Electric fan conversion?

[5.4T]

Hello all I'm trying to convert my 2006 navigator to electric fans using fans off a 2010 expedition. The controller I'm about to use is the Flex-a-Lite 31165.
1. My question is where can I find a + or - signal for the a/c?

2.Also I notice my truck runs 190 F. Is the thermo Stat not 185F?

3.How much voltage do the 2010 fan run @?

Sorry for alot of question. I could not find a guide for the second generation expedition or navigator.

 

[MR. EDDIE]

I ran two fans on my 03 and used a wire harness from a set of foglights i had laying around cause it had a relay and fuse already wired in. I got the trigger from the a/c wire I had used a power probe (test light) sorry dont remember the color of the wire, but u can grab it from the wireloom that runs on the passenger side of the timing chain cover.

As for the thermo stat the 185F is what it is rated for to open so at 185 it opens to allow for the rad to cool it down.

The fans will run off of the 12V from the battery , just make sure to wire in a relay and a fuse.

 

[GAINMOB]

I want to do this too

Mr. 10K

 

[5.4T]

I tried a black wire and a grey with white? Can't remember but both had power, even with the a/c off. This project should be done by end of March so far I have all the stuff needed for the task. I'm just trying to get more info on the wiring. I found every thing except a positive or negative A/C signal.

 

[5.4T]

What I have:
Flex-a-Lite 31165 controller
Electric fans off a 2010 expedition
10 Guage wire

I had to fab the fans a bit but in the picture shows what they look like fresh from the box compared to the fan shroud.

 

[MR. EDDIE]

Looks if I didn't wreck my truck last week I would tell u exactly which wire it is due to the damage I can't open the hood.

 

[MR. EDDIE]

Meant looks good

 

[MR. EDDIE]

I just saw in the repair manual the is blk/yel. Hope that helps.

 

[5.4T]

I just saw in the repair manual the is blk/yel. Hope that helps.

Thanks!!! I'll look into it this weekend and test it out!

 

[Shabadoo]

How did this conversion work out? I'm interested in doing the same but with a 2000 Expy. Currently have 2, 16 in. fans pulling 1500 cfm each but they don't seem to be able to keep it as cool as I want it to be when the outside temp goes 85+. Judging from your picture, it would fit without too much hassle. Was there a huge difference in CHT before to after the conversion?

 

[Shabadoo]

Not to overstep my bounds by hijacking this thread but I went ahead and did the conversion on my 2000 so I figured I would share a bit. Bought a set of Dorman 620-422 replacement fans for the 2010 Expedition. I contacted Dorman regarding the current draw of each fan and they stated each pulls 25 amps. One is 14.5 in., the other is 15 in. They pull 2800 and 2900 cfm respectively. Thank you Rob at Dorman support for that info.

Regardless, I gave each fan it's own relay to split the load and wired both to always be on at full speed when the ignition is on. I didn't feel like wiring these into the A/C circuit at the time and my luck with the temp sensors provided in fan controller kits hasn't been great. Plus, I've upgraded to a 200 amp alternator with an overdrive pulley so I felt fairly safe that it could handle it even at idle. However, I bumped the idle speed to 715 RPM which puts the alternator at an output capability of about 125 amps. Thanks to Powermaster for the alternator dyno sheet.

So the passenger side fan runs flawlessly, no issue with a 30 amp relay and circuit breaker. The drivers side has caused some issues however. The continuous amperage seems to be above 25 amps as it consistently popped a 30 amp circuit breaker. I upped both the relay and circuit breaker to 40 amps and it is able to run continuously fine. However, I suspect the start up amperage spike is quite significant as over the course of a month or two it will fry the 40 amp relay. As far as I can tell it doesn't pop the circuit breaker. I'm an amateur when it comes to electrics so I'm still working all this out.

Nevertheless, I'm currently looking at either wiring in a resistor traditionally used for the old taurus fans (which I read somewhere could spike at 70 amps during startup) in order to drop the current or using a pulse width modulator motor controller. I'm leaning towards PWM since it gives me a wider range of control. Once again, I'm an amateur so electrical engineers feel free to chime in. Additionally, if anyone knows how the 3rd Gen Expeditions control these fans please let me know. I haven't been able to find any information on it so far.

Anyways, I know this thread is on the 2nd gen part of the forum but hopefully it still provides useful information for anyone looking to do this.