so my baby has 202,000 miles and i seem to get about 15mpg unless i go for a lonnng hwy trip it'll jump to 17. the fan has always been ...

so my baby has 202,000 miles and i seem to get about 15mpg unless i go for a lonnng hwy trip it'll jump to 17.
the fan has always been a little on the loud side but it has the severe duty fan clutch due to the 4wheel drive, 4:10 gears, tow package and z71 suspension. so my question is can i get away with a lighter duty fan clutch is it time to replace the original fan and how are those of you with electric fans liking them?

If you want to install a lighter duty fan because you thing it will consume less fuel, you are wrong. Replace it with a good quality part that is supposed to fit your vehicle.

I wouldn't downgrade my fan, but I do like electrics though they're not cheap. And unless you're going to manually operate a switch, you'll need a controll unit. You can do it with relays.

Black Bear Performance sells an electric fan harness that's very easy to install. You need a custom tune to have them turn on at a certain temp. The other way is to buy a thermostat with a switch that will kick on the fans when it reaches a certain temp. And yes, electric fans increase fuel mileage. Not drastically, but noticeable gains in some applications. They produce no drag on the engine unlike a conventional clutch fan.

I've never been really happy with how the aftermarket electric fans control the operation with the ac on. They usually turn on full blast when the compressor kicks in. Driving at speed or at rest. Do you really need a fan to run while you are driving at 70 MPH?

While at speed, air being pushed through the radiator and condensor helps push the fan causing the motor not to work as hard. At this point the fan uses less electricity meaning less drain on the alternator, stealing less hp from the motor. The same happens with clutch fans, but they are heavier and rob more horsepower.

well i researched California fuels and while none of the pumps here say 10% ethanol, cali requires an oxygenate which most company's call ethanol. so im thinking that im going to be hard pressed to get any more mpg from my truck. thanks for the feedback guys.

SilverSurfer wrote:While at speed, air being pushed through the radiator and condensor helps push the fan causing the motor not to work as hard. At this point the fan uses less electricity meaning less drain on the alternator, stealing less hp from the motor. The same happens with clutch fans, but they are heavier and rob more horsepower.

Interesting. It would be fun to check that out with an ammeter.

Tough to do it driving down the road but if you put a big fan in front of the truck you should be able to see the current draw go down.

adams99z71 wrote:so my baby has 202,000 miles and i seem to get about 15mpg unless i go for a lonnng hwy trip it'll jump to 17.
the fan has always been a little on the loud side but it has the severe duty fan clutch due to the 4wheel drive, 4:10 gears, tow package and z71 suspension. so my question is can i get away with a lighter duty fan clutch is it time to replace the original fan and how are those of you with electric fans liking them?

well actually you cant compute the lifespan of a fan clutch it depends on how you use it and how is the quality of the part so it will last longer

Cheers! Marco S
car parts dealer:fan clutch:muffler:exhaust gasket