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Old 06-20-2013, 12:35 PM   #3
markeb01
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Spokane Valley, WA
Posts: 8,356
Re: electric fan vs shroud

Mechanical or electric fan really doesn’t make that much difference, it’s a matter of how much air either one can move through the radiator that counts. The shroud needs to reach every corner of the radiator core so the fan can pull cooling air through every square inch. And it needs to be designed deep enough to allow generous airflow through the radiator at highway speeds, when forward motion should assist in cooling the engine.

I have a Flex-a-Lite Black Magic electric fan on mine. It works adequately where I live, because it normally doesn’t get very hot around here. But the built in shroud only covers about 2/3’s of radiator core which would do very little good in your climate.

For years I’ve read you should never do away with the mechanical fan since it will always be there working after an electric fan burns out leaving you stranded. In truth, I’ve never seen or heard of an electric fan failing in the last 20 years. They are standard in many/most new cars now, and are as reliable as modern power windows.

I’d suggest finding a shroud that completely covers your radiator as the first priority, for either style fan. If that doesn’t fix the problem you may have to consider stepping up to a more efficient radiator.
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