I'm thinking about getting a Flex-a lite flex fan for my 84 Firebird which has a 5.0L V8. Would anyone recommend these and should I get the 18" model or the 17" model? I've heard that they cool well but can be very loud.

 

years ago i tried a flex fan on my z28 while investigating
a problem with running high temps (around 230*)at
high speed in hot weather-the flex fan cured that
completely,would stay at 190 running it hard on the
highway-flex fan was pulling much more air than
ram air was providing-even at over 80 mph
(yes,air dam in place-but possibly folding under at
speed)
though noise wasn't that bad,i could hear the fan at
over about 3500 rpm and could notice a hp draw at
over 4500 rpm.
BTW the fan was a flexalite 1300 series of 18"dia.
-a halfway decent design,some flex fans have pretty
bad aerodynamics-including those cheap black plastic
ones,the blades twist and go into a partial reverse
pitch-just thrashing air while creating useless drag
What i liked about the flex fan:
-good air flow and cooling at all speeds
-little to go wrong
What i didn't like:
-HP draw at over 4500 RPM
electric and clutch fans have their own lists of
advantages and disadvantages,depending some on the
cooling situation at hand
I later put the clutch fan back on...
For a firebird shroud,17" is the right diameter.

 

You can't fix the clutch setup?

 

Thank for the help. Sounds like it comes down to personal preference. I'm working on a tight budget so the flex fan is an affordable option for me. The fan I'm looking at isn't made of plastic thankfully.

 

The fan I have is just plain worn, it looks like the blades are ready to fly off. It seemed like the flex fans were offering some good results with simple installation and low price. Naturally that made me suspicious.

 

If you're on a budget, it'll work fine. You'll lose less power with a clutch fan though.