Paladine71
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
- Messages
- 1,483
- Location
- Tallmansville, WV
This spring, I installed the pcmforless efan. Now that I've ran it all summer, I have some observations, good and bad.
The good:
- It rapidly cools the engine when engaged if the temperatures are below 90 degrees
- In conjuction with a tuned PCM/TCM, Air Doc intake, K&N filter and Magnaflow Dual Catback, I'm getting gas mileage that rivals a stock truck. That's great when you consider that I carry a lot of gear, heavy brush guard, roof rack, winch, etc. running on 35" Mudders.
The bad:
- It's noisy! When you're driving at speeds above 20mph, you really can't hear it above the regular wind noise. When you going slow, wheeling, or stopped at a red light, it sounds like a leaf blower.
- The engine runs hotter than it should. At temps above 90 degrees, it runs hotter than with the stock fan. At 100 degrees, you can't run the AC without the vehicle getting dangerously hot. Part of this problem may be my Warn PowerPlant. On CBphoto's High Winch Mount, it rides so high that it blocks a lot of the grill and is undoubtedly reducing air flow into the engine.
So.... I had this crazy idea that you folks need to talk me out of...
Here is a picture of my RealWheels steel hood louver/overlay from the side and rear:
You'll notice that, unlike the stock louver, it is ridged and spaced, exposing some of the hood beneath it. The hood below is not normally noticable because from the front, side and top, it looks like one solid piece. Only the flash clears away the shadow enough to notice it here.
So, my curious mind reflected on the HMMWVs that I've been around and how their hood louver functions with the thick screen that allows the vehicle to breathe even under extreme conditions. Why could this same setup not be done with my louver on my H3? It would require cutting through the hood and placing in one or more screens which would then be covered by the hood louver. That would allow more airflow to the engine, but water access as well from rain/snow/ice. The screens would be protected from large debris by the louver since the spaces are small between the louver's fins. Thoughts???
The good:
- It rapidly cools the engine when engaged if the temperatures are below 90 degrees
- In conjuction with a tuned PCM/TCM, Air Doc intake, K&N filter and Magnaflow Dual Catback, I'm getting gas mileage that rivals a stock truck. That's great when you consider that I carry a lot of gear, heavy brush guard, roof rack, winch, etc. running on 35" Mudders.
The bad:
- It's noisy! When you're driving at speeds above 20mph, you really can't hear it above the regular wind noise. When you going slow, wheeling, or stopped at a red light, it sounds like a leaf blower.
- The engine runs hotter than it should. At temps above 90 degrees, it runs hotter than with the stock fan. At 100 degrees, you can't run the AC without the vehicle getting dangerously hot. Part of this problem may be my Warn PowerPlant. On CBphoto's High Winch Mount, it rides so high that it blocks a lot of the grill and is undoubtedly reducing air flow into the engine.
So.... I had this crazy idea that you folks need to talk me out of...
Here is a picture of my RealWheels steel hood louver/overlay from the side and rear:
You'll notice that, unlike the stock louver, it is ridged and spaced, exposing some of the hood beneath it. The hood below is not normally noticable because from the front, side and top, it looks like one solid piece. Only the flash clears away the shadow enough to notice it here.
So, my curious mind reflected on the HMMWVs that I've been around and how their hood louver functions with the thick screen that allows the vehicle to breathe even under extreme conditions. Why could this same setup not be done with my louver on my H3? It would require cutting through the hood and placing in one or more screens which would then be covered by the hood louver. That would allow more airflow to the engine, but water access as well from rain/snow/ice. The screens would be protected from large debris by the louver since the spaces are small between the louver's fins. Thoughts???
:wink:
