Any marathon runner will tell you that one of the simplest ways to get farther and last longer is to remove restrictions and weight that will load you down. When it comes to engines and performance, the same thing applies. Since things that rotate tend to create inertia when they spin, you can help them spin more easily by reducing their weight. One of the heaviest items that you can do without in a truck's engine bay is the fan and fan-clutch assembly. By removing them and adding a high-quality electric fan assembly, you can take a large load off the engine. This will make your truck more fuel-economical and also free up horsepower by diminishing rotational mass. Follow along as we install Flex-a-lite's low-profile dual fan for Toyota Tacomas and other mini-trucks. For more information, please contact Flex-a-lite using the information listed in the source box.
Flex-a-Lite Consolidated
P.O. Box 580
Milton, WA 98354
(800)851-1510
www.flex-a-lite.com
1. Right out of the box, the...
1. Right out of the box, the Flex-a-lite fan has everything you'll need to ditch the stock fan clutch and free up horsepower in your truck. Notice the mounting tabs at each corner? They'll bolt directly to the fan shroud bolt-in points for a simple install.
2. To begin installation,...
2. To begin installation, carefully remove the four nuts that hold the stock fan and fan-clutch assembly to the water pump pulley. Remove the stock fan assembly, and set it to the side (or stick it in the trash).
3. The stock fan shroud comes...
3. The stock fan shroud comes out next by removing the four 10mm bolts that held it to the radiator support. You'll no longer need this, since the new Flex-a-lite setup has its own shroud assembly (with dual fans to boot).
4-5. Make sure to use a few...
4-5. Make sure to use a few washers under each nut on the water pump pulley when putting the nuts used to hold the fan assembly in place on. Since the fan is now gone, the nuts will sink too far down, and they'll seize on the bolts that are reverse-threaded into the pulley mount. Yeah, we blew it, so you'd better not. Also, if you don't use washers, the pulley won't be spaced out far enough, and you'll have a noisy operation from the pulley and premature wear (a bad thing, trust us).
6. Just before the new Flex-a-lite...
6. Just before the new Flex-a-lite fan assembly goes in, everything should look like this. The area actually looks pretty barren with no fan of any kind in place.
7. Here's the new unit, ready...
7. Here's the new unit, ready to go into our supercharged project V-6 Tacoma. Dual fans and 2,500 cubic feet per minute of airflow will ensure plenty of cooling for this performance-minded ride.
8. Shown here are the mounts...
8. Shown here are the mounts in action, which allow you to secure the fan assembly to the radiator support. It's a good idea to install them semi-loose at first, to get the four corners lined up properly. Once bolted down, it's as solid as a rock.
9. Next, the wiring for the...
9. Next, the wiring for the Flex-a-lite fan assembly is routed and wired per the instructions provided with the kit. When it's all been done correctly, the fan should turn on with the A/C and any time the water temperature reaches the set point you've adjusted the onboard thermostat to. But how does it know what temperature the engine is at?
10-11. This is how the whole...
10-11. This is how the whole thing looks wired together, but we're not quite done with the installation. There's still one very important part that must be installed for it to work when it's needed most.
12. It got a bit late, so...
12. It got a bit late, so we finished up the photos early the next day to show you the overall look of things once they're installed and clue you in on the installation of the pyrometer.
13-14. No, a pyrometer isn't...
13-14. No, a pyrometer isn't a type of calculator or part of a fire hose. It's a probe that sits inside the radiator to get a reading of the engine-coolant temperature. Shown here is the way we installed it. Remember to use the supplied slotted rubber grommet for the pyrometer tube to avoid coolant leaks.