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Mechanical fan eating radiator during fording?

D

DirtyMJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Prince George, BC
I've heard lots of 'it can happen' but I don't think I've ever seen it happen. I ran dual electric fans on my last rig and always turned them off if the water got at all high. But I think they were more of a risk as they had much more flexible plastic blades.


I'm debating if I wish to go to dual electric again. This is a reliability thing. The prior setup (which I would basically copy) would cool adequetly with one fan inoperative. However, in the event of an alternator failure being able to turn off as many electrical devices as possible can extend your range dramatically. As it is, it seems it cools adequetly with the mechanical fan alone - as it should.

Thoughts?
 
ive done a few water crossing and never had an issue with the fan. FWIW i like to think the water will slow the fan down via the clutch at lower engine speeds. ive never been in water stomping on the gas pedal and dont plan on it.
 
Leave the mechanical fan. Ive never seen, or heard of it contacting the radiator in deep water.

Electrical falure with 2 electrical fans is a possibility, Id rather have a manual one so I know something is cooling the rig down.
 
A non-clutching mechanical can cause carnage when it hits the water. We used to loosen our fan belts for water crossings back in the day. That is back in the when we didn't know what a great invention a fan clutch is. Your fan[clutched type] will slow down to almost a stop when it hits water.
 
CanMan said:
Leave the mechanical fan. Ive never seen, or heard of it contacting the radiator in deep water..
Click to expand...

I have and it was a lot of fun pullin the rad and pinching off a row with pliers just to make it home!! It can and will happen if you are not careful!! GO ELECTRIC!
 
ColoradoRaptor said:
I have and it was a lot of fun pullin the rad and pinching off a row with pliers just to make it home!! It can and will happen if you are not careful!! GO ELECTRIC!
Click to expand...

So IF both electric fans fail, in one way or another, what do you do then?

Perty much screwed if its a long way back to camp or the trailer.
 
Water isn't much of an issue, mud is another thing altogether. I've seen the mechanical fan damage a lot of stuff when the mud gets deep enough.
I carry an extra starter, a battery in one of those neat plastic carrying cases, water, starting spray and cleaning gear with me.
There are mud holes out there that will swallow most of an XJ.
 
only time I have seen a radiator get hit by fans was my bad tranny mount and bad motor mounts. It shouldn't get anyway near to hitting it unless something is wrong. I have always like 1 mechanical 1 electric. Good balance of control and reliability.
 
8Mud said:
Water isn't much of an issue, mud is another thing altogether. I've seen the mechanical fan damage a lot of stuff when the mud gets deep enough.
I carry an extra starter, a battery in one of those neat plastic carrying cases, water, starting spray and cleaning gear with me.
There are mud holes out there that will swallow most of an XJ.
Click to expand...


So, is the fan hitting the rad or is it throwing other things into it?


I guess if I was worried I could always run a FOD screen on the back side of the rad (think expanded steel). It'd probably take the brunt of anything...
 
I have seen a radiator get bit by the fan once, but your biggest thing will be ruining the clutch. Frequent water crossings will wear the fan clutch quickly
 
I've seen radiators damaged by non clutch type fans when blasting through deep water, the tips of the blade can bend when they hit the water. I have never seen this happen with a clutch style fan. It happened to me in a Chev p/u hitting a flooded road about 40mph. Not only did it nick my radiator it dumped a bunch of water down my open element air cleaner, stalling my truck in waist deep water.That's why I'm a believer in clutch fans, as mentioned in my previous post. I'm sure that driving through deep water probably does shorten the life of a clutch though.
 
Last edited:
If it's hot out, and the clutch is in lock-up, will it still reliably disengage in time? And is there any other mechanical failures associated with a clutch fan?
 
Water will stop a clutch fan in its tracks. Overheating or the hub coming off & putting the fan through the radiator are the only things that can happen. The hub coming off is unusual but it can happen.
 
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