I finally got around to installing the dual electric fans I've had sitting around for months yesterday! As for power inprovements, I highly doubt I obtained the claimed 15-20 horsepower as has been previously estimated. I do feel a little bit of a difference though (wish I could have dynoed it to tell.) I'm also guessing that the stock belt fan weighed about 8 pounds. The fans are a bit on the loud side compared to the stock fan when they turn on. It sounds kind of cool though. You can't hear them from inside when driving or anything, but if you listen closely when idling with air off and no radio, you can hear them a little bit.
Installation took the better part of an afternoon, but my buddy and I were in no hurry, catching up a bit after his return from the honeymoon, and a couple trips to walmart/ taco bell. I had to go to walmart to get a screw type radiator clamp. The stock clamp does not grip enough to close fully with the temp sensor insterted into the radiator inlet.
Installation was easy, even with all the wiring going to the control unit, which I mounted to the side of the battery tray. Basically all you have to do is remove the stock fan and shroud (make sure you reattach the bolts on the fan pulley!). Then remove the radiator cover and undo the top radiator mounts. This will allow you to pull it forward to have some working room. Attach the electrics with supplied nylon bolts and nuts through the radiator. Reattach radiator and cover. Make all wiring connections. You're done!

FYI: If you hook up the a/c relay so the fans run with the a/c on, use the blue wire (wire number 3) on the 4 wire wiring harness going to the a/c compressor.

FYI2: I connected the ignition source lead(for control unit to read only when car is turned on) by running a wire from the tap of the 7.5 amp fuse underneath the drivers side dash, through a grommet in the firewall, and to the engine compartment. I had to undo the black plastic front left wheel mud guard? in order to pull the wire through. I had to do it this way because I couldn't find an ignition switch +12v source in the engine fuse/relay box (they were always all hot )

The only negative thing I notice is a very slight pulsating vibration when the fans turn on, has anyone else with the fans experienced this? I don't know what is causing it, but it is minor enough not to have to worry about it.
Hope this helps!

Tim

ps- if anyone else has these fans (oh yeah, they are flex-a-lite 210's), post some pics and feedback!
Thanks again awj

 

side view with control box mounted to side of battery tray.
(I know my wires and battery terminals/connections are a mess!, thats my next project to clean them up)

 

pic3

 

Nice work.

 

Let me know if you have any overheating problems as Summer comes up.

My local Supra TT tuner said that many electric fan setups he has done cause overheating in circumstances that are quite common in california, heat, traffic, and hard driving. He suggested the flexlites but recommended that I ditch the supplied thermo for a better model, upgrade the altenator etc.

Your vibration may be caused by the need for the altenator to crank harder and hence make the engine vibrate a tad....no big deal...but your altenator may be working overtime with the 30+ amp draw.

My final decision was to stay with the factory....

MW

 

I will keep you posted. I am anxious to see how they hold up in the hot summer weather here. It gets to almost 110 here a couple days a year, so I think that should be a good enough test for everyone.
I thought about the alternator thing too, that very well could be it.
I know there is an upgradeable alternator, but it's like 600 bucks. Do you know of any cheaper options (why is it so much anyway, special lexus application?) or anyone who re winds them?

Tim

 

One more thing pc... What, if any, upgraded control units are you talking about?

 

You can rewind the stock alt. Larger ones will work fine too. The application is not the most standard but you can find others to work well.

Controls: Just find a more accurate thermostat for it to kick on....otherwise you can be giving your car a slow death.

MW

 

I too have the flexalite fans sitting at home waiting to be installed with my new radiator. Everything that I've read indicated that there really were no issues with overheating when the fans are wired to be on all the time when the engine is running, independant of a thermostat. As far as the currrent draw, I know that there were initial concerns, but haven't the supra guys been doing this for awhile now? Folks with concerns have gone to an alternator upgrade, but there are many out there w/ the stock alternator. Based upon the inputs here, now I'm not so sure anymore.
Before I go ahead and do mine, does anyone know for sure?

 

The fans are controlled by the control unit which was included with my package. The control unit works with a sensor bulb that I placed in the radiator inlet. I can adjust the control to run the fans all the time all the way up to a very minimal run time. So, I wouldn't think the thermostat plays any role in this, right? I've been keeping an eye on the interior water temp guage too and it hasn't even surpassed the half way mark since I installed them.

Can you give me any links to upgraded alternator sites for our sc's? I don't really want to spend $600 for the one I've seen.

Thanks
Tim

 

Lookin' good tg.....

 

Nice work.

-Anthony

 

Tim,

Great post. Thanks for the pictures and insight to your install. /could you please give us an update six months after your project, now that summer's over? Thanks

 

Email notifications must be down again, I just stumbled across this

Anyway, for the update..... I'm still very happy with the fans. Throughout the enire summer, which reached to about 108 degrees here in OKC (with a few weeks in the the 100's), the car temp guage still never went above half way- even with the a/c on max cold and running full time.
The only problem I had so far was the fans quit running. This was traced to the fuse holder which got too close to the radiator, melted, and killed the fuse. After wiring a new fuse holder and putting in a new fuse (and slightly relocating), I'm good to go again.

 

You sure the fuse holder melted from being too close to the radiator?
Just messin'.