Engine clutch Fan stays engaged

[dicktater]

After climbing hills and having, engine clutch fan engage, engine cools but engine clutch fan does not disengage when engine cools down. Stays engaged even when traveling down hill and temp reads cool. Last time it happened I had to stop and let sit for a while before starting back up. All ok after that. This happened when climbing hills at high altitude. Do I need to have the clutch fan replaced.

[dicktater]

After climbing hills and having, engine clutch fan engage, engine cools but engine clutch fan does not disengage when engine cools down. Stays engaged even when traveling down hill and temp reads cool. Last time it happened I had to stop and let sit for a while before starting back up. All ok after that. This happened when climbing hills at high altitude. Do I need to have the clutch fan replaced.

[FrontRangeRVer]

If you are climbing mountains at ALTITUDE, your engine fan will continuously run. Mine runs the whole time up here going up and (most of the time) down the mountains. Mine also runs when I am climbing and the outdoor temps aren't that hot. I believe the engine is gasping for air in these altitudes and pushing this big unit as fast as it can, and the engine temps will tend to heat up.

My fan was engaged the whole 30 minutes climbing Wolf Creek Pass this Summer...with outside temps of maybe 60 degrees...its all about altitude.

If your fan clutch isn't engaging much at low altitudes.....there is your answer.

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

I installed a Aeroforce gauge on my rig so I could monitor transmission temperature and actual engine temperature. The stock Actia display does not show actual temperature.

Since I've had the moho the fan seemed to run more then it needed to. In checking the temperature when the fan kicked on and again when it kicked off, it showed the fan clutch was coming on at much lower temperature then it needed to. This was confirmed at a Workhorse Shop who checked it with their analyzer. I had them replace the clutch and it runs far less now.

Be warned though if your out of warranty this clutch is not cheap, somewhere around $300. Luckily my extended warranty covered most of it.

[Rocky 2]

On my warranty expiring service appointment, my fan clutch was replaced. 3 days later and I would have paid for it myself. I have come to the conclusion that this should be on everyone's list of things to check before your 3 year warranty expires. Keith at Redlands caught mine when I had my coach in for routine brake service.

[Photog]

It's interesting to see the diverse experiences with the WH Chassis.

Some folks have the fans running a lot. On the other hand, mine rarely come on. Go figure.

[fatmanobx]

I have just the opp. problem with mine. It will not come on at all. Traveling down the road the temp stays in the normal range, but park and let run and it will heat up in just a short time.By the way trasmission fans come on and go off just fine. How in the world do you get to the clutch to replace it. I am a rather large fella and coming in from the bottom is not an option!

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by fatmanobx:
I have just the opp. problem with mine. It will not come on at all. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>fatmanobx, I just went through this experience. You will need to replace the fan clutch assembly. You will know if the FCA is bad if it does not immediately clutch up when you start the motorhome from a cold start. After the engine runs for a few minutes the FCA should de-clutch.

If you are sitting and the temperature rises at all you have a bad FCA. The auxiliary cooling fans will not be able to keep up to the cooling requirements of the engine.

Welcome to iRV2 and the Workhorse Owner's Forum the very best resource for everything Workhorse. Please come back to visit us often and please post frequently.

[fatmanobx]

Thanks DriVer, I hang around rv.net and happen to see this site and it's been overwelming the info I have picked up so far. I will just have to bite the bullett and have one put on. Thanks for all the imput. Ron

[Full-Timers]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by fatmanobx:
I have just the opp. problem with mine. It will not come on at all. Traveling down the road the temp stays in the normal range, but park and let run and it will heat up in just a short time.By the way trasmission fans come on and go off just fine. How in the world do you get to the clutch to replace it. I am a rather large fella and coming in from the bottom is not an option! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>If it heats up in just a short time while parked, you have other problems. I can let mine idle in park for quite a while and the fan clutch never kicks in and the engine doesn't get any hotter than normal.

[fatmanobx]

I don't know Full-Timers, when the temp goes up on the dash, the rad doesn't puke or suck fluid from the reservor. I thought the indicator was bad, but the guy at the service department at the local chev. dealer said not likely. We just don't have any good shops down here on the beach. I have heard of a mech over on the mainland and am going to give him a visit and see what he might think. Thanks.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Full-Timers:
If it heats up in just a short time while parked, you have other problems. I can let mine idle in park for quite a while and the fan clutch never kicks in and the engine doesn't get any hotter than normal. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Full-Timers, I wrote about my experience with my FCA last June 08 I believe when I came back from the FMCA Gear Rally in Richmond. While we were traveling down the Interstate I was concerned about how quiet the engine was running. At speed all looked well however I did notice that my auxiliary cooling fans were running considerably.

After I had stopped and allowed the MH to idle for a moment in the rest stop I went to walk Roxy. When I got back and started the MH the Scan Gauge showed 235 degrees after restart and my IP mounted temp gauge was climbing up to the 1 o'clock position. We were having a HOT June at the time. My dash mounted temp gauge showed something like 106 degrees.

Once I began moving forward and getting air through the grill the temperature needle settled down and the SGII temperature began to drop with each MPH of forward speed I achieved.

Subsequent to having the FCA replaced and traveling about 5,000 miles during these past summer months, I have not been able to replicate the hi-temp condition. My diagnosis regarding the FCA was validated by its replacement.

The growl of the FCA engaging is comforting!

[Gregg]

My Fan operates exactly like DriVer outlined, that is a correctly working FCA.
I did the 180* T-Stat Trick
(see this link)

The 180* T-stat Trick....

With the engine running cooler I have noticed a considerable differance in the fan operation, it cycles much less, it's really nice not having that thing screaming so often.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gregg:
I did the 180* T-Stat Trick ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Gregg, The 8.1L engine is an internal combustion engine and as such it was designed to achieve its normal operating temperature which is achieved using the stock thermostat.

When these types of engines are running too cool the efficiency of the emission controls are diminished and the ECM tables may have difficulty in compensating for the reduced engine temperatures.