New Heart Same Soul

[rockrod]

I didn't try the dakota digital adapter, I went with an autometer adapter that takes the signal off of the coil power wires. This was before folks knew a whole lot about it (I didn't know about pull-up resistors, or modding tach signals in HP Tuners) so I went with what I could find would work at the time. The adapter is pretty much integrated into the harness so it's gonna stay.

Since then I learned there are easier ways to do it and wish I had done it simpler to make it less cluttered. It was especially frustrating to learn that you could mod the tach signal with HP tuners especially since I have it and have used it a bunch.

As far as the check valve goes i didn't run one for the last 100+k miles and it works ok, it only got kinda interesting when the motor stalled on BIG obstacles. Now I get three pedal pushed with boost after the motor is shut off. I'd add one if I were you.

maybe the chevy boosters had an internal check valve?

possibly they did. at any rate, I am running an automatic trans so stalling shouldn't be an issue.

Lately I started thinking about switching to a mechanical clutch fan. While my rig has never overheated, i feel like the huge lincoln fans I installed are a big drain on the electrical system so when they are running and other circuits are powered up, there's a big hit to the charging system. You can feel it in the motor when they kick on.

I may just try it out. The vortec mechanical fans are cheap on ebay. It seems that my commute up and down parker rd are just at that speed where there is not quite enough passive air flow through the radiator to keep the motor under the fan activation temp so they cycle on/off. Once i get over ~48mph, then the motor will stay under 200f. I set my on point for low speed at 205 and off at 200 so they don't run at highway speeds. then of course a/c performance suffers because of the heat load put into the condenser and not enough air flow. seems to be a balancing act to get it right.

 

[rover67]

I noticed that the electric fan shrouds blocked a lot of airflow. Mine cycled a lot too and also put a huge load on the electrical system when they were running..

I love the mechanical fan, it works flawlessly and with the shroud channeling air smoothly through the radiator cooling is better, especially at hwy speeds. It hardly ever engages fully unless the truck is stationary for a while in hot weather.

I went with a NAPA clutch for the fan and it didn't work right, it seemed to stay engaged too much, I returned it and got an OEM one from the dealer and it worked much better. I am sure that i just got a bad one from NAPA but i didn't want to repeat it so I went to the gm dealer.

as far as the brakes go, I am enjoying the extra boost i get from the brakes after turning the motor off in parking lots too now, no longer does the pedal drift up after stopping.

 

[Elbert]

I had electric fans on my LC for a while too....5.7 vortec.... Like others I went back to old school OEM GM type fan and fan clutch...in my case what matches a 99 GM SUV/pickup with vortec 5.7. Since I had my freind help me get setup with a new modified fan shround.... cooling is totally a non issue, runs fine, without problems.

I've got A/C too, and when its hot the A/c stays on the entrie time. No cooling issues since I wentwith modified fan shroud (custom) and GM fan clutch setup.

edit... When I initially swapped the engine I had electric fans. I'm running a marks adapter (to give people an idea of how close the engine is to the radiator)...so anyway I get tired of the electric fan business and swap over to the matching GM fanblade and fan clutch. The first shroud we used did not perform as well as I thought it could, so we went back and he made another shroud, which is great. No blockage of the radiator core and it works well. I have a brass aftermarket 4 core radiator, a stock vortec 5.7 with stock GM cooling fan and fan clutch, and I also run / use AC. We have not gotten into very high temps here yet...but truck has not run muck over 200F no matter what. It will idle all day long with ac and not go past mid 190's , normal op is 195 or so, I run the stock GM thermostat which I belie is 195F too. Since I'm low geared I don't go much over 60 on the hwy when I drive it on the road (to test stuff out).

 

[dbleon]

I had electric fans on my LC for a while too....5.7 vortec.... Like others I went back to old school OEM GM type fan and fan clutch...in my case what matches a 99 GM SUV/pickup with vortec 5.7. Since I had my freind help me up with a new modified fan shround.... cooling is totally a non issue, runs fine, without problems.

I've got A/C too, and when its hot the A/c stays on the entrie time. No cooling issues since I wentwith modified fan shroud (custom) and GM fan clutch setup.

Hey Elbert,

Do you have a picture of your setup? I need some ideas>

Thanks

 

[Elbert]

Hey Elbert,

Do you have a picture of your setup? I need some ideas>

Thanks

Yes..I'll post a couple of pictures...but remember my truck runs a 5.7...and Rover's is a 5.3, just so everyone does not get confused on things that are different.

 

[Elbert]

Pics of my 5.7 setup

pics showing the fan shroud I currently have along with stock GM fan and fan clutch to match 99 GM Vortec 5.7.

 

[Elbert]

5.7 setup Part II pics posted

Part II of the pics on 5.7 setup