Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
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.
I was looking at the sith of Go-Jeep trying to make some understand what he did in the fan conversion. My question to him is did your XJ have a mechanical on the passenger's side and an electrical fan onthe driver's side like the US XJ's or did it have one fan in the middle like the Geand Cherokee?
Most, if not all XJ's have the two fans (belt on passenger side, electric on driver's side). The go jeep article refers to replacing the belt fan on the passenger side with a flex a lite 110. Take the article with a grain of salt. That flex a lite fan doesn't pull as much air as the belt driven fan nor can it handle the bumps and forces of off roading.
Take the article with a grain of salt. That flex a lite fan doesn't pull as much air as the belt driven fan nor can it handle the bumps and forces of off roading.
SPSERG, In 88 the base XJ came with a radiator with one row of tubes and the mechanical fan.
If your XJ came with the factory towing package it came with 2 rows of tubes in the radiator, the mechanical fan and the electric fan.
If your XJ came with AC then you got the 2 rows of tubes in your radiator, the mechanical fan, and the electrical fan.
If you have both packages then you have the 2 row radiator, mechanical fan and the electrical fan.
The electric fan will turn on when either of these conditions exist:
1) There a ON/OFF switch in the cold tank of the radiator. When the temp in the tank reaches 195F the switch closes and the relay closes and sends power to the fan.
2) When the AC clutch engages the computer sends a signal to the relay and power is sent to the electrical fan.
IF your XJ came with air conditioning then you should have an electrical fan. It may of been removed by a previous owner. If you don't have AC then I recommend you replace your radiator if it still the facotry one it is a single core and a larger raditor can do nothing but help get heat out of your engine.
That's weird, I have an 87 XJ that has the towing package ( I had a 5000 lb Class 3 trailor hitch till it fell off, and the Dana 44 Rear End with 3.73 gears and I think I have a heavy duty rad) but I only have the mechanical clutch fan, no electric auxilury. I don't have A/C. My Jeep was ordered for Canada (but for some reason the block heater was deleted) so maybe that's why, but I just find it strange. Maybe it was a new change for 88. I'm thinking of switching over to an electric fan too.
In response to your icon, I've installed 2 (TWO) flex a lite 110's in my XJ. They hang 3" below the narrow rad, so even if rated under perfect conditions that fan pulls 1250 cfm, it pulls less than that when 25% of it is below the rad. My XJ kept overheating with it, after the second one I installed broke, I put back the clutch fan and did not overheat. I also talked to the flex a lite sales rep at a truck show and he even said that that fan was not meant for XJ's or the rigors of off-roading. I didn't do a scientific comparison. Did you? With all due respect to Go Jeep, that article makes that 110 fan sound like the best thing since sliced bread - it's not.
In response to your icon, I've installed 2 (TWO) flex a lite 110's in my XJ. They hang 3" below the narrow rad, so even if rated under perfect conditions that fan pulls 1250 cfm, it pulls less than that when 25% of it is below the rad. My XJ kept overheating with it, after the second one I installed broke, I put back the clutch fan and did not overheat. I also talked to the flex a lite sales rep at a truck show and he even said that that fan was not meant for XJ's or the rigors of off-roading. I didn't do a scientific comparison. Did you? With all due respect to Go Jeep, that article makes that 110 fan sound like the best thing since sliced bread - it's not.
Over the years since the original board a lot of owners tried and made the switch. Usually within a few months they switched back again to mechanical electrical rear or factory config. Various configurations have been tried. Dual electrics behind, electric in front and mechanical electric in rear, dual electric in front no fans in back, dual electric fronts and factory fans behind. For old XJ's the newer electric fan seems to move alot more air than the older one due blade shape and number of blades. This I just know from reading as my 98XJ has the newer stuff. I did work on 91 last week and noticed that the factory fan in there has alot less blades and they are not curved like the newer model, also while burping it the temp climbed up pretty high before the electric kicked on and it took like 10 minutes for the system to cool down and the fan to turn back off, it did it but it took a long time. Might have had something to do with there still being some air in the system but it being my friends shop I let him decide how to burp it..
Most, if not all XJ's have the two fans (belt on passenger side, electric on driver's side). The go jeep article refers to replacing the belt fan on the passenger side with a flex a lite 110. Take the article with a grain of salt. That flex a lite fan doesn't pull as much air as the belt driven fan nor can it handle the bumps and forces of off roading.
I think you need to go to Gojeep's site and read his article again. He swapped a single 16" electric fan into his XJ.
Gojeep (Marcus) has done a lot of excellent fab work on his Jeep and his site is great. I'd say it's one of the best Jeep sites to go to and I certainly have it bookmarked.
If you're interested in a dual electric fan set up in an XJ that works very well, here's mine.
I think you need to go to Gojeep's site and read his article again. He swapped a single 16" electric fan into his XJ.
Gojeep (Marcus) has done a lot of excellent fab work on his Jeep and his site is great. I'd say it's one of the best Jeep sites to go to and I certainly have it bookmarked.
If you're interested in a dual electric fan set up in an XJ that works very well, here's mine.
In the interest of getting back to the original question, all I was trying to say to techno1154 in my original post is that he should be careful when replacing the belt fan with an electric fan. What works on one XJ may not work exactly the same on another. I was one of those people who invested many, many hours and $ trying to get an electric fan setup to stop an overheating problem. As for GoJeep, anyone who spends their own time and money to help out fellow jeepers is a huge asset to the sport. 'nuf said.
If your engine only overheats (>220*F) in stop/go traffic but runs at a normal temp. the rest of the time, an electric fan replacement of the viscous clutch fan will help provided you select at least a 14" diameter unit so that it pulls in enough air.
If your engine overheats all the time or is worse on the highway, there's either a defective cooling system component, something obstructing airflow through the radiator, or the engine's producing excessive heat because it's running lean or the timing's retarded. In this situation, an electric fan conversion isn't going to help at all.
I may be changing both my fans this weekend with twin electric fans. I will keep you posted. Oh yea, together they are rated at 4,000 cfm. I will need to change a few pulleys on the old 4.0 though; maybe with some from the WJ or ZJ 4.0
You might want to look at a newer KJ liberty, some of those with the V6 have only 1 electric and it's deep under the fan shroud. Owner told me the mechanical fan is heavy duty add on...
