Topic: Adding a fan clutch

[Jeff73Mach1]

I was wondering if anyone here had swapped the solid direct drive fan in their classic mustang for a clutch driven fan?  I know lots of folks have done conversions to electric, but I wonder if the clutch drive would reduce drag enough to be worth the effort that adding it would require.

[Soaring]

Well Jeff, the clutch fans don't drag on the engine after you reach a certain speed, therefore reducing the amount of energy needed to keep the water cooled, but unless you do a lot of highway driving, it would be a waste of money.  A flex fan will do the same thing. 
If you drive on the highway a lot, then it will certainly save you gas money. 

[Jeff73Mach1]

I'm sort of thinking that I'll drive the car around as a cruiser for the most part, but there is a little local drag I would like to run from time to time and spinning that big fixed fan at 6000 rpm isn't going to do me any favors.  Pulling it would have me overheat in the pits, so I was thinking a clutch fan would be a fair alternative.

I've no love of flex fans as I've always found them to have a sound that wasn't pleasant and I've seen two imbedded in hoods and radiators after exploding.

[Soaring]

I am with you regarding flex fans, but there are literally thousands of guys who have them and love them.  If you are sitting in the pits waiting your turn to drag, then a fixed fan will do the exact same thing as a clutch fan, because all you are doing is idling and the clutch is locked, but it might shave a few tenths of a point off your score and will happen at the last 1/8th mile.  Clutch fans are designed for continuous highway driving speeds.  Wouldn't it be neat to have a fan you can take off just before the tree turns green?  Kinda' like Nascar steering wheels?

[Jeff73Mach1]

That would be neat-I think it is called electric with a cut off switch

[Soaring]

I never thought of that.  Good idea.....