• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Taurus E-fan upgrade, not impressed - Did I do it wrong?

SV-BDN

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado
I just finished setting up a Taurus fan dual e-fan set up. So far, not impressed, I felt that the airflow from my '95-'96 8-blade XJ aux fan is greater than the taurus fan..

I used Ehalls excellent write-up as the basis of my build, but I did not follow it 100% (might be why?)
https://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1035194


Picked up a left fan off a '97 ford taurus. I did not pull this fan myself, the junkyard had one on the shelf, but they said it was a left side fan. It came with a two wire plug (aren't these supposed to be 3 wire?)

My original mechanical fan shroud was broken to all hell and all I could find in the local yards was a RHD fan shroud which I had to cut down and mod a bit to fit. All the LHD XJs had their fan shrouds already picked! I did do my best to make sure the side I cut down still sealed decently. I do plan to buy a replacement LHD shroud soon.

I have both fans running off a manual switch for now as I figure out the temp switch part (will be posting a separate thread about that shortly).

With the fans running the XJ did stay decently cool today despite the 100f ambient temp. I'm running a 160f thermostat (for now, will switch to a 180f when sorted), but it stayed about 180f despite the lower temp thermostat. I was driving about 75mph.

Really my main complaint I guess is the perceived lower CFM from the taurus fan. Should I go back to the yard and try to pull one that isn't a 2 wire? maybe I didn't find the third wire and its hiding somewhere?
 
Why do you feel the need to cool your engine any more than the OEM intended to? A 160°F thermostat is a very bad choice for this engine, and a 180°F is not much better. You need to replace your thermostat with a factory temperature spec (195°F). Running the engine cool is detrimental to its operation.

From what I've read, I'm under the impression that the PCM uses the signal from the coolant temperature sensor to dictate the engine's mode of operation. Before the coolant reaches operating temp, the engine runs in an open-loop state where the goal is to increase temperature. After it reaches temp it then runs in a closed-loop state to maintain. (Again, this paragraph is purely a reiteration of what I've read. I have no evidence or experience to back this up. Maybe somebody else does?)

Driving at 75 mph, your fans have very little influence on cooling. If you're overheating at 75 mph you have water pump or radiator issues. How does it do while idling/crawling in 100°F ambient with the AC on? That will be the true test.

These engines are designed to operate between 195°F and 215°F. I say that because they came factory with a 195°F thermostat and the electric fan triggers at 215°F. That's why 210°F is the middle mark on the temp gauge.

Forget the fans for a second. Let's look at your priorities and goals for your cooling system.
 
X2! 160 is way too cold! When I dumped my clogged stock rad for an all aluminum unit, the Napa t stat I had wouldn't hold it at a stable temperature, it would go to about 200 then drop to about 150 and take forever to warm back up. When it was doing this I was getting less than 10mpg on the mail route. Put in a stant super stat, holds just below 210 on the gage no matter what and mpgs went back up to 13.5. These engines may have problems with overheating, but they don't like to be run cold either!
 
Why do you feel the need to cool your engine any more than the OEM intended to? A 160°F thermostat is a very bad choice for this engine, and a 180°F is not much better. You need to replace your thermostat with a factory temperature spec (195°F). Running the engine cool is detrimental to its operation.

From what I've read, I'm under the impression that the PCM uses the signal from the coolant temperature sensor to dictate the engine's mode of operation. Before the coolant reaches operating temp, the engine runs in an open-loop state where the goal is to increase temperature. After it reaches temp it then runs in a closed-loop state to maintain. (Again, this paragraph is purely a reiteration of what I've read. I have no evidence or experience to back this up. Maybe somebody else does?)

Driving at 75 mph, your fans have very little influence on cooling. If you're overheating at 75 mph you have water pump or radiator issues. How does it do while idling/crawling in 100°F ambient with the AC on? That will be the true test.

These engines are designed to operate between 195°F and 215°F. I say that because they came factory with a 195°F thermostat and the electric fan triggers at 215°F. That's why 210°F is the middle mark on the temp gauge.

Forget the fans for a second. Let's look at your priorities and goals for your cooling system.


I'm running the 160F thermostat because I still need to daily drive the XJ while I troubleshoot. I started going down this rabbit hole when the XJ almost overheated twice at Idle in 80f weather (drivethru) with a 195F thermostat.

I don't mind going back to a 195F thermostat once I solve the cooling issues, but for now I'd rather run cool than blow the engine.

I have noticed that the fans do help even at 75mph+. Driving home from work this morning it may have been 65-75f, and running down the highway with the fans off the temp was getting up over 210f, kicked the fans on and the temp dropped down to 165f or so.

I have not tried crawling the jeep yet, maybe on my week off. I deleted my AC compressor for now because I relocated my alternator and want to mount the AC below it. Focusing on the cooling issue first.

Sounds like I need to replace/flush the radiator. I'm going to grab a junk yard one I saw the other day in good shape and soak it in a radiator flush, as well as run that flush in the engine. Whether I swap in the JY one or not, I'll at least have a spare.

I did replace my water pump with a higher flow unit when the coolant issues started as the weather warmed up. The XJ is a '93 and has 226k on it, and a lot of it seems stock or original.

