need help with my clutch fan.

[fivespeedsteed]

so my clutch fan has just died. it sometimes gets stuck and wont freewheel, which makes it spin really fast, and sound like a truck. i can usually free it, but this time it wont do it. theres a piece of metal sticking out of the bearing somehow.

so i dont have funds to get an electric fan that wont crap out on me after 2 days. so i need a new bearing? can i even find one? or should i just get the whole 50 dollar assembly that comes without the blade. i need new one of those too though...? what are your thoughts? if i get the new clutch fan (w.o. the blade) can i install it myself?

 

[Foxfan88]

no, its physically impossible to install a fan clutch by yourself.

OF COURSE YOU CAN! its easy, 4 bolts hold the clutch on the water pump pulley and 4 more hold the fan to the clutch.


its EASY

 

[HISSIN50]

The stock clutch lock-up is thermally controlled. There's silicone, a viscous coupling and a bi-metallic spring which controls the coverage of an orifice. This is how the clutch's characteristics change as the clutch (bi-metallic spring) get warmer. Seeing silicone leaking out of the hub (or a bunch of dirt caked onto the silicone) is a sign that the clutch is on the outs.

If you had posted two months ago, I would have mailed you my old clutch. It's been in the landfill since then though. The caveat with the fan clutch is that if it gets real hot where you're at, the HD unit is nice. Folks dont like it because it locks up pretty decently, but to move air requires parasitic loss and noise. For the desert I chose a HD clutch and metal FAL fan blade (my stocker was cracked - that's a disaster waiting to happen). For milder climates, folks say the standard fan clutch works alright.

If it looks like you'd need a new fan blade too, I'd either:

Just hit a J/Y for a decent looking clutch. This will tide you over till you do the E-fan (it sounds like you want to do that).

Do the E-fan upgrade now, since fixing the fan and fan clutch will cost a good bit (if you already have a 3G, that really cuts down on costs). A J/Y 3G and E-fan, with wiring and a cheap controller could probably be done for around 100 bucks if you have a Pick-n-pull with good prices.

Or if you like the mech fan, get the clutch that's appropriate for you and a metal fan blade if needed. I doubt this is the route you'd want to take however.


Good luck.

 

[Foxfan88]

you might consider sticking with the stock style fan. its hard to beat the cooling of the stock setup.

i bought a new clutch and fan blade for my car and it cools GREAT, seeing how i still have the stock alt an efan would kill me. i had a efan before and it made the charge low.

later on if u need better cooling go to the 180 tstat and nice aluminum radiator.


there alot of routes you can go

 

[fivespeedsteed]

so the water pump has to come off to do this?

 

[Foxfan88]

no

unbolt the fan shroud, and unbolt the 4 small bolt that hold the clutch onto the Water pump pulley. then the whole fan/clutch/shroud will come out.

then put your fan on a new clutch