Info on Ford Fans:
This page is intended to clear up some misconceptions of the Taurus and Mark VIII fan and relay requirements. Since the launch of our new Taurus Mark VIII Relay kit I have been ask numerous times if the 60 amp relays are high enough amperage, if the wire gage is heavy enough. Will a 50 amp fuse work without blowing. I'll try to shed some light on this subject. Let’s start with the Taurus fan.
There are about a dozen Taurus fan versions for the Taurus/Sable and over the years Ford and the aftermarket have made changes to lower cost and increase durability. This label of Taurus that covers maybe 10 different versions leads to most of the confusion about the fan. Some of the Taurus/Sable fans use the Lincoln motor but most do not and no Taurus/Sable fans use a Mark VIII motor. If you want to find out what motor you have find the RF number like RF24, RF123, RF64 and so on or get the part number, something like F7LZ8C607 AA then look it up on Rock Auto.
With that said the Lincoln and Taurus/Sable fans are not the only high CFM fans Ford made, mine is from a 95 Cougar RX7 which is a RF24. It’s a cross between the Lincoln Mark VIII and a Taurus. It has the Mark VIII blades and a motor more like a Taurus/Sable fan.
The RF125 fan fits Taurus, Sable, and Lincoln Continental. So in that respect a Lincoln motor is used in a Taurus fan but it’s not a Lincoln Mark VIII motor. On a RF123 which is the true Lincoln Mark VIII fan the fan motor only fits this fan from 93-96 and does not fit any Taurus/Sable/Continental housings.
Fan Amps:
The Mark VIII is a bigger motor and draws more amps but I have yet to see anything above 45 amps even on an old fan when it’s running. It does have a momentary spike but again I have yet to see the 100 amps I hear about.
Our testing showed the Mark VIII fan ran 26-28 amps on low, with a 37-40 amp startup spike. On high it had a draw of about 32-35 amps with a 48-53 amp startup spike. This is tested with our relay kit wired with the step through configuration and a new fan. A startup from dead stop to high speed will draw higher amps.
The Taurus fan ran 24-26 amps on low, with a 32 amp startup spike
Then on high it used about 28-29 amps with a 40-45 amp startup spike. Again wired with our relay kit and a new fan.
Wire:
The wire gage is important with these high amp draw accessories so I will explain as best I can on what gage can handle what amps over what distance. For the Cobra Kit, which has the longest wires, the wire is an SXL grade automotive wire. SXL refers to the insulation which is cross linked polyethylene insulation capable of up to a constant 257 degrees. It also does not burn like GPT or lower grade automotive primary wire. You can hold a match to SXL and it may char but it won't burn and drip off like the other grades.
Most all the wire lengths for the Cobra kit are less than 5 feet. The sensor wire are longer but are be cut to fit and end up much shorter than the 10 feet supplied with the kit.
The #10 battery wire to the fuse is 24" and from fuse to relay block is up to 5 feet, which is just at the 2% drop limit at 12V 50 amps, but remember we are under 30 amps with this fan. So if your charging system is working as it should 13.4 -14.4 you would drop .25 volts over 5 feet. This wire is also cut to fit so the drop may be less.
The #12 fan wires are 5 feet long which is within the max length at 40 amps, but again we are at 30 amp with this fan. The Taurus/Sable fan runs on high at 30 amps. We can run 50 amps over a 12 gage wire for 10 feet and we are well under that limit.
The #14 Sensor wires carry about 7 amps max so there is no issue there even at 10 feet.
Relays:
The Beuler relays are 60 amp relays with AGSNO contacts and Negative Spike Suppression. They can handle a spike load of 150 amps and since the Taurus/Sable fan only uses 40 at startup there is no issue with the relay loads.
Fuse:
The 50 amp fuse is a slow blow type fuse so it can take surges of the Mark VIII fan and not pop. It will pop on a dead short just like any other fuse. 50 amps is about 10% above the max load of the Taurus/Sable fan so it’s not an issue either.
Fans:
As I said before there are a lot of different fans for Taurus/Sable, Lincoln and other Ford cars. Trying to track down the various versions can be a task in itself. They have a 2 speed, a fixed speed and a variable speed fan
Fan Specs:
RF24
Thunderbird LX and a Cougar RX7 94-97 the motor in this fan only fits this fan no other models it has 3 terminals and is a 2 speed fan with low being 1350 RPM and high being 1780 RPM. The CFM is unknown. It measures 18.5 x 24 x 5.5 deep. The Ford part number was F4SH8C607AA it is now F4SZ8C607D.
RF64
93-96 Lincoln Mark VIII F3LY8C607A
93-96 fan spins 1100 RPM on Low and 1850 on High.
97's Lincoln Mark VIII F7LZ8C607AB
98's Lincoln Mark VIII F8LZ8C607AA, This one crosses back as a replacement for the F8LH8C607AA so it may be a single speed.
97-98 fan spins 1800 RPM on Low and 2225 on High.
F8LH8C607AA single/variable speed
http://www.thehollisterroadcompany.com/TaurusMarkVIIIrelay.html