Also sounds like I need to go find another taurus E-fan that has 3 wires...
 
I'm running the 160F thermostat because I still need to daily drive the XJ while I troubleshoot. I started going down this rabbit hole when the XJ almost overheated twice at Idle in 80f weather (drivethru) with a 195F thermostat.

I don't mind going back to a 195F thermostat once I solve the cooling issues, but for now I'd rather run cool than blow the engine.

I have noticed that the fans do help even at 75mph+. Driving home from work this morning it may have been 65-75f, and running down the highway with the fans off the temp was getting up over 210f, kicked the fans on and the temp dropped down to 165f or so.

I have not tried crawling the jeep yet, maybe on my week off. I deleted my AC compressor for now because I relocated my alternator and want to mount the AC below it. Focusing on the cooling issue first.

Sounds like I need to replace/flush the radiator. I'm going to grab a junk yard one I saw the other day in good shape and soak it in a radiator flush, as well as run that flush in the engine. Whether I swap in the JY one or not, I'll at least have a spare.

I did replace my water pump with a higher flow unit when the coolant issues started as the weather warmed up. The XJ is a '93 and has 226k on it, and a lot of it seems stock or original.

Also sounds like I need to go find another taurus E-fan that has 3 wires...

Why risk a JY one....a new one is $150 or so.....maybe that's why you are having these problems ?


.
 
Last edited:
My all aluminum unit was 100 on Amazon. Flush the block and heater core back and forth both ways several times. When i knocked the plastic tank off my stocker when I took it off 90 percent of the holes were blocked!
 
Why risk a JY one....a new one is $150 or so.....maybe that's why you are having these problems ?


.

Budget is tight right now. Rad and fan from my local yard won't be more than $40.

I'd love to get a quality radiator down the road, but I'm making due for now. Just need to keep it on the road through this hot weather.
 
Budget is tight right now. Rad and fan from my local yard won't be more than $40.

I'd love to get a quality radiator down the road, but I'm making due for now. Just need to keep it on the road through this hot weather.

brand new radiator from rock auto is like 60 bucks.....I literally just looked today
 
brand new radiator from rock auto is like 60 bucks.....I literally just looked today

I'm going to start with a flush, I don't like throwing parts at a problem. if my radiator is clogged up, there is a very high chance that the rest of the system is clogged up too. I've only had this XJ for a few months now, and it came to me with 214k already.

I'll probably grab the junkyard radiator anyway since I'll be going there. I think the harness side of my Taurus fan is just missing the third wire, as it looks like there should be three wires based on the connector shape.
 
I'm going to start with a flush, I don't like throwing parts at a problem. if my radiator is clogged up, there is a very high chance that the rest of the system is clogged up too. I've only had this XJ for a few months now, and it came to me with 214k already.

I'll probably grab the junkyard radiator anyway since I'll be going there. I think the harness side of my Taurus fan is just missing the third wire, as it looks like there should be three wires based on the connector shape.



Understand the tight budget....was that way myself for many many years............but getting JY radiator and trying it is the same as 'throwing parts at the problem'.....albeit cheaper parts.....
 
X2! 160 is way too cold! When I dumped my clogged stock rad for an all aluminum unit, the Napa t stat I had wouldn't hold it at a stable temperature, it would go to about 200 then drop to about 150 and take forever to warm back up. When it was doing this I was getting less than 10mpg on the mail route. Put in a stant super stat, holds just below 210 on the gage no matter what and mpgs went back up to 13.5. These engines may have problems with overheating, but they don't like to be run cold either!

I'm so glad you wrote this!
My 99 has 140K on it. New rad, water pump, thermostat(NAPA brand), and t-stat housing. Also a complete flush and refilled with proper distilled water and coolant. It cools very well. 2 years ago the e-fan cracked a blade so I disconnected it. Even with no electric fan it still runs consistently just under 210...UNLESS I am sitting in traffic or a very long red light, on a 90+ degree day, with the AC on max. Then it will slowly start to creep up....never much past 210 though. When that happens I just click off the AC and slip the trans into neutral and the temp drops back down. It's not my only car and I am lazy so I haven't bothered to replace the e-fan yet.

But...a couple of times recently, usually after stomping on the gas pedal to accelerate up a long gradual grade in the road, the temp dropped down to around 150 and pretty much stayed there or very slowly came back up to normal. It worried me as i remember back to my 73 Nova where the temp gauge would show lower than usual if it was real low on coolant. When that would happen(25 or so years ago...lol) I would also loose heat...obviously. There simply wouldn't be enough coolant hitting the temp sensor to register how hot the engine really was. Each time it happened recently though, I pulled over and checked the coolant which was full or near full. No leaks, steam from the exhaust, milk under the oil cap, etc. No signs of coolant useage or low coolant. It had me a bit stumped since both times it was on a very hot day and if anything I would expect it to run hot....not cold. I guess with the cooling system being all new, well maintained, and cooling the engine so well, the thermostat sticking open and being able to actually drop the temp so much makes sense. Mystery solved and I am now in the market for a good quality Stant thermostat...before it sticks closed on me instead of open next time! lol
 
Back
Top