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Thread: flex-a-lite or '05 fans?

  1. 08-16-2005 10:39 PM #1
    UCLArmyGUY
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    I've decided that the next upgrade going into my truck is going to be the efans. I'm tending to favor the flex-a-lite fans over the '05 or camaro fans becuase I wouldnt have to upgrade to a larger radiator. Also I've read that the draw on the electrical system is substantially less with the flex-a-lite fans than the others. Is this all correct? It seems more ppl seem to go with the '05 fans... is there something I'm missing? Any downsides with the flex-a-lite fans? Do the flex-a-lite fans require retuning the PCM(is there a way around it?)? I also think an alternator upgrade wouldn't hurt since I'm always running around with the A/C on and I have a 2000W amp under the back seat. Any thoughts on that or recomendations on that? Delphi's alts caught my eye. What does everyone else run and what can I learn from your setups? thanks...

    ohh yea one more thing... how would a 160 degree thermostat play into all this?
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  2. 08-20-2005 10:32 AM #2
    aklim
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    The problem with the 05 fans is that they are NOT a complete kit. You will need the harness to make it work. Nelson has it for $90. Also it would require a computer reprogram to make it work. However, you are already going or headed that ways anyway since you need to have a reprogram to make the most of what you got.

    The Flex-a-lite fans have a VSC (Variable Speed Control) unit to make it work. i don't like it as much because it would be doing it with a sensor behind the radiator and not taking the actual fluid temps. The plus side is you don't have to retune your ECM. You could also get the fans alone and have the Nelson harness make it computer controlled. Several people have said they had problems with the VSC
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  3. 10-12-2005 11:22 PM #3
    metalmulisha777
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    05s are sweet ... id get em but my radiators too small and they take a lot of juice... i didnt want to buy a new alt
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  4. 10-14-2005 02:27 PM #4
    BlenderWizard
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    Originally posted by UCLArmyGUY@Aug 16 2005, 08:39 PM
    I&#39;ve decided that the next upgrade going into my truck is going to be the efans. I&#39;m tending to favor the flex-a-lite fans over the &#39;05 or camaro fans becuase I wouldnt have to upgrade to a larger radiator. Also I&#39;ve read that the draw on the electrical system is substantially less with the flex-a-lite fans than the others. Is this all correct? It seems more ppl seem to go with the &#39;05 fans... is there something I&#39;m missing? Any downsides with the flex-a-lite fans? Do the flex-a-lite fans require retuning the PCM(is there a way around it?)? I also think an alternator upgrade wouldn&#39;t hurt since I&#39;m always running around with the A/C on and I have a 2000W amp under the back seat. Any thoughts on that or recomendations on that? Delphi&#39;s alts caught my eye. What does everyone else run and what can I learn from your setups? thanks...

    ohh yea one more thing... how would a 160 degree thermostat play into all this?
    Yeah, most everyone who has e-fans has had to upgrade the 105 amp alternator. The only person I knew of who did not upgrade his alt, had to get his idle RPM bumped up to keep the alt turning fast enough. F-body fans do fit the standard 28" radiator. If you look at the flex a lites for the 28" radiator and look at a set of the F-body fans, they look nearly identical. The flex a lites can be seen here:
    http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html...-electric.html
    Now, most people tend to think of going with these:
    http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/282-99815.pdf
    but, if you notice, they only fit a 34" radiator, like the factory &#39;05 e-fans. I am currently running my clutch fan, as it is a considerable amount of money to buy a set of e-fans (say &#036;100 for F-body fans, &#036;90 for Nelson harness, and then &#036;150 or so for a new alt). Another advantage to running F-body fans is that if one or both motors should crap out, you can get replacement motors at the auto parts. Anyway, a 160º t-stat can be added at any point (I am also running one of these).

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  5. 10-16-2005 01:32 PM #5
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    gearheadnate
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    The flex a lite fans are noisier that OE style. My buddy had a 98 Z71 with flex a lite fans, they sounded like a buzz saw. Also he ended up installing a sensor in the head to run the fans, the variable thermostat would not turn on in situations when air flow was low or not at all.
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  6. 01-30-2006 07:20 PM #6
    Silvette_02
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    Forgive my stupidity, but could you wire up flex-a-lites to a simple toggle on/off switch? No VSC, no reprogram.

    Seems to easy, I&#39;m missing something?

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