad though. Just do some research with how to wire it correctly so you can do it right the first time.

If your down for used ones check the supra forums/trader sights. They use the DSM part # on their cars and sell them way cheaper used then DSM guys, I got mine looking BRAND new for $120 shipped and have had 0 problems 2 years later.

Do you have the dual fan, part # 359-325, specifically for the Eclipse or their universal fan?

Are you saying the Supras use the same part # FAL as the for the Eclipse?

 

[leet]

The FAL's will be noisier due to the fact that they have to operate at a higher RPM to move the same amount (or more) of air, due to blade design.

 

[WaWaZat]

I'm not so much worried about noise as I am w/air volume.

Does anyone know where to find a cfm rating for the stock fans for comparison purposes?

 

[Mike1992]

I ran 2-10" hayden (O'reilly's) fans on my 2.0 nt before I got my awd. I had them mounted on the front of the radiator (no a/c) for that clean engine bay look. I plan on doing the same on my awd when the motor goes back in and the fmic is installed.

 

[sickgsx-316]

Mine look just like these http://store1.yimg.com/I/machv_1854_15352444 but in black.

 

[daren_p]

I was just wondering what kind of j pipe you have that is causing this problem? Everyone I know got away with using the stock fans with their 16g/j pipe combo, or is this just an excuse to upgrade ? With mine I used a dremel and made a half moon shape (about 1.25" long & 1/4" deep) in the center section of the factory fan. Mine wasn't quite touching but I removed the extra material to make sure they wouldn't touch if the motor torqued back & forth (I do have urthane mounts so it shouldn't happen...). I'm using an RRE j pipe. I have heard you can also swap the positions of the factory fans since the one on the drivers side is much slimmer.

 

[ddavisaf]

I have a J-pipe from FP and I had to switch my fans... I don't have AC so I used the AC fan instead.

 

[99gst_racer]

Just for reference. Here's my stock 2G radiator with (2) 12" SPAL fans. That overpriced, bolt-on kit is not needed. This costed less than $150. As GILZTSIAWD said, (2) 12" will fit comfortably.

I too am curious to know the CFM rating on the stock fans.....

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[WaWaZat]

Daren & DDavis...you're probably referring to a J Pipe running to a lower IC pipe in the stock position, right? I have a Buschur FMIC in which the J pipe has to run the other way, in front of the A/C fan. Right now I have a J pipe that I had Frankensteined up. The way it's routed only leaves about an inch of room for a fan. I do need to have another one made that runs closer to the exhaust manifold. I haven't been able to find anyone that already has a J pipe made to run from an EVO III Big 16G to a big FMIC like the Buschur.

99GST...thanx for the pix! I've been talking to a REALLY cool engineer @ FAL who believes the stock fans pump about 1300 - 1400 CFM. Do you know what your SPAL's are rated at & the model #?

 

[droptopgst]

whats the deal with aftermarket fans? My water temp stays between 200-210 in the summer. Thats with the 100 deg. weather or 115 heat index. I have the stock fans and even cut the blades and shroud down on one of them so the 50 trim would fit. Why does everyone have such a problem with cooling?

 

[99gst_racer]

99GST...thanx for the pix! I've been talking to a REALLY cool engineer @ FAL who believes the stock fans pump about 1300 - 1400 CFM. Do you know what your SPAL's are rated at & the model #?

No problem. Now was that 1300-1400 combined? Or was that per fan? I dont think the stockers move that much air each.....

Just so nobody gets confused: Fal and SPAL are two totally different companys. SPAL is it's own company, whereas FAL (flex-a-lite) is the sport compact branch of the main company Flex-a-lite. Both make an excellent fan.

Anyways, the SPALs in my pictures are the thinnest 12" fan that they make. At it's thickest point, it is only 2.05" and this fan is rated at a max of 870 cfm. Part number is 30100375.

Now if you can afford to go with a fan that is 2.48" thick, then I would recommend SPAL part number 30101504. It is also a 12" puller fan, but it has a larger motor and it max CFM rating is 1230.


