Engine Contour fan CFM

Mustang5L5 · Apr 6, 2026

Little bit of info here as I was getting some info out of curiousity. I borrowed an anemometer from work that is calibrated, so I wanted to see how many CFM my aftermarket contour fan was pulling.

Problem is I cannot start the car yet due to no fuel pump, so this will need an update later.

But decided to test on straight 12.5v battery only.

The way this meter works is you need to input the free flow area that is being tested. So for the contour fan, I estimated an OD of 11.75” and a motor OD of 5.5”. Ignoring the support webbing, that worked out to roughly 1.18 square feet of free flow area.

Next, you input this into the meter (or calculate it by hand) and the meter directly measures FPM of flow and calculates it for you.

I set the meter to AVG the flow values I tested and plan was to sweep across both fans. This would give me an Ave flow in FPM over last 30 samples and not take peak samples that may occur in isolated areas.

Long story short:

Batt voltage 12.5v
Fan free flow area: 1.18 ft^2
Flow rate (avg): 2135 fpm

That works out to 2520 CFM

This is mounted using the LMR bracket kit, with a 3-core radiator and condenser in front. This is an aftermarket fan.

Next up. Start engine and repeat test at 14.4-14.6volts.

Pic of actual fan tested, but please note I tested mounted on the vehicle

nickyb · Apr 6, 2026

Well I never used any fancy test but my black magic s blade fan from flex a lite flows 3,000 cfm.

AeroCoupe · Apr 7, 2026

So the engineer in me pretty much geeked out on that. Will be curious to see the increase with the voltage at 14.5. I wonder if anyone has done this with a Taurus or MarkVIII fan?

KRUISR · Apr 7, 2026

Tested OEM Contour fans as well as Focus fans in a Contour shroud about 3 years ago...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eI0jTi9Lt8

I have a dual Fusion Fan and a large single Fusion fan to test as well a some point - just haven't gotten around to it.

FastDriver · Apr 7, 2026

I've often wondered about the aftermarket contours. Others swear by them, but I've stayed away, and

I've had a few electric fans. The only one that disappointed was the original straight-bladed Black Magic fan.

I like my expensive Ron Davis twin spal fan setup... no idea what it flows, but it sure draws too much power when it kicks on. Also, when one of the fuses blew and one fan wouldn't run, the other fan was drawing air through the other fan's opening in the shroud, and it wasn't flowing enough to cool the car.

So, my favorite is the Mark VIII, which flows big-time air, but is also a simple, single fan. Couple it with the DCC soft start controller, and it's lovely. I have no idea if it flows as much or more than a stock clutch-fan at higher RPM, but it must at idle where it can spin up higher, as needed. The stock fan struggled to maintain normal operating temps, and the A/C wasn't as effective, until going 40+mph. Now, I can have all the benefits of an electric fan & at the same time, I can run the underdrive water pump & fan pully. That's a win-win.

Mustang5L5 · Apr 7, 2026

FastDriver said:
I've often wondered about the aftermarket contours. Others swear by them, but I've stayed away, and

That's kinda what kickstarted this. Came up in a FB group with all sorts of numbers being quoted,, so I wanted to see what my aftermarket fan actually did.

I also wanted to test it in a real-world application, mounted to a radiator, pulling through cores that could be clogged with junk (hopefully mine aren't). That should lower the numbers slightly Granted it should be done with engine started, so as soon as I can I will get to that.

Coincidentally, my calibration guy sent me an email yesterday requesting the meter for calibration, so it will be gone a couple weeks before I can retest.

AeroCoupe said:
So the engineer in me pretty much geeked out on that. Will be curious to see the increase with the voltage at 14.5. I wonder if anyone has done this with a Taurus or MarkVIII fan?

I have a 94-95 fan, but really in order to make it comparative, i need to mount it on my radiator and test as it pulls through the core/condenser. Prob not going to go that far unfortunately.

But i'm hoping for at least 3000 CFM through a radiator and condenser when i can power it with 14+ volts.

Noobz347 · Apr 7, 2026

Test the old fashioned OEM clutch fan too, if you can.

Mustang5L5 · Apr 8, 2026

Noobz347 said:
Test the old fashioned OEM clutch fan too, if you can.

No longer have any of those parts.

KRUISR · Apr 8, 2026

When I get my son's car finished up this year I could install my old clutch fan and shroud. I just don't know how good the clutch fan is - I never used it on my car, I went straight to e-fans. I will get the car sorted with the e-fans and then retro install the clutch fan and shroud for a few hours, then back to e-fans.

Will keep everyone posted.

FastDriver · Apr 8, 2026

Been a long time since I actually had an OEM fan. But the replacement just wasn't getting the job done at idle.

revhead347 · Apr 15, 2026

Ted Jenkins at Tuning Innovations posted CFM tests on the Contour fans years ago.

Kurt

Mustang5L5 · Apr 16, 2026

I saw his work. He tested off the vehicle which is a little different than what I'm doing here.

Mustang5L5 · May 8, 2026

Mustang5L5 said:
Batt voltage 12.5v
Fan free flow area: 1.18 ft^2
Flow rate (avg): 2135 fpm

That works out to 2520 CF

Finally got around to doing with engine running.

14.4volts.

Ave flow: 3000-3100 cfm.

Again, this is mounted to a radiator so pulling through the rad and ac condenser.

qikgts · May 22, 2026

This fella does all kinds of fan testing. He does it in a consistent way so the numbers can at least mean something. Each fan review video starts with him explaining the process. I like his vids and his website has the results from each test in a sheet.

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Engine Contour fan CFM

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

nickyb

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

AeroCoupe

lube between the nut and the face. I know my lubes

KRUISR

FastDriver

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

KRUISR

FastDriver

I was uncomfortably high & wearing a helmet

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

qikgts

Active Member

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Engine Contour fan CFM

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