PirateFins

If anyone can be of assistance. I think my stock fan clutch is going bad. It is not hot out and the temp of the truck is low, yet the clutch is engaging on my truck. It is not stuck engaged but seems to be doing its magic more frequently, keeping the temp way low, about 1/8 of scale. I don't have the time right now to switch over to the Taurus fan. So my question is... is there a way to adjut the operating temp of the clutch, or maintenance it? I just wan't it to come on when it really needs to. Not when it's only 60* out and the truck isn't even running warm. Any instructions would be nice. Thanks guys.
Brad

Glenn

There is no way to adjust the fan clutch. As far as maintaining it, I don't think it is worth the trouble of taking it out, disassembling it, and trying to figure out how much or what kind of fluid to add to make it work right again.

The easiest thing to do is install another one for the time being.

rimpainter.com

Yeah, you will surely find a donor on here if you need one. Just make a post about your need.

Billf6531

Your fan can't keep your coolant this cold if your thermostat is working properly. My guess is that your thermostat is stuck open.

PirateFins

Thermo is not stuck open. I just put a new one in 1 month ago. I put in a 185* to run the truck a little cooler, but not that cold. When the clutch is not engaged, it runs about 1/4 scale, when the clutch engages (and is happening alot) it drops down to 1/8 scale and stays there at hi-way speed. When I get back on normal roads the temp will rise again and then the fan kicks on and the temp goes down, cycling with the fan clutch engaging. I can watch it happen and know it is the fan causing it.

I read about changing the silicone fluid in the clutch, did anyone try it and the big question is did it work?

Anyone have a working fan clutch they would like to donate for shipping cost?

Billf6531

It's your thermostat. When the fan cools the coolant, the thermostat will close and maintain engine temperature at 185. About a quarter on the gauge (my 195 is about a third). If it's dropping lower that that when the truck is warmed up, the thermostat isn't closing properly. What was the reason for the new lower than usual thermostat? Does the truck take longer to warm up with this thermostat than with the original one?

PirateFins

Ok let put it a different way. I didn't have a problem with the temp of the truck until the fan started its running with the clutch engaged alot. When the fan was not engaged the truck ran steady at 1/4 scale allday long after warm up. This temp fluctuation problem did not start until the fan clutch started engaging more and more. At night when it is cooler the fan is not engaging and the temp stays steady at 1/4, but during the day it is a different story. I put the 185* in to try and get a little more performance gain from running a cooler motor because the new 195* I put in was running about 1/2 and the old one needed replacing. Don't know if the 185* is helping performance, because it is not the only thing I have done performance wise but I am getting way better gas milage.
Back to the original problem the clutch is engaging when the truck is not hot (1/4 scale is not hot), and the outside temp is like 50* or above. I thought the clutch in the fan ran of off the principle of thermal dynamics and the expansion of fluids when heated. The silicone fluid in the clutch heats to a certain temp, expands and forces the clutch to engage until the silicone fluid in the fan cooled off. I know the fan is engaging when it didn't in the past. I have driven this thing everyday for the past 8yrs. and it is engaging more frequently than it used to and also at outside temps that are lower. That is what has made me think the clutch is bad.

1985gts

My fan clutch is doing the same exact thing, the OEM gave out on me @ 153K.... It stays on for no apparent reason. I had since swapped it out for 2 different aftermarket clutch fans and 2 different thermostats (180 and 160)...still have the problem. Rather than buying the OEM clutch, I went cheap and purchased a TorqFlo from Autozone...They dont seem to work.

The temp is cool...but the fan stays on, even when I first drive the car in the mornings. THe fan is not seized.

Steveh29

Don't waste your time buying the silicone fluid and trying to refill the clutch. It's a huge mess and never seems to stay sealed in there the way it did from the factory. At least that's been my experience. I finally said forget it and bought a new fan clutch.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

You can change the silicone oil in the fan clutch to make it firmer or looser:
- http://www.off-road.com/~estegall/te...fanclutch.html

You can also test what you have:
- http://www.barneymc.com/toy_root/techneek/fan_clch.htm

And make sure the bimetal coil can easliy rotate the shaft that adjusts