Just for the record; I am not currently running that setup in the pics above. Because of external WG dumptube clearences, I was forced to switch to a 10" fan on the driver's side. My 10" is rated at 650 cfm and my 12" is 870, and that is more than enough cooling for my car. It doesnt take (2) 2000 cfm fans to get the job done. I have mine wired to come on full power everytime I hit 210F, and since I installed them, I have never once exceeded 210F. I am mostly between 195F and 210F.

whats the deal with aftermarket fans? My water temp stays between 200-210 in the summer. Thats with the 100 deg. weather or 115 heat index. I have the stock fans and even cut the blades and shroud down on one of them so the 50 trim would fit. Why does everyone have such a problem with cooling?

They are not problems; just questions. Stock fans perform very well, but they simply take up too much space. Many people also run into problems with hacked up fans, so some people don't want to hack up the stock fan when they can buy a smaller, thinner fan to replace the stocker. These people have questions like: what size? How much cfm is needed? how thick can I go? what brand? how to mount them? how to wire them up? They are just simple questions that require simple answers.

 

[WaWaZat]

Yeah...the FAL Eng & I were talkin' single fans, so I beleive the 1300 - 1400 est to be per fan! The stockers are good fans, just too deep when we start modding. The blades on a deeper fan have more surface area so they move more air.

"Be Cool" has a VERY good 13" fan that's rated @ 1710 CFM!! Even the FAL Eng said, in a round-about-way, that this fan moves A LOT of air. It's supposed to be very noisy though because of the hi R's the motor turns. The only problem is that it is slightly too big to fit snug against the core, between the radiator tanks. I believe it is important to not have a gap between the core & the shroud/ring so it pulls air through the core efficiently.

Anyway, I may have a whole nuther solution to my prob. I hear I can use a turbo cover & actuator off the Chinese made EVO 3 GT on my Mitsu made EVO III that has a tube that points down so I wouldn't even need a J pipe. Anyone familiar with this concept???

 

[99gst_racer]

"Be Cool" has a VERY good 13" fan that's rated @ 1710 CFM!!

Damn, that's expensive though.... That one fan costs more than both of mine did......
(and I'm like 97% sure that SPAL makes the fans for Be Cool)

The only problem is that it is slightly too big to fit snug against the core, between the radiator tanks. I believe it is important to not have a gap between the core & the shroud/ring so it pulls air through the core efficiently.

Yes, that is 100% correct. Here is one of my short posts on that subject.

Anyway, I may have a whole nuther solution to my prob. I hear I can use a turbo cover & actuator off the Chinese made EVO 3 GT on my Mitsu made EVO III that has a tube that points down so I wouldn't even need a J pipe. Anyone familiar with this concept???

Actually, that is something similar to what TRE used to offer. They spun the compressor around 180* and then welded a small pipe to the end of the outlet. Basically, it fit just like a T25, so 2G owners wouldn't have to buy any overpriced install kit. Unfortunately, the service wasn't cheap either.....
As far as I know, the EVO GT compressor cover is almost identical to the MHI comp. cover. If you spun the compressor cover to make it face down, you would still need to figure out a way to attach the wg actuator.

 

[WaWaZat]

Damn, that's expensive though.... That one fan costs more than both of mine did......

Yeah & it moves almost 1 1/2 times the air as both of yours! I guess you pay by the CFM!!

(and I'm like 97% sure that SPAL makes the fans for Be Cool)

SPAL may make the fan but that motor on there sounds like a killer. I haven't seen a fan that size w/that kind of output anywhere else. It draws 18.5 amps so I'm not sure it could be just spiced into the stock harness.

Actually, that is something similar to what TRE used to offer. They spun the compressor around 180* and then welded a small pipe to the end of the outlet. Basically, it fit just like a T25, so 2G owners wouldn't have to buy any overpriced install kit. Unfortunately, the service wasn't cheap either.....
As far as I know, the EVO GT compressor cover is almost identical to the MHI comp. cover. If you spun the compressor cover to make it face down, you would still need to figure out a way to attach the wg actuator.

