'93 P30 454 Electric Cooling Fan Conversion

[Eyez Open]

That would be a good starting point, high rake fan blades along with the blade tips very close to the housing. Very efficient moving air or water, they keep cavitation at a minimum. Now you need to pressurize/direct that air flow to the entire surface area of the radiator, just as there are hot spots there are cold spots. It would be interesting to determine how much effective cooling surface of the radiator is left out of the process when a fan is placed in close proximenty to the cooling area. Once a effective cooling system is built then there is amperage draw needed to run that much air displacement. GM long ago setup a system that required about 15/25 hp to cool a engine..somethings just do not change.

As to high rake blades...you can see them and google them..submarines have used them for a very long time.

The above is strictly a opinion your mileage will vary of course.

[eXodus]

the old Mechanical Fans are just very inefficient.  Fuel was cheap remember.

When you in comparison look at modern GM fan blade:


Those draw much less power then the metal things our old RVs got under the hood.

And electric fans are even better - even a high power fan - doesn't draw more then like 40A - which translates  40a x 12V  = 480W   - so when you got two of those - you are looking at not even 1 kw -  which is like 0.8HP  - even when assuming the alternator is only 50% efficient - we are always looking at less then 2hp  for a electric fan setup.

Lot's of free horses and torque vs the mechanical fan.

[Mlw]

Hey Willy,

Well that's why were all on this forum, to discuss and learn from each others mistakes. My mistake was to buy an RV that actually should have been scrapped. However I'm in way to deep to give up now. Let's just hope that it will be worth it in the end.

I also hear you about not getting specific specifications about dimensions etc. Yep, a problem we all have. What I do is look for the price and then ask myself if I mind loosing the money if the product is not right. I have to because I live in the Netherlands and sending a wrong product back would cost me more then ditching the product. But you live in America so you can send the product back for normal delivering fees or even free?. Until now, ordering most parts at Rock Auto who have an excellent specification system if you asked me, the only thing I received wrong was the powersteering belt worth $2.50. Oh, and an exhaust pipe worth $16,=. I made use of a forwarding company, and they wanted to charge me $500,= extra because it was oversized. I don't think i have to say that i ditched the pipe. I think €18.50 loss on orders worth $1500,= isn't bad and the price we have to pay in a world were online shops are taking over.

So as you see you are not alone and we all have our little mishappenings fixing up our RV.

And: as I am the Devils advocate on this topic allready

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqxwUgFJ6n8


I've bought a viscous clutch for the fan of my Betsy, they also make sure that your fan doesn't turn at the same speed as your engine but just as fast as needed. then follow the tip of exodus and put an electric one in front of the radiator. I have a setup like this in my BMW e39. The fan clutch makes the fan spin but not crazy fast. When the engine gets warm or I turn the AC on the electric fans kick in. And when it really gets hot like this summer than the Viscous coupling goes in "turbo mode" and your hear the fanblade whining. but as far as I know never goes over 2500 RPM and the temp gauge is always in the middle as it should with a BMW, so why shouldn't this work on a Chevy.

[Rickf1985]

It has probably been a couple years since I last posted on here but I happened by and saw this thread and figured I would throw in my two cents. You are not going to find any electric fans from the aftermarket that will cool a 454 motorhome! Will not happen. If you really feel you have to go electric then go to a junkyard and get a fan from a 90's Ford Crown Victoria, preferably an old police car. They move 10 times more than any aftermarket fan and if for some reason the motor goes bad you can get a new one in any parts store anywhere. That said, you will need a full shroud that goes from side to side of the radiator and with all of those coolers in front of the radiator you will need at least two electrics out there also. That was the stock configuration of the 80's-90's motorhomes. You are best suited to replace the fan and fan clutch with the original belt driven parts and find a replacement shroud though. That belt driven fan will move a couple thousand CFM, more than any electric. And it will fit the shroud. That shroud is not in that bad of shape from the pictures. Top and bottom are normally two parts split at the center so it is broken at top center and bottom center right? Aluminum flashing, epoxy and pop rivets will fix it right up but I can pretty much guarantee you could find one in a junkyard out of a pickup or another motorhome. As far as the temp sensor for the fan I usually drill and tap the thermostat housing for a short sensor and put it in there and use one that come on at no more than 200 degrees. I prefer it to come on just above thermostat opening.

