ok, leaking original radiator, gona get a new one.  is there any real difference between a stock replacement one or a performance rad? its a 4 banger.  secondly, is it worth the money to get an electric fan? i read that it frees up some HP cus it takes the strain from the engine but is it enough to be worth it? i can use all the horsies i can get.    

No the expense of an elecrtic fan is not worh it.

An all aluminum, vs plastic tank and aluminum oem type, is stronger and won't crack when used off-road. But, $500 vs $150 for oem replacement.  

now just out of curiousity, how much hp would an E fan free up? (i dont plan on doing it anyway)  

I think it is difficult to tell. An electric fan does not run on nothing. It takes electricity from the alternator, which consumes hp from the engine also.

An engine driven fan is not always being driven at maximum capacity because it's on a thermostaic clutch.

You sometimes see claims of 15 hp gains. That's not true and if you asked for the data to back that up, it would not be provided. The key would be the words "up to 15 hp" not a guarantee of 15 hp.  

The main reason to get an electric fan in an ORV is for a deep water crossing: you'll be able to switch off your fan and avoid having the blades pulled into the radiator.

OnRoading  

i put in a electric fan and i think its worth it.  I use to have to down shift to climb a local mountain to go wheeling.  Not any more and my MPGS went up.  I use to average 14mpg  to high 15.  my last tank was 3 hours of wheeling (easy stuff, mountain , mostly highway, and some city driving.  

Rawkon:
i put in a electric fan and i think its worth it.  I use to have to down shift to climb a local mountain to go wheeling.  Not any more and my MPGS went up.  I use to average 14mpg  to high 15.  my last tank was 3 hours of wheeling (easy stuff, mountain , mostly highway, and some city driving.

what fan set up did you end up using?  

Its the Flex a lite xtreme jeep setup.  on really hot days it can run a little warm but never overheats.  

Not all electric fans are the same.  Check Spal fans verses Flex-a-light.  You'll see the same size and performance fan from Spal is a lot more money then the Flex-a-light.  There's a reason for the high price, they actually produce the advertised performance.  Also, make sure your alternator can keep up.

Another option is an OEM fan from some big engined Ford cars.  A popular fan is Motorcraft part #RF-123 or #RF-64.  Both phisically look the same, they come with a shroud and they'll cool just about any engine.  The down side is they pull 100amps on startup, and run at about 40 amps on high speed. My 60 amp alternator couldn't handle it.  

Good post.

I always try to steer people away from the "little" aftermarket electric fans.

Yes, if you must, use an OEM type with a shroud. They work. The reason they draw so many amps is because they move that much air. Enough to actually cool in all conditions!

What a concept. It takes power to move air. Can't get something from nothing.