Flex-a-lite fan kit for '04

Chad H · March 11, 2004

Hey guys,

My Flex-a-lite kan kit should be in from Tbyrne motorsports today!! I was wondering if this is a do-it-yourself job or not? If somebody has done it, post your opinions please!! Any special surprises that I should know about or anything like that? Chime in!!

Thanks,

Chad

Chad H · March 11, 2004

Anybody??

redvett · March 11, 2004

Its a waste of good money. GM spends lots of money to get good HP. & fuel economy out of there vehicles. If it was any good they would be using it.

silverado4800 · March 11, 2004

Im sure they shouldn't be hard to install with just basic mechanical skills. I plan on doing the same once i get enough cash or even set up a system myself that is cheaper. Im sure your will be rewareded with better mileage and power. Good luck

stlmaj · March 12, 2004

Hey guys,
My Flex-a-lite kan kit should be in from Tbyrne motorsports today!! I was wondering if this is a do-it-yourself job or not? If somebody has done it, post your opinions please!! Any special surprises that I should know about or anything like that? Chime in!!

Thanks,

Chad

Yes this job is very easy!! But it does take a couple of hours. You will need to remove the upper radiator shroud then the fan itself and at last the lower shroud. When installing the new fan make sure you pay attention to the direction that the fans are spinning and pulling air. If the fans are turning the wrong direction swap the power leads going to the fans not the power leads going to the VSD. Good luck with the install.

As to the comment "Its a waste of good money. GM spends lots of money to get good HP. & fuel economy out of there vehicles. If it was any good they would be using it." LOL Anyways I noticed an increase in power from my butt dyno and a slight increase in gas mileage.

Matt

redvett · March 12, 2004

I dont know what the Flex-a-lite fan kit costs but take that price and figure how many miles you have to drive to see it pay off. So far a tonneau cover and Mobil 1 oil help the most on mileage. I buy a new Silveradp 4x4 EXT cab every 18 months and the increase is immediate and a lot cheaper to recover in costs.

DMAX Daddy · March 12, 2004

I roughly figured if you get 2MPG better its ~ 22,400 mile payback.

480 miles/full 30 gal tank vs 420 miles/full 30 gal tank. (16mpg instead of 14mpg, my current average)

That means instead of 10 tanks of fuel, you only need 8.75.

So thats (at current prices of $2 a gallon) 1 1/4 tank of fuel saved ($60per tank, $75 total) every roughly 4200 miles.

($400 (cost of fan) / $75 ) x 4200 miles = 22,400 miles

Now for Redvett, trading in every 18 months this wouldnt pay back. For anyone keeping it longer it will.

IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF your mpg gets 2mpg better.

stlmaj · March 12, 2004

I dont know what the Flex-a-lite fan kit costs but take that price and figure how many miles you have to drive to see it pay off. So far a tonneau cover and Mobil 1 oil help the most on mileage. I buy a new Silveradp 4x4 EXT cab every 18 months and the increase is immediate and a lot cheaper to recover in costs.

Good enough.. I plan to keep mine and most of the mods you see people doing require them to keep their trucks for awhile to recoup the cost. As for most of us we are just looking for more power and use the increase in MPG to justify spending the money. I felt the electric fans really add some HP I could fell the difference and there was a slight MPG increase. To be honest the electric fans, exhaust, power programmer and K&N gained some MPG but I lost alot going to 285's I hate to see how many gas station I could pass up had I just changed the tires and had not done everything else. Remember every vehicle has room to be improved upon.

Matt.

redvett · March 12, 2004

To DMAX Daddy,

I take my tonneau cover off when i sell my truck and put it on my next one. This cuts my costs.

As for the Flex-a-lite fan have you tried it and know that it will save that much?

Where do you get this fan and is it electric?

DMAX Daddy · March 12, 2004

Redvett,

I figured you did that with the tonneau. Like you said, it pays for itself quick.

The fan was in Jegs and Tom Byrne sells it. Propaganda is 2 to 3 MPG, ~15HP, and ~20ft/lbs of torque. Price is about $400. I do not know if the increase is that great. I have trouble believing a fan will get you 2 to 3 MPG better.

Im a pessimist, I automatically only believe about 1/4 of the gains on anything. Volant said big HP/TQ increase for the intake. Corsa said big HP/TQ increase for the exhaust. Right now my truck is supposed to have 60 more HP (20% increase from stock), but it still runs the same 0 to 60 after the mods.

I think I WILL eventually get an electric fan because of one thing. LA traffic. The fans can turn on and spin to cool me down while sitting in traffic, where I would have to put the truck in neutral and rev the engine with an engine driven fan. During the hotter days last summer my rear view thermometer on my DMAX would run and hide in traffic ( I remember seeeing 122 degrees one day), with the corresponding rise in engine temp.

dmc874 · March 12, 2004

I would seriously think about an electric fan here in DFW for the same reason. When in traffic in the summer it would be a definite asset.

Dave

vortec350 · March 12, 2004

No gm would not put them on if they were better.You acually think gm is goin to spend all that money for millions of trucks just to put electric fans on?Heck no there not.It would cost them millions of dollars if they did them on every truck.

I just ordered some perma cools for my truck and they will be here on Monday morning.

redvett · March 13, 2004

If GM could put a electric fan in place of the current fan and get as much re liability and gain even 1 mpg dont you think they would. I am not sure weather F**d & D***e use a electric cooling fan but i dont think so. You have to remember that a truck has to be able to work hard and be reliable for a long time. Life span of a truck is usually between 300-400 thousand miles if not more.

vortec350 · March 13, 2004

You dont think electric fans are reliable?

redvett · March 13, 2004

They are on a car but in duribility testing the arent as robust as belt driven fans. You have to remember that there more adverse condition encountered in a trucks life than a car.