thook

I was doing some some repairs today on my '92 3.0 when I noticed with the motor running the fan was not spinning as fast as it should. So, I reached over and put my finger on it causing it to come to a complete stop!!! Uh..excuse me..what the hell? Has my fan clutch bit the dust?

MudHippy

Yeah, you shouldn't be able to stop it with your whole hand let alone a finger. It's history.

It's pretty easy to replace, I've seen new ones for around $70.

thook

Yeah, I've had it on off a million times over the course of eons doing one thing or another. Thing is, I need to find one used very cheap or FREE even. I'm already at my max on the budget with this vehicle. That's a long story. BUT, short story?....got a free one I can have....+shipping?

SR5

you put your finger into a running motor...................?????

thook

Yes, my name may not imply it, but I am Superman......hands of steel! Able to stop motors with a single digit!!! So, do not try this yourself, laddy. At home or otherwise.

MudHippy

Sorry, no spares here.

You could rig it so it spins all the time. Not sure exactly how one might do that, but I'd get my welder and let my imagination do the rest. It'll kill your mpg I'd think. Keep your engine plenty cool in this heat, though.

I found some used ones on http://car-part.com for $35 over by you.

Ganoid

thats exactly what a fan clutch is supposed to do.
why don't you simply let the engine idle with the ac on and observe after a few mins the fan clutch will begin to lock up and you will both hear and notice a much larger amount of air moving. If you wanted to try and stop the fan clutch at this point you will probably hinder your ability to count to 20. Yes the fan clutch is supposed to free wheel when the engine is cool enough not to need it.

thook

Believe me, if I'd though the fan was spinning "normally" (or locked up, as it were) I wouldn't have attempted to stop it.

Anyhow, the A/C is not working at the moment.....another project on the list. So, what you're saying is once the motor has warmed up sufficiently the fan should still kick in, eh? Hmmm....now if I can just keep the motor running long enough to warm up!

thook

BTW, if we could kill two goliaths with one stone here, what would cause a fan to engage/lock up excessively or more than usual? My 22RE has been doing that.

MudHippy

I'm not able to stop mine with the engine running, ever. I've tried. Mine offers quite a bit of resistence to any attempts at such at any given temperature. I'm fairly sure they should NEVER freewheel.

Also, if you can see the silicone fluid coming out the seal in the rear, it needs replaced.

About the fan running to fast, there's a coil thermastat on the front that could be damaged. It could be the malfuntion in either case as far as I know.


Here's a usefull link that explains it all, including a test to check it:http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_...22.html?page=2

thook

Okay, so which is correct? I have to say I've never ever noticed mine freewheel, either. Need more input...

Last time I had it off and inspected it there was no silicone leaking.

Coil thermostat? I'll have to look into that.

Thanks!!

MudHippy

Try the spin test(the link I added there), if it doesn't spin 5 times, your sitting pretty. If it does(OR freewheels), definetely no good, bad thermosatat valve(not engaging properly). That will tell you if it's not spinning the fan fast enough. NOT if it's spinning to fast(on the 22re). That would be the thermostat valve not releasing the clutch enough.

thook

Ahhh..more input. Grazie, grazie! I'm going to check that out right now.

Lysmachia

I had my fan clutch seize on a trail. It squeeled like a mofo. I had to cut my alternator and power steering belt jusdt to get off the trail. So if you think this is a problem... replace it before you are out in the middle of no where!

thook

Doesn't spin freely. However, according to the test it's supposed to be performed if the vehicle's not been started the same day. Also, it says even though it doesn't spin freely it could still be bad. Regardless, I think with this info I'll be able to determine what I need to know. Thanks, again.

thook

Bummer.

Well, I'll know soon enough. Besides... going anywhere in this vehicle is not really an option. It won't stay running for some reason. I'll work it out, though. Thanks for the response.

BTW, I've been very curious for long time about your username. Where does that come from?...if you don't mind.

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

Your fan clutch didn't seize. Your fan support bracket siezed. If the fan clutch itself seized, all it would do it spin constantly. A locked up fan clutch will not hurt the engine, it will just get annoying by spinning the fan at cooling speed ALL the time.

It is perfectly normal to be able to stop it with your hand. Its not recommended, as it can lock up at any time and take off your fingers. What you want to worry about is if it never locks up. Then you will have cooling issues.

thook

This may be what's going on with my 22RE. It's at cooling speed...as you call it... most of the time. Rather, it may be beginning to seize? It does stop and get quiet occasionally.

BTW, ALL I did was put my finger on the outer portion...not the fins themselves. (Just in case anyone though I being stupid. I do enough of that in other areas of life)

Ganoid

The fan free wheels with the exception of a little drag due to the nature of the beast (I can stop mine with my bare hand as well once it moves to free wheel mode). When you first start the vehicle the fan should lock up for 10-30 seconds or atleast every one I have ever seen did but after that the fan should go into a freewheel mode. Once the center hub of the fan sees a bit of temperature the fan will lock up again till it cools down enough to unlock. I can leave my truck idle in the drive way and about every 2-3 mins after its up to operating temp the fan will lock up for a min or so then go back to free wheel mode much the way your thermostat opens and closes in cycles. Feel free to purchase a new fan clutch but once you get the new clutch broken in you will see the exact same free wheel function when the engine is not in need of active cooling. If you want to check the lock up function of the fan just heat the shaft or center section of the clutch with a propane torch (should not need much heating to trigger a lock up) and watch it lock up. Remember its called a "fan clutch" not a "fan torque converter" so much the way a clutch dis engages completely so will your fan until the time is right and don't let the mushy feeling of the clutch fool you it will lock up to nearly 100% and it will happen VERY quickly when its needed (this would be why its not a good idea to stop it with your hand).

thook

Very well. Thank you for the explanation, Ganoid. I won't be buying anything unless I know for certain something is bad. In all probability it's just fine. I just never noticed this "freewheeling" mode before, so it had me concerned. I've got a torch, but I probably won't need to use it. I'll just run the simple tests mentioned before. And I'll try and keeps my hands away...lol.