Running without a fan or shroud?

Jesus Freak

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I was digging around on the forum for something the other day and ran across a post where I believe it was @Thewespaul said he runs without a fan and shroud. And apparently in Texas heat. I'm was curious if that's legit, or is he a "wild man"?
 

Clb

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I'm Not gunna try it.
Just putting 2 stroke in it spikes my temps....
 

rreegg

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if someone intentionally runs without a fan i'd probably call b.s. but imagine it'd "get you home". better to run fanless than without coolant
 

u2slow

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My gas truck would overheat off-road (slow speeds) because it didn't have a shroud.
 

Jesus Freak

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Yeah, I really don't know. And I'd love for someone who knows to chime in. But old farm tractors, and I'm specifically thinking about Farmalls from the 40s and 50s don't have water pumps and they'll run all day and not get hot. It's called "thermosyphon" and the idea is a big radiator let's the water cool enough that as the hot water rises into the bottom of the radiator the cooler water is forced into the engine. They do have a fan though. Anyway, I tried looking it up again but I forgot what I was looking at and started chasing a rabbit that looked like a Ford truck and well, you know how it is.
 

Nero

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Engines back then were designed to run that way.
Engines nowadays need the thermal transfer.

I know when I first got my samurai, it overheated regularly without the fan shroud. Eventually busted the head gasket.

New gasket, and a shroud, runs at 200f max now.
 

Austin86250

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All the idis I’ve been around run pretty hot when it’s 90+ degrees out with ac rolling I wouldn’t want to take anything out of the cooling system that’s for sure
 

Cant Write

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@Jesus Freak don’t your pickups have AC? I am pretty sure I would melt in FL heat/humidity!!

That or the open air of one of your mowers, a sombrero, and a mister with an endless supply water.

But most likely a kiddy pool in the shade with me submerged and still panting.
 

hacked89

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It should have a fan. Unloaded in the 80 degree whether I’m seeing no difference shroud or not. For “fun” I would guess it would run unloaded below 230 with no fan based on the time i had the no coolant flow behavior.
 

u2slow

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If you take AC and auto trans out of the picture, and run light/empty.... I can see being able to get by much of the time without fan & shroud.
 

Jesus Freak

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@Jesus Freak don’t your pickups have AC? I am pretty sure I would melt in FL heat/humidity!!

That or the open air of one of your mowers, a sombrero, and a mister with an endless supply water.

But most likely a kiddy pool in the shade with me submerged and still panting.
No, my trucks don't have ac. My wife's car has ac and I've got her bronco set up for ac and I'll charge it in the next week or so. It's just how us old school Florida c-r-a-c-k-e-r-s live. The Yankees that immigrate here would die, just like how I'd freeze to death in the snow.
I do have elec windows though, and you can tell the natives because we drive with the window down and our head out like a dog.
 

ROCK HARVEY

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My truck came to me without a fan shroud, but I wouldn’t run without a fan. I do have a champion 3 core, which may or may not make a difference. I’d like to get a shroud, just because it’s scary reaching over that fan when it’s spinning! I’m thinking of painting the tips of the fan white or yellow like an airplane propeller just for safety.

Nero I’m jealous of your Sammy. I’ve always wanted one of those!
 

IDIBRONCO

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if someone intentionally runs without a fan i'd probably call b.s.
Get ready to start dialing my number!
If you take AC and auto trans out of the picture, and run light/empty.... I can see being able to get by much of the time without fan & shroud.
This is absolutely true. Remember that I almost exclusively drive on highways and not in town. My town driving is very limited. I also seldom pull very much at all and the A/C doesn't work. I ran mine without a fan or shroud for over a year. It started as an experiment in Jan '22. I was going out to Limon, CO on Feb 4 and wanted to see if I could get better fuel mileage while running blended (winter) fuel. If it did, I couldn't tell a difference. Inly twice did the coolant temps evet get to 220*. Once, I was in town and drove several blocks at about 25 MPH after already having the temps at 190 on the way there and I still had a piece of cardboard blocking about 1/3 of the radiator. The second time was later that summer. It was over 100* outside, there was a strong south wind, and I was facing north at a stop sigh while waiting for three cars to go by. Last October, while driving through Oklahoma City, I got caught in a traffic jam that was stand still for a couple of minutes. As I saw the traffic going slower and slower, I already had the windows rolled down, and I cranked the heater full blast. I was just about to shut off the engine in the stand still traffic, but the coolant only got to 215* before traffic started moving again. I did put the fan and shroud back on last February before I made my first trip to Texas because I knew better. I left the fan off for so long because of how quiet it was inside the cab without the fan. I still don't like how noisy it is inside the cab.
The moral of the story is, yes, you can run without a fan or shroud, but you'd better watch out how/where you drive and I wouldn't do it without an aftermarket temperature gauge. Wes also said that he would put the fan and shroud back on before he towed with the truck. Take that as advisement.
 

captain720

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I might take my fan off for winter, mostly highway and it will be between 0 and 25 degrees F all winter.
 

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