My rad is starting to come apart, so it needs to be replaced. I also broke my fan shroud <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/zombie.gif" alt="" /> last time I took it off. I want to know if I could fit a 3.0 radiator in place of my stock one.

I've got a 3" body lift and have the rad drop brackets on there now. That might give some more room at the top, or I could remove the brackets and go back to stock location. The local junkyard has Taurus electric fans for $20 so I'm planning on getting one of those to address the shroud issue. It would also be nice to be able to shut the fan off for the deep water.

Sound like a good plan?

I'm not a 'fan' of electric fans... teehee... but yep, the 3.0 rad will bolt right in and is a worthy upgrade. Radiator.com is a good source, ask for their internet price if you call them.

I don't like the electrics either.
Check with radiatorbarn for the specs of the core. Usually the larger radiators are deeper at the bottom as well as slightly thicker.

Why don't you guys like the electrics? I have one in the garage waiting to be installed along with an adjustable thermostat and relay.

You get less drag when you do away with the stock mech fan/clutch, and you can turn them off in water crossings.

Only downside I can see is the current draw on the alternator, but I would have to imagine it's not that much, and the loss of the drag from the mech fan would make up for it as far as engine power.

I found the electrics to be less reliable than the fan clutch, at least in an add-on form. The temp. switch is very sensitive to where it is mounted. If I were going to do it again, I would probably have a threaded fitting installed in the radiator and have a screw-in radiator fan switch installed like they use in many FWD passenger cars. That is how my VW fan is run and they are very reliable.

Good idea on the screw in switch. I guess you could source one from a VW, and run a relay to it.

What's the ideal on/off temps for a 3.0?

Sorry for the thread hijack!

I don't mind, after all these are issues I'm going to be dealing with. Better to know up front before I drop any coin.

this fan bolted right into my 1982 4x4
http://store.summitracing.com/partd...5&N=700+115&autoview=sku

i also ordered 2 of these thermo switches and installed them in the intake manifold in the 2 holes just to the right of the thermostat.
http://store.summitracing.com/partd...0&N=700+115&autoview=sku

if one fails the other one will continue cycling the fan.

YIKES! $220! The Taurus fan (from a Ford Taurus at the junkyard) costs $20 and does just as good of a job.

The main problem with electric fans, is the reliability and the attention the installer gives to the details. I have seen more e-fans cause over heating issues on the trail caused by poor installations than anything else. When properly installed(oem) style the electric fan should run fine, and not have any reliability issues.



Not exactly as good. The Flex-a-lite Black magic fans have an adjustable thermostat built in them that sits right next to the radiator. All you have to do is set it to the temp you want the fan to come on at and you are done. It also bolts right up to the Rad support, not wired to the radiator like the cheaper after market or Taurus fans are, and comes with its own heavy duty relay. Yes it costs $200 more than teh junkyard fan, but it is worth it. I have been running my Black magic since '98 and haven't ever had any problems with it.