Clutch fan/shroud VS. E-fans

[Rittmeister]

I've done a bunch of searching and have some specific questions.

I'm considering switching from my electric fan setup to a clutch fan and shroud. The car runs fine the way it is but this would simplify things from an electrical standpoint, and supposedly the clutch fan works better. This is an S13, with S13 SR, S15 turbo, FMIC, Koyo rad, and currently Altima fans controlled by a Pivot controller. Car still has AC. As long as the car is moving I usually see coolant temps in the 70s and low 80s Celsius, as measured by the Pivot display, and the commander on my PowerFC, though they almost never read the same for some reason. Of course if I'm in stop and go traffic the temps rise until the fans kick on. It has NEVER overheated and rarely goes over 90 C unless I have the AC on.

Questions:

1. Is there a way to install the shroud and fan without draining/removing the radiator?

2. How much more difficult does maintenance become with the shroud installed - especially changing belts?

3. Here's the real kicker - for those that have AC, does the clutch fan work much better? What temps do you see, especially sitting still, with the AC on?

Alternatively, has anyone found or made some kind of custom shroud, that's easier to work with?

Thanks for any input.

[JDMslide180]

imo, it seems alot simpler to just get rid of the clutch fan and just run electric fans...

i also think that the engine bay looks way cleaner without it. i have never had overheating issues...

good luck...

[burnsauto]

clutch fan is more consistent as far as what temperature it kicks in at, and along with the shroud, does a damn good job at keeping things cool. Efans arent too bad if your looking to get rid of some parasitic drain/clean up the bay a little.

[BoostedCoupe]

1. Yes, it is very easy to do.

2. Changing the belts with a clutch fan isnt really that difficult, if you have trouble doing it you could always remove the fan its self befor changing the belts.

3. In my cars the temps are way diffrent. My s13 has a tarus fan and my temps stay around 200-190. My s14 has a clutch fan with shorud and temps are 140-170. The clutch fan is better i think, because it increase it's speed when the motor does. So when the motor is produceing more heat the clutch fan is trying to cool more. Where the e-fan runs the same speed nomatter what. Which is why the temp usually stays at a certain temp.

[singlecamslam]

You're gonna have to probably take the radiator out. If you have A/C you need to have an A/C fan infront of your clutch fan, at least thats what i would do.

[Rittmeister]

BoostedCoupe, can you elaborate on how to install the shroud and fan?

[yeti303]

for the radiator ..just un hook the top hose and cut the bottom of the shroud to fit around the lower rad. hose so that u dont have to disconnect the line and fluid go all over the ground lol thats what im guna do with mine

[TravisSW]

You can do it with the radiator in place, I've done it, just work some magic.

But it did help that I had a girl working with me who has smaller arms/hands to help angle stuff out better.

[BoostedCoupe]

BoostedCoupe, can you elaborate on how to install the shroud and fan?
If you are asking about the tarus fan its very easy. The fan and shroud are made as one. The 90-94? tarus fans fit with very little triming, pretty much all you need to so remove your old fan shroud and fan then put the tarus fan on the rad and ziptie it. The wireing is very simple to. Its just a simple two wire fan.

[singlecamslam]

Do you guys use regular zipties for your e-fans? or do you use those special radiator ones.

[hayai_240]

I cut my shroud in half actually so that I could take it on and off really easily and it's still fully functional

[Rittmeister]

BoostedCoupe - why would I ask about the Taurus fan? This whole thread is about the clutch fan and shroud. I tried the stock shroud on my Koyo a few years back and couldn't get it to fit properly at the time (I was much more newb then), which is part of the reason I have electric fans now. I tried a Taurus fan but didn't like it. Too much amp draw, and it occurred to me that if it quit I would be fan-less, whereas with the dual Altima setup if one dies I at least have the other to get me home.

You say it's easy to get the shroud on - how?

Hayai - did you cut it vertically or horizontally, or what? I thought about this but didn't have the guts to try it at the time.

[zaneithan]

i just changed over to clutch fan and shroud from FAL dual fans and love it, driving temp stays solid at 167 +- 5 degrees, even in heavy heat and traffic, its so great.

as far as fitting the shroud? i had no trouble getting it to fit with my koyo radiator, used zipties on the sides with two bolts at the top, the fan was a bit of a pain in the ass to get in but it all worked out

[ericcastro]

1. Yes, it is very easy to do.

2. Changing the belts with a clutch fan isnt really that difficult, if you have trouble doing it you could always remove the fan its self befor changing the belts.

3. In my cars the temps are way diffrent. My s13 has a tarus fan and my temps stay around 200-190. My s14 has a clutch fan with shorud and temps are 140-170. The clutch fan is better i think, because it increase it's speed when the motor does. So when the motor is produceing more heat the clutch fan is trying to cool more. Where the e-fan runs the same speed nomatter what. Which is why the temp usually stays at a certain temp.

If you get a temp sensor for whatever temp you want your car to max at.
Run the 2nd speed of that taurus fan on that.
You will never have a problem.
That 2nd speed on the taurus fan is pretty intesnse i hear.
Gonna hook mine up soon, just need the 50amp fuse crap.
Taurus fans are 2 speeds and meant to be run as such.

[dori_sil8t]

im going back to clutch fan set up.. 14" fan isnt cutn it anymore...

[D.Bo]

wat shroud are yall using? im think of switchin back to fan clutch.

[BoostedCoupe]

BoostedCoupe - why would I ask about the Taurus fan? This whole thread is about the clutch fan and shroud. I tried the stock shroud on my Koyo a few years back and couldn't get it to fit properly at the time (I was much more newb then), which is part of the reason I have electric fans now. I tried a Taurus fan but didn't like it. Too much amp draw, and it occurred to me that if it quit I would be fan-less, whereas with the dual Altima setup if one dies I at least have the other to get me home.

You say it's easy to get the shroud on - how?

Hayai - did you cut it vertically or horizontally, or what? I thought about this but didn't have the guts to try it at the time.
Installing a sr clutch fan is just as easy as it is on a ka. use the sr fan shroud and the ka fan fits the sr aswell i think. Putting the shroud on with the rad still in the car is not that hard. just wiggle it around.

[Om1kron]

There was a huge thread covering this already.

http://zilvia.net/f/tech-talk/236578-clutch-fan-delete-dos-donts.html?highlight=electric+fans

http://zilvia.net/f/tech-talk/173441-electric-fan-info-inside.html

[zaneithan]

wat shroud are yall using? im think of switchin back to fan clutch.

oem sr20 fan shroud

[Row]

From my experience with fan clutch and shroud, its working fine without any overheating problems. I'm going to assume you have a 53mm aluminum Koyo rad, since the radiator is a bit much beefier than oem, yes you do have to modify the plastic shroud by trimming the shroud were the fan hits hits it. changing belts with that setup is a breeze, since there's still room to get your hands around.

[Yulaw]

You'll need to cut a bit of plastic off of the side of the shroud if you're running a/c. There's a little a/c canister that gets in the way of the fan shroud.

[Row]

You'll need to cut a bit of plastic off of the side of the shroud if you're running a/c. There's a little a/c canister that gets in the way of the fan shroud.


receiver drier is the name of that little guy