slash695

Hi guys!

Anyone had any experience with either?

I am looking at either this spal dual fan set up (3100 CFM at 40 amps)
https://webstore.spalusa.com/en-us/p...pksl-dual.aspx

Or this flex a lite set up (2500 CFM at 22amp continuous)

https://www.flex-a-lite.com/electric...ctric-fan.html

Or this flex a lite set up (3000 CFM at 29 amps continuous)
https://www.flex-a-lite.com/electric...ctric-fan.html

It seems spal has a good name but I prefer the look and quite possibly the fitment of the FAL fans. Especially the thin flans in the first link as I would have much more space. I understand spal would smash the thin FAL fans in output, but wondering if anyone had experience anyway to see if it would cope with a NA LS3.

Efi69cam

Just opinion here...

The Spal fans are OEM quality and are used on production vehicles. They look like quality parts. The flex a lite fans looks like something you'd find at o'reilly's next to the electric superchargers.

Before taking my car apart for an LS swap, it dual Spal 11" fans that kept the .100" over 454 BBC cool even at a dead stop in summer.

jimmyg

Just buy a derale dual fan set up . Comes with the relays and harness and uses spal fans. My 4000 cfm set up was around 300$ keeps my whippled ly6 @175. They make a bunch of different sizes , just measure your rad core for fitment.

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

I can't begin to count the number of threads I have read with the words "spal" and "overheating" in them.

IMHO you are better off fitting an OEM fan to your car.

slash695

Do derale use spal fans do they?

Have heard some stuff about melting fuses and relays with derale?

Stock Mazda Rx8 fans may work. They flow 1300 and 1700 cfm

jimmyg

jimmyg

These are the fans I used. I tried to go cheaper by first using ls1 Camaro fans from rock auto, then tried some thin fans that came with my champion rad. Then I researched it and found out I needed 4000cfm ( car has Ac) . I run these with a painless Pwm controller . Works perfectly. Very rarely do I hear them. They soft start and ramp up slowly according to temp. There are some Oem fans that you could modify to work, like Ford Taurus fans .but for me, I had so many other things to finish on my swap , I just wanted something bolt in.

slash695

What car were they run in? Much modifications to make it fit the radiator?

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

I agree. I'm using a 16" Derale in one vehicle and it is OEM quality, it keeps my car cool under all conditions. If I can't find an OEM that I can make fit, I buy a Derale.

Derale fans are the real deal and pull some amps so you can't use cheap relays, 14 gauge wire or small fuses. Look under the hood of any OEM car and see what they used for wiring, fuses and relays for the fans. Any quality non PWM fan that doesn't have a high amperage draw is a toy and nothing I want to trust the life of my engine to.

slash695

Great! So derale are good quality and just replace the fuses and relays they come with, with some bigger ones?

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

If they come with fuses, relays or controls they should be fine. The model I bought didn't have any. I also use 10 gauge wire at a minimum from the battery to the fan and keep the run as short as practical.

I have seen people try to use small wire and have problems. Last repair I did for someone, the builder used 14 gauge wire that had been spliced twice between the relay and fan. With a trunk mounted battery, you can imagine how long that run was. Besides the battery cables, the fan wiring was the largest wire in the vehicle. Needless to say I stripped everything and wired it all properly.

Something else for you to think about. The previously mentioned vehicle never popped a fan fuse! The insulation was melting in several locations plus the relay socket and fuse itself were distorted from excessive heat.

jimmyg

Went in my 83 cutlass. They bolted right in .