Are you swapping to a V8 or something? These trucks have excellent cooling systems from the factory. If you are overheating you have a cooling systems problem that needs fixing. I'm not hesitant at all to use an electric fan if needed, but I've never gotten over about 205 deg even when crawling on the hottest days or sitting in traffic at 100 deg (the only times you need the fan). The only way you will get any more MPG or horsepower from going to an electric fan is if your fan clutch is bad and the fan is spinning all the time (it takes power to make the electricity to run the electric fan too). The factory clutch fan disengages at highway speeds (or even around town) when it is not needed (to save gas and make more power).
All of the ebay seller's claims are bogus:
LETS CHECK OUT THE BENEFITS
1. YOU WILL GET MORE MILES TO THE GALLON OF GAS - NOT - it takes power turn an electric fan, probably more than the factory fan.
2. MORE REAL HORSEPOWER THAT YOU WILL FEEL FIRST TEST DRIVE. - NOT - Only if you disconnect the alternator and run the fan from the battery like the drag racers do, and even then, maybe 1 or 2 HP at the most (you won't feel that).
3. MUCH COLDER AIR CONDITIONING THEN EVER BEFORE - NOT (unless MAYBE sitting in traffic at 100 deg)
4. NO MORE NOISEY FAN NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD - NOT (the electric fan makes no noise? My factory fan makes no noise I can hear. The Taurus fan in my 65 Mustang sounded like an F-16 when it was running on high.)
5. MUCH FASTER ENGINE WARMUP - MUCH FASTER HEAT IN THE WINTER - NOT - the clutch fan is not engaged when the engine is cold
6. THE ABILITY TO CONTROL YOUR ENGINE TEMP FOR MAX POWER - NOT - you won't get any more power by keeping the engine cooler, only more wear and less mileage, IF it would even keep it cooler - the thermostat will regulate the minimum temperature, not the fan
7. SAVE ABOUT 15 LBS OF WEIGHT OFF THE FRONT END - NOT - This fan and shroud will weigh LESS than the factory fan, which is about 5 lbs?
8. NO MORE WATER PUMP FAILURES, WATER PUMP LIFE IS EXTENDED 3 FOLD - NOT - the fan has nothing to do with the water pump, which is driven off the timing belt
9. YOUR 4RUNNER WILL RUN COOLER THEN IT EVER HAS EVEN IN SUMMER MONTHS - NOT - if it is not running cool enough you have cooling system problems to repair. An electric fan won't fix them.
10. ENGINE WILL RUN NOTICABLY SMOOTHER AND THROTTLE RESPONSE WILL BE QUICKER - NOT ???? That claim isn't even worth an answer ????
I sure wouldn't spend almost $300 (with shipping) for a setup that won't gain anything, will almost certainly be less reliable than the factory setup, and comes from a seller who flat out lies about the benefits of his product (or knows nothing about cooling systems and engines).
There's a TON of misinformation in this post. The factory fan clutch never fully engages. Even at highway speeds. The fan is ALWAYS spinning. An electric fan will ABSOLUTELY increase highway MPG and power. The amount of the increase is debatable, but there WILL be an increase. There are good reasons that damn near every modern vehicle sold uses electric fans instead of the clutch fan setup on our trucks. The blade designs are much more efficient than what's on our trucks, and they can be positioned closer to the radiator and shrouded more closely. They can also be more easily controlled to only run when needed.
1 - True
2 - True
3 - True (the clutch fan activates based on heat, not whether the A/C is on or not)
4 - Depends on the fans used and the fan controller, but it's going to be quieter for sure with the right controller
5 - True. The clutch fan is ALWAYS pulling air through the radiator, even when it's cold
6 - True, but the benefits are debatable
One test showed 34 amps on high. The current draw would vary with the amount of airflow restrictions (it takes more current to draw a given amount of air through restricted path). ).
This isn't really true either. Current draw on a axial fan is based on a curve. When you're operating the fan within the static pressure range it's designed for the current draw will be proportional to the amount of work being done (air being moved). Increasing the restriction reduces flow and decreases current draw. That seems counter intuitive, but centrifugal pumps work the same way. If you dead head them the current draw drops way off compared to running them where they're designed to run.
OP, the fans pictured are re-labled SPAL fans. I used to sell them in 24V versions for marine applications. Most of them are made in Italy as far as I know (haven't dealt with them directly in a couple of years) They're good quality fans.
If I were going to convert to electric I'd go with a pair of fans, and a simple relay based controller that will run them at half speed or full speed. There are some nice PWM controllers out there but I'm leery of the durability over the long haul.
The relay controllers work a lot like DRLs, by putting the two fans in series with each other. It's very efficient, and the current draw drops to about half of what one fan will pull on high. The noise drops dramatically. The current draw will vary depending on the fan, but the 11" 12V version we used to sell would pull just under 20amps. The 9" versions were around 12amps.