[eXodus]

Great to see Rick back

There are aftermarket electric fans for almost any applications. Even modern Semi trucks come with Electric Fans.

It's not cheap to go electric by any means if you go aftermarket.  But like you said - the junkyard can be the solution. They charge a single price per fan

[Potatochip P30]

I know it's an old thread but this may help someone out later.
I got rid of at least 50 pounds of weight getting rid of that brass boat anchor radiator, upper/lower mounting brackets,shrouds and fan clutch. Used a 3 row aluminum radiator for the 1999-2012 Sierra,Yukon, Silverado series and the double electric fan setup from any of those vehicles that had the HD towing package. The core is HUGE in width ( 40") compared to the original radiator but it only takes minor fabricating of angle aluminum and a couple of 3x3 box sections 3-4 inches long and no welding. You will be mounting it way further fwd resting on the front frame crossbeam
A 200 degree on/185 off temp switch controls one fan and the second switch is 210/195 for the second fan... it never comes on.
I also can literally poke my head up thru the bottom and change the belt, water pump or access anything on the front of the motor without removing.
Underway the fan never comes on and will maintain 190- 195 and with the fans on manual it will get to 180 where the thermostat keeps it there.
Well worth the hassle of installing and about $500 total in parts- sweat equity not included. You probably cannot even get the brass one repaired under that price plus you can go to any parts store and buy an OEM replacement radiator for $200 out on the road.

Rick is spot on about the fans - the best single fan setup is the 2 speed late 80's - 95 3.8 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable units and they outperform just about all the aftermarket ones almost like 4600 cfm. It was the only fan that could keep my pro street Vega under 220 in Florida summer stop and go traffic.

[Potatochip P30]

Also for those needing another temp sensor location they sell these inline radiator hose temp switch adapters on Amazon, flea bay and Jegs and summit racing

[Eyez Open]

I know it's an old thread but this may help someone out later.
I got rid of at least 50 pounds of weight getting rid of that brass boat anchor radiator, upper/lower mounting brackets,shrouds and fan clutch. Used a 3 row aluminum radiator for the 1999-2012 Sierra,Yukon, Silverado series and the double electric fan setup from any of those vehicles that had the HD towing package. The core is HUGE in width ( 40") compared to the original radiator but it only takes minor fabricating of angle aluminum and a couple of 3x3 box sections 3-4 inches long and no welding. You will be mounting it way further fwd resting on the front frame crossbeam
A 200 degree on/185 off temp switch controls one fan and the second switch is 210/195 for the second fan... it never comes on.
I also can literally poke my head up thru the bottom and change the belt, water pump or access anything on the front of the motor without removing.
Underway the fan never comes on and will maintain 190- 195 and with the fans on manual it will get to 180 where the thermostat keeps it there.
Well worth the hassle of installing and about $500 total in parts- sweat equity not included. You probably cannot even get the brass one repaired under that price plus you can go to any parts store and buy an OEM replacement radiator for $200 out on the road.

Rick is spot on about the fans - the best single fan setup is the 2 speed late 80's - 95 3.8 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable units and they outperform just about all the aftermarket ones almost like 4600 cfm. It was the only fan that could keep my pro street Vega under 220 in Florida summer stop and go traffic.

Now that engine bay has some serious tinkering going on. Perhaps a thread is in order here. Speaking for a friend of course....

[Potatochip P30]

Nothing crazy just a drop in 8.1 ( 496ci)  vortec motor linked to the 4L80 trans.
Had a tick noise on the 454 which ended up being piston slap on no 7 and since I had the trans pulled back, flex plate off, oil pan removed in the search for the noise... an 8.1 kinda just fell in there one night  lol.
I really didn't go too crazy taking pics but I will post some in a bit, just have to dumb them down in size to be able to upload here