Community Forums

edgray · 07-21-2021, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhenning

Our fan is turning at the moment I start the engine, even when the engine is cold. Is that not normal?

It is "normal", as long as it isn't very fast. You probably can stop it with your hand. I think it needs to be that way so it won't hinder airflow thru the radiator whenever the clutch is NOT engaged.

dieselclacker · 07-21-2021, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4Gary

Hey Kevin,
Can you just replace the fan clutch or do you have to replace the fan also?
Do they come apart?

Not Kevin, but yes, the fan clutch and fan are two separate pieces. Either one can be replaced separately.

udid · 07-21-2021, 11:08 PM

Standard shop practice is....

New clutch fan needed?

Yes

Water pump gets swapped out as well.

Exception would be if the clutch fan was recently replaced and found to be defective.

ktoutoor · 07-21-2021, 11:18 PM

The test I performed right or wrong? I got from a article from Popular Mechanics

To confirm the diagnosis, start with this simple test: Spin the fan as hard as you can on an engine that has not been started that day. If the fan rotates more than five times, you can bet the clutch is bad. You should feel some resistance and the fan may spin up to three times, depending on the ambient temperature.Mar 29, 2006 Popular Mechanics

So I thought about what you said ..how would I confirm the diagnosis with heat .. So what if you remove the lower fan cowling so you have room to point a heat gun on to the fins of the viscus fan clutch as the heat is applied you start spinning the fan with the other hand if you never feel any more resistance then it would be confirmed that the clutch is bad.

We can then call this the HOT AND COLD FAN CLUTCH TEST...LOL

rhenning · 07-22-2021, 07:32 AM

I did order a temp sensor and a clutch. I will let you know the results after I have them installed. Thanks for all the input

Isaac-1 · 07-22-2021, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udidwht

Standard shop practice is....

New clutch fan needed?

Yes

Water pump gets swapped out as well.

Exception would be if the clutch fan was recently replaced and found to be defective.

This makes sense in a shop as after you have went to all that trouble to get the fan clutch off, you might as well go ahead and change out the water pump while you are in there since the parts cost is likely way less than the labor you have already expended to get to that point in the water pump replacement process.

F4Gary · 07-23-2021, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktoutoor

The test I performed right or wrong? I got from a article from Popular Mechanics

To confirm the diagnosis, start with this simple test: Spin the fan as hard as you can on an engine that has not been started that day. If the fan rotates more than five times, you can bet the clutch is bad. You should feel some resistance and the fan may spin up to three times, depending on the ambient temperature.Mar 29, 2006 Popular Mechanics

So I thought about what you said ..how would I confirm the diagnosis with heat .. So what if you remove the lower fan cowling so you have room to point a heat gun on to the fins of the viscus fan clutch as the heat is applied you start spinning the fan with the other hand if you never feel any more resistance then it would be confirmed that the clutch is bad.

We can then call this the HOT AND COLD FAN CLUTCH TEST...LOL

If my fan rotated more than 1 time I'm replacing it.

udid · 07-23-2021, 01:25 PM

I'm lucky to get mine to spin even 1/4 a turn

rhenning · 08-03-2021, 09:52 AM

I apologize for being so slow. I got the new clutch installed as well as a new coolant temperature sending unit. I have only done about a 20 mile test drive. The temps do seem better. The scan gauge shows about 225 and the dash gauge shows about 215 before the fan kicks in. Temps drop about 10 degrees before fan kicks out. When I tried it the outside air was about 85. I look forward to a little longer trip to give it a better test. Thanks for all the helpful responses.

udid · 08-03-2021, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhenning

I apologize for being so slow. I got the new clutch installed as well as a new coolant temperature sending unit. I have only done about a 20 mile test drive. The temps do seem better. The scan gauge shows about 225 and the dash gauge shows about 215 before the fan kicks in. Temps drop about 10 degrees before fan kicks out. When I tried it the outside air was about 85. I look forward to a little longer trip to give it a better test. Thanks for all the helpful responses.

If possible get the water vs coolant ratio to a 60 percent water vs 40 coolant. Water dissipates heat in the radiator quicker than coolant. Use only distilled water.

As for the clutch fan operation. The coil on the front of the fan is calibrated to begin tightening between 150F -190F radiator discharge air temp (not coolant temp). That will likely have the clutch operating at full in the mid-high (220-23X) coolant temp range. A properly running cooling system should keep the temperature differential between the inlet & outlet roughly 15 or so degrees difference at maximum engine speed and load. A good system prevent excessively cool coolant from going into the bottom of the block.

CJ7365 · 08-03-2021, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edgray

FWIW, I think those temps are higher than normal. Even with the stock 195* T-stat, my 2003 W-22s "normal" running temp would remain around 200*F and my fan clutch would engage at around 207-210*F according to my SG II. This would be on flat land towing a car. Yours should have at least one electric fan in front of the radiator. Do you know if it comes on?

I agree with Ed, and my W22 runs about those temps as well, temps are higher than normal.

There is a lot of t-stat misinformation, just lowering your t stat does NOT cool your engine any better, wheather you have a 180 t stat or a 195 t stat, once your 8.1 is at that temp the t stat stays open.

Your radiator and fan/clutch cool your engine, not the t stat.

F4Gary · 08-04-2021, 09:08 AM

You said in the OP that you had the radiator flushed, but was that just a coolant replacement, or did they run a flushing fluid through it to clean out scale, and then put in fresh coolant?
Maybe a true flush needs to be done.

rhenning · 08-04-2021, 09:31 AM

I don't know that it was a true flush, my suspicion is it was not. The coolant that was replaced was only 5 years old. The folks at the shop told me that the coolant that came out looked pretty good.

David 70 · 08-05-2021, 08:19 AM

I have a 2000 Adventurer on a P32 with a 7.4. I was having trouble with overheating but the dash gauge would only show around 210. I had a scan done to retrieve the data and it said it had been at 260. I put a scan gaugeII on it to get true readings and it also showed 260. I had replaced the thermostat, fan clutch and had it back flushed to no avail. I finally in desperation pulled the ac condenser/oil cooler and found out the radiator was nearly completely covered with a fine lint type of crap. I cleaned it good and now it runs in the 198 to 210 range. A person can't see the front of the radiator and seem to think that as long as the first set of cooling fins are clean it is good, NOT.