Spal fans? Others?

[DirtDiver]

Hi everyone. The guy that I got my Bronco from put in a SPAL fan (va-18-ap70/II-86s). It's about six years old.

The fan works well but is very loud. When running, it can easily be heard over the rumble of the motor. It doesn't sound like it's going bad, just very loud.

Is this normal? Thinking about replacing it with something quieter that still works well.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[spap]

I would bet that’s normal my non clutch Ford Flex fan is pretty loud when the rpms go up
I’m sure the electric fan is spinning faster at least you don’t have to hear it all the time

 

[tatersalad]

Yeah they are pretty loud, I ran one before I switched to the Taurus/ Volvo 2 speed fan. Still have it ..

 

[suckerpunched]

I think a 2 spd fan is the way to go. probably what tater runs is the best.
I am running this fan and controller from wildhorses. it is all Derale parts.
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/17in-High-Output-Fan-Relay-Kit/Bronco_Cooling_Fans
It works good and very hard to hear running when it is in low, It hardly ever goes into high and is louder when it does but not as loud as some I have heard. The controller has bad reviews on other vendors sites where they sell the controller alone. Hard to say if people are running them with fans that pull more amps than what the controller is rated for or if it really is a piece of junk. So far mine is working fine, if the controller fails I will probably go to the Volvo setup.

 

[tatersalad]

The Volvo setup works great for me. It is the same fan but can be unbolted from the shroud vs the Taurus fan. The controller/relays work great too.

 

[sanndmann3]

I have the Volvo set up as well and like it alot. Since the fan motor came from the junkyard, I've thought about replacing it before it fails. Anyone know of a higher performance motor that bolts in?

 

[68ford]

Does your fan have straight blades or the curved blades. The curved blades are supposed to be quiter. From off-road racing experience where heat is huge with high horsepower and load, spal fans are used alot. There are better ones and I would say spall are used in about 80 to 90% of the applications, but are also the cheapest brand that would be used. I would not use anything cheaper than spall fan. Aside from the Taurus fan that seems to be very a good option.