Yeah, I was wrong, the cover on the EVO GT IS identicle.

I called the shop I bought my turbo from to find out about rotating the cover. They said it voids the warranty. The pin that positions the cover has to be ground off, then something has to be done to relocate/add a wastegate mount. Not sure what tech issues rotating the cover might cause with the turbo.

 

[99gst_racer]

Yeah & it moves almost 1 1/2 times the air as both of yours! I guess you pay by the CFM!!

Yes, but is all the extra CFM needed? I say NO. Why pay extra for what you dont need? The stock fans are rated lower than that big fan and they cool just fine. And my SPAL's are rated much lower than that one, and mine cool great too. Huge CFM fans aren't needed on a simple cooling system like ours, and it's definitely something I wouldn't go wasteing big bucks on.

I called the shop I bought my turbo from to find out about rotating the cover. They said it voids the warranty. The pin that positions the cover has to be ground off, then something has to be done to relocate/add a wastegate mount. Not sure what tech issues rotating the cover might cause with the turbo.

It is possible and not very difficult to do, but I wouldn't void a warranty to do it. Just use a j-pipe for a while, and then down the road after your warranty is up, you can decide if you want to rotate the housing or not.

 

[WaWaZat]

It is possible and not very difficult to do, but I wouldn't void a warranty to do it. Just use a j-pipe for a while, and then down the road after your warranty is up, you can decide if you want to rotate the housing or not.

It seems simple except, what do you do with the wastegate mount???

...I think I'm verging on new topic time!

 

[98autogstspyder]

Replying to the original post:

Make that stock fan fit. It will save you money and it is definately proven. I have seen two of my own cars over heat after having the stock fans replaced with slimline fans. Yes I am sure that if your careful enough you will get the appropriate fan that flows enough cfm but I still say go with stock. My car also had difficulty with keeping the stock fans after the j-pipe was installed but all I did was force it in there, trim a little plastic from the fan and it worked.

Just for reference the stock engine fans flow about 1200cfm, so if you do change, make sure the fan you pick up flows more than that. Good Luck.

 

[WaWaZat]

Replying to the original post:

Make that stock fan fit. It will save you money and it is definately proven. I have seen two of my own cars over heat after having the stock fans replaced with slimline fans. Yes I am sure that if your careful enough you will get the appropriate fan that flows enough cfm but I still say go with stock. My car also had difficulty with keeping the stock fans after the j-pipe was installed but all I did was force it in there, trim a little plastic from the fan and it worked.

My J pipe needs to go the other way...in front of the A/C fan in which the shroud is metal and not much can be trimmed off.

I think you're right about just sticking any ol slimmy fan in there...hence the care in thinking about all this. And yes!...as it turns out, it seems that if you can, one should do everything to try to stick w/the stockers. That's why I've now shifted to thinking about modifying the outlet tube on the turbo cover & eliminating the need for the space robbing J pipe....and as a bonus, a more direct passage to the inner cooler!

Just for reference the stock engine fans flow about 1200cfm, so if you do change, make sure the fan you pick up flows more than that. Good Luck.

Where did you get this info?

 

[99gst_racer]

Just for reference the stock engine fans flow about 1200cfm, so if you do change, make sure the fan you pick up flows more than that. Good Luck.

I have allready proven this to be untrue. The slim cooling fan that I am currently using is rated at only 870 cfm @ zero staic pressure and it is working great at cooling my radiator and coolant. There is alot more to cooling capacity than simple cfm numbers.

 

[MNGSX]

I would look at the Zirgo brand fans. They are on ebay and at some online shops. I even saw them at a local parts place. They move alot of air and are very inexpensive.



A 16" moves 3300cfm ~$100
A 14" moves 2670cfm $90

They have more expensive versions too. Like a 16" that moves 3985cfm ~$190 another 16" that moves 3630 for $135..

Im probably going to run two 16" configured one push one pull. I'll start with one pushing and the stock AC fan moved to the cooling fan position.

There are some generics for alot less but they flow alot less...