Hey yall, long time no post.
I was reviewing some of the threads on the electric fan install. I don't know if I want to do it myself but I think its in my best interest to upgrade. My X is a 2002 with no A/C Fan just the Clutch Fan.
I live on a mountain at 5,200 feet in southern CA. Summer days can get up to 95 degrees. The problem is the drive up the hill. Literally you climb 1,000 feet in altitude the last 2 miles up to my house and even my driveway is about a 11% slope. When I pull in the temp gauge doesn't read above normal, but chugging up the hair pin curves at 20-25 MPH for that last two miles, she is hot. I let her run for a minute but the clutch fan doesn't seem to think the engine is all that hot. But just listen to the tinkling and groaning go one for 5 minutes after I shut her down. That much heat can't be good. If I had an electric fan at least I cold be sure it was cooling off for a minute before shutdown. When I pull in with my wife's car I let her idle until the electric fan shuts down.
So here's the questions to help me justify the expense:
Does the upgrade also gain any significant MPG or HP?
I read the postings from May this year. How did your electric fans stack up against the summer heat? Bottom line, those who have done the upgrade are you still happy?:noworries:

i have done it, and am still happy
a good electric fan does pull alot of electricity, i recommend upgrading the alternator
it only boosts the mpg and power when the fan is OFF, you really only need it when you are stopped
my electric fan is totally manual so it only turns on when i flip the switch
but i forgot to turn it off last week after i shut the engine down when i was pumping gas, in the time it took my to pump 15 gallons it drained my yellow top optima battery and i had to get jump started, i need to wire it so that it shuts off when the engine is off
i live in southeast texas so it gets hot, esp sitting it traffic tha tambient temp can get over 120 easily
but i must say, of all the tings ive done to my xterra, this was by far the most PIA mod ive ever done

let me add to his post... the reason it was the most PIA mod is becacuse zirgo sent him a faulty fan and it was giving him alot of trouble.... once he switched to the new fan he didnt have any problems....

I'm not quite sure I follow why there's no performance gain with an electric fan unless it's off. The alternator is going no matter what happens, but now the stock fan is out of the equation to sap HP. I can't remember if the fan belt goes with this mod too or if it's connected to something else important in 1st gens.

The electric load of the fan draws real physical load on the alternator.

1hp = 746 watts.

So if you have a 20 amp draw from the fan (no idea what those run, just a wild guess), 20 amps * 14.4 Volts (alternator output) = 288 watts.

288 watts = ~.4 hp

So while you have the fan turned off, you have all the normal horsies you should have. When you turn the fan on, you knock off nearly 1/2 a hp. Fairly negligible, but it's an added load nonetheless. At highway speed, there's no point in having a fan running as the air is already being shoved through the radiator - so you can turn the fan off and save that half a horse. If it's the front or the back of the horse, I dunno.

can someone post a link to that previous thread, when i do a search for RAD FAN it only searches for FAN :P