Running without a fan or shroud?

[03wr250f]

@IDIBRONCO hit it on the head. Yes you can
Should you, imo no
But he also goes over the cause and effect of removing the fan.

 

[rreegg]

Get ready to start dialing my number!

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.

Haha alright fair enough! Seems the experiment paid off and good to know. Not sure the fan even works on my TDI and don't think ever heard it turn on.

Recently stopped to check on a guy pulled on the side of hwy 5, hauling a bunch of pvc with a flatbed mercedes 6cyl diesel. His shroud assembly got mangled somehow and he was trying to take it and the fan off. The only relevant tools I had was a flush cut hand saw so gave it to him to cut off the shoud, mentioned he'd probably/hopefully be fine on the freeway for the rest of his trip. He mentioned his 6cyl has had way more problems than the 5cyl ha.

This was south of redding, ca and he was trying to get to astoria, or - curious how that'd be going through the passes with no fan though to be honest

 

[Jesus Freak]

Thanks @IDIBRONCO . If I only pull hay with my tow truck, then it really might be an option for the dually. It's just my driver anyway.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Thanks @IDIBRONCO . If I only pull hay with my tow truck, then it really might be an option for the dually. It's just my driver anyway.

It's up to you. I don't really recommend it, but it can be done.

Seems the experiment paid off and good to know.

It really didn't. It was to see if I could get better fuel mileage without it, but I couldn't tell any difference. maybe if I had kept track of exact mileage and fuel usage, I could have, but it was really only for one trip. I just enjoyed the quiet cab so I didn't put it back on for a while.

 

[Old Goat]

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.

From now on, we`ll just refer to you as a "Saltine".


Goat

 

[Old Goat]

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.

They use to throw VW Diesel`s in them....
Wonder if they ran cooler than the gasser engine?


Goat

 

[david85]

For a few years, I made it a routine to remove the fan during winter, then put it back on by the time I wanted to use the A/C again (late spring). Most of my driving was highway back then, or short trips around town. It made a noticeable fuel economy difference during the warmup cycle, because the ($%*&_#$%@#(^%_)&+_%#$ ING fan clutch is forever locked when stone cold. Pardon my "french" but I'm still salty years after replacing the fan clutch, only to have the same counter-intuitive behavior (full locked on cold-start, gradually lets go after warming up and sustained 2000RPM, then works normally for the rest of the day. It made for a 1 to 3 MPG difference when I removed the clutch, just because of this stupid behavior).

But yes, for highway or freeway cruising in weather without a heavy load or lots of stop and go traffic, it worked great. There were the occasional moments when temp started to climb but anything over 20MPH was usually enough to bring it back down.

 

[Jesus Freak]

From now on, we`ll just refer to you as a "Saltine".


Goat

That's right Goat, according to Jesus, I try to be a "salty c-r-a-c-k-e-r" Matthew 5:13.

 

[Old Goat]

That's right Goat, according to Jesus, I try to be a "salty c-r-a-c-k-e-r" Matthew 5:13.

Yes! Your are correct.

Goat

 

[fordw60s]

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.

With you on this, My first F150 never came with a/c since it came from Kentucky. I grew up in Southwest Louisiana and so even to this day always drive my vehicles with the drivers window down even if it is 100+ degrees when I am now in deep east Texas heat just like before. that F150 I drove it for 12 years and always had the drivers window and back glass open but everything was manual, my F350 now is electric so it is nice to actually have 2 windows open lol

 

[Booyah45828]

Those thermosiphon cooling systems worked because the systems were designed around it and were so large compared to the heat created. A lot of your lister diesels operate the same way. Your truck would never operate that way because the convectional coolant flow isn't fast enough to do it.

You can run without a fan in certain scenarios. No load and cold weather and you likely will struggle to get warm. Diesel engines typically run cool at idle compared to a gas engine, because of the large amount of air being consumed and exhausted compared to a gas engine. Even in summer temps you can likely have enough air flow at speed to keep the engine cool. But if you haul anything, or travel at low speeds, there won't be enough heat rejection from the radiator and you can boil over quickly. Running the AC will also require a fan of some sort, as that is a large producer of heat as well.

I'm not sure I'd run without a fan at all. I'd at least put a small electric unit on it to give you a little air flow when you're slow or stopped. You won't be able to pull a 3 axle 5th wheel like that. But if you don't pull anything with it, have no AC, and live in a moderate climate, there's no reason a small e-fan wouldn't keep up.

 

[Booyah45828]

I forgot, but some of your model t's didn't have water pumps also. They were low powered, had a big enough radiator, and the radiator had enough rise over the engine that they allowed the thermosiphon to work.

 

[Cant Write]

@fordw60s @Jesus Freak i grew up without AC in the car or the house. Now laugh it up ........But South Dakota does get pretty hot and humid in the summer. I use to keep the windows just cracked or wear ear plugs cause the wind noise gets to my head. I do not enjoy going to bed with no covers and still nearly naked .....SWEATING myself to sleep

I’ve become a weakling!! Course now I live where you don’t need AC!

 

[Jesus Freak]

With you on this, My first F150 never came with a/c since it came from Kentucky. I grew up in Southwest Louisiana and so even to this day always drive my vehicles with the drivers window down even if it is 100+ degrees when I am now in deep east Texas heat just like before. that F150 I drove it for 12 years and always had the drivers window and back glass open but everything was manual, my F350 now is electric so it is nice to actually have 2 windows open lol

I was loving it when I scored an electric window set up for my dually. I have a fantasy of making the back doors elec one day. Then my 2-55 system will be upgraded to a 4-55 system and I'll be in high cotton for sure!

 

[Jesus Freak]

@fordw60s @Jesus Freak i grew up without AC in the car or the house. Now laugh it up ........But South Dakota does get pretty hot and humid in the summer. I use to keep the windows just cracked or wear ear plugs cause the wind noise gets to my head. I do not enjoy going to bed with no covers and still nearly naked .....SWEATING myself to sleep

I’ve become a weakling!! Course now I live where you don’t need AC!

I definitely don't judge anyone for such things, now if you were one of these "carpet bagging yankees" that come to my presious south and pick on me for acting like us natives act........then I would pass judgement....