cooling fan(s)

milehighf150

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Location
Harmony NC
I've got a 1986 F150 302 and I'm wanting to put an electric cooling fan on it. I would like to find out what size to use and maybe even some good companies to look into. This truck is mostly a daily driver but i would like to get on some trails this summer. I have just recently installed a HD radiator and my fan shroud doesn't fit, which is the reason for wanting to with electric fans. It has a 6" lift w/ 35s and I do tend to drive the truck hard and it doesn't have A/C. Thanks in advance
 
I personally like summit racing's thermo controlled 16" fan...does a great job for the money..1 16" fan will be plenty with a 302 motor...
 
The taurus fan works good, but if you can find a 93-98 lincoln mark VIII (8) fan it is basically the same shape as the taurus fan but 2 inches bigger in diameter and pulls a little more air. Lots of guys on fullsizebronco.com run the mark 8 fan on F150s if you can find one i'd run that, if not the taurus fan is my next choice.

x2 on staying away from the summit/jegs/advance auto electric fans they will not keep even a mild v8 cool (personal experience speaking here.)
 
when you guys say taurus fan what year ranges should i look for? And also which cooling fan controller works good with them?
 
The 87? to 95 taurus fans have a more rectangular shroud to fit the radiator core better, and the 96+ (more rounded bodystyle) have two fans that look more like aftermarket round shroud fans. Either one works but I prefer the earlier fan since the shroud covers more of the radiator it pulls air through more of the core.

Just about any controller will work just make sure to wire the fan through a good relay (40 amp), letting the controller turn the relay on and the relay turn the fan on. I use a mega fuse holder (the big plastic fuses) with a 60 amp fuse also.
 
jph0913 said:
yeah a taurus fan is 2 speed.
Click to expand...

Not all are. Some of the v6's are and there are others. It's hit or miss as far as I've seen. The single speed fans are basically the "high" speed on the 2 speeds though and the two speed is the same as the mark VIII fan, or at least I'm 90% sure.
 
GubNi said:
IF you can find a volvo fan they are absolutely amazing how much air they can flow.
Click to expand...

x2, a friend uses one to cool the LT1 in his cab truck with the radiator in the rear.


I use a Taurus fan to cool the 302 in my cab truck. I am using a variable speed fan controller from DC Controls. It works good.

I've got the FK-50P kit. It looks like they have released a new controller specifically for the Taurus 2 spd fan that is cheaper than the controller I am running.
http://www.dccontrol.com/fancontrol.htm

As far as the Taurus fan goes, I think the 3.0 liter motor cars had the single speed fans, and the 3.8 liter motor cars had the two speed. That is what I seem to recall when I pulled mine from the JY several years ago. I think I paid $40 for my fan.
 
Before you go to the yard to grab a fan, search for 3G alternator swap on fullsizebronco.com. Your 86 truck will either have a 1G (first gen) alt with the external regulator thats about 40-65 amp or a 2G alt with two harness plugs which only put out 75 amp and are fire hazzards. The 3G alternator swap is pretty simple and you get a newer model alternator thats 130 amps and alot of the 3gs you can use come from the same taurus you get the fan from. Ive seen those fans pull anywhere from 20 amps to 60 amps depending on the fan motor condition so you need a stronger alternator to run it and the ignition/lights, etc and still charge the battery.

Its a little to detailed to go into here which is why I recommended the other site since there are several tech writeups about it over there.
 
hay man thanks for the info on the alternator. that hadn't even crossed my mind. From your description i have the 2G setup, and its about to go out. i checked out the 3G conversion and that seems to be the best way to go considering I have a speaker system and will install a winch in the future.
 
If you feel like drivin all the way down to Belmont, I'll give you a Taurus fan i've got lay'n around. PM me, I've gotta double check that it works. Its a double in perfect shape with the shroud.
IMG_1272.JPG



The other fan from the Taurus looks like this:
IMG_1275.JPG
 
i say get the lincoln mark VIII, i wanna say it pulls something like 4000cmf but dont quote me on it..
 
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