lower fan shroud...needed???

[Vandy_B]

So I went to remove my lower fan shroud to trim it for a lift and it is broken. In two. Kaput. I'm sure it will be easy enough to find one in a JY, but my question is...is it needed? Other than to have something for the upper shroud to bolt to, and maybe to keep the neighbors cat from crawling up behind the radiator. It is worth pulling one out of a JY or am I fine without it?

Thanks!
Andy

[AstroWill]

I wouldn't run the stock mechanical fan without one. Well, maybe I would, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Mmusicman]

A proper shroud is necessary to allow for FULL and proper airflow across the entire radiator and condenser areas... at idling and low driving speeds. Anything less is a compromise.

Not only is proper low-speed engine cooling compromised... but air conditioning will be compromised as well.

If you live in cooler climates, you can probably get away with not having it, as some here probably do. But get caught in one traffic jam on a sweltering hot summer day, and that may be all it takes to push you over the limit and cause overheating, inconvenience, possible towing, and possible resulting head gasket damage from overheating... all part of a chain reaction. The factory puts them there for a reason!

I certainly wouldn't chance all that for no good reason!

I however, live in South Florida in an urban environment... where proper cooling is essential. Everyone's situations vary!

[Vandy_B]

Well alrighty then...there IS a reason for it other than keeping the cat from being sliced and diced. Probably ok to drive here in cold rainy Washington State temporarily, but I'll definitely pull one from a JY. Thanks for the responses!

[Mmusicman]

Well you can most certainly drive in cold rainy Washington state without a shroud, and you'd never notice any difference! Where I live it's often in the 90's-100's through the entire summer... where cold A/C is essential and maximum cooling as well in heavy slow traffic.

It's a cheap and easy to replace! There's nothing to gain from not having it either. And maybe it will keep the cat out too! lol. The top half is also part of the air-filter system in the Gen II's.

But you can certainly run without it... depending on your circumstances and situation. But for some of us however... it's TOTALLY vital and necessary.

[TurnNburn]

I don't have one installed due to my lift and haven't experienced any problems as of yet. But most of the time the temps around here are pretty low and without any stop and go. We don't use the AC much either, we prefer the windows down, but again, it maybe gets over 100 degrees like twice a year.

Like musicman said though, if its hot often and ac is used a lot and with a lot of traffic it will almost certainly cause problems. Its super cheap insurance to keep yourself out of trouble.