• 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.

Replacing Mechanical With Electric

98XJSport

Destiny is the rising sun
Location
Western Maine
Fan, that is. My temps are creeping up a bit as of late, and am planning on replacing the radiator and water pump, t-stat etc. While Im in that far, I was thinking I would replace the fan clutch as well, seeing as it's got over 180K on it.

Ive read up on replacing the mechanical fan with an electric, which is looking like a good route to go. But I don't have the $$ for a fancy temperature controller. Is there any harm in having the fan come on whenever the XJ is running? What Im thinking is Ill wire a switch that is powered whenever the key is on, and just leave the switch on unless I want the fan off (water crossing, etc). Any thoughts or reasons this wouldn't work? Other than me being a dumbass and forgetting to turn the switch on one day... :dunce:
 
now while I did not replace my mechanical fan with an electric, I have put a manual switch on my electric fan and had good luck with it. I just wired it up through a relay and wired it into a factor style swicth and mounted it in one of the blanks on the dash so it does not stand out like a sore thumb. I always turn it on as soon as I have started the rig and never had any problems and if for some reason I forgot to turn it on, I have noticed that the rig was running a bit hot and then turned it on.
 
Ive done the same for my aux. fan, but I just turn it on when needed.

Wiring it will be easy, I just don't know if there's a reason I would need it to be temp controlled unless I got a 2 speed fan.
 
Re-read it. I said my temps are creeping up, and Im going to replace much of the cooling system. Since Im going to have it all torn apart to do that much, and since the mechanical fan is not known for it's longevity I should replace that as well. But since Im going to have to take it off, hell why not try out an electric fan in it's place.

The question isn't should I change it out, it's if I should run it all the time the engine (or key) is on, or do I need to run it off a thermostat?
 
The mechanical runs to some degree all the time the engine is running, so I don't see what harm will come from it.
The mechanical works to a lesser degree when the engine is cold but still works all the time the engine is running. Except for the electrical draw there is no real downside to running it constantly with the engine.
 
Thats what I was thinking, other than perhaps taking slightly longer to heat up when it's colder out...
 
Does anyone know what the CFM is on OEM electric fans an is there a difference in the years, mine is a 94 an I've already upgraded the fan clutch an radiator. Still having heating problems on long 10 + percent grades at low speeds. Are there 2 speed OEM fans?
 
There's no 2 speed oem fan that I've ever heard of for the xj. The later model curved s-blade fans are the highest flowing units though and they should be interchangeable on your 94.
 
OEM electric fan isn't that much. A decent amount, but the mech. fan pumps out a TON more. 98 is your shroud still there? Believe it or not it makes a huge difference. After putting mine back on it dropped the temps a steady 5 degrees. Granted, my cooling system is in peak condition.
 
Just run one fan off of the stock electric fan and run the other fan off a switch.

I would pick up a second electric fan and put it where the mech fan was.

The stock electric fan will run when its over 218 or when the ac is on and the other one can just run all the time off a switch.
 
IMO, the only reason to turn off a fan is if you are going through deep water. A properly functioning thermostat should maintain warmup and minimum temp so going to electrical should not hurt you.
 
Back
Top