If you are trying this because the pump or fan motor are bad you may want to get a rebuilt unit because Ford went with the hydraulic fans on these cars because they were a Jaguar designed engine and the charging system wasn't good enough to handle the extra draw of an electric fan. They redesigned that for the 2003 and up but the parts don't interchange with the earlier generation cars.
There were a couple of kits made that put an idler in place of the pump and used a custom alternator and re-programmed ECM to boost alternator output that could then run an electric fan but I don't know if they are still out there given these cars are 20 years old now.
What is the issue with the current fan? Leaking or not cooling properly? For the cooling issue a common problem is the control solenoid failing and not opening fully, a common way to tell if it's the solenoid and not a blocked radiator is if the car stays cool while moving down the road at speed but then starts to heat up when you slow down.
Also bypassing the hydraulic system can set a trouble code because the control solenoid will be removed with the pump.
Jan 25, 2021 at 10:06 PM
