How much power/horsepower does a clutch fan drain? Do I really need it?
If it does suck alot of power is there another option/ repacement fan?
That is going to depend on the fan, the type of clutch (standard, heavy duty, or super duty), and engaged or disengaged.
Worst: fixed-blade fan.
Not so bad: flex-blade fan.
Better: heavy duty fan clutch, 80-90 % shaft speed engaged, 30 % disengaged.
Better still: standard duty fan clutch, 60-70 % shaft speed, 30 % disengaged.
And the winner for lowest HP drain is: electrical fan.
That said, auxiliary fans are just that--auxiliary. If you want to do an electrical fan conversion then you need to move a lot of CFMs to replace a mechanical fan and clutch setup.
If you have the bad "goodies"--a/c, auto trans, towing, serious wheeling--then you are already stretching the limits of the XJ cooling system.
You need to move something in the neighborhood of 5000 CFMs.
The Taurus fan conversion is probably the best way to go if you just gotta have that extra HP for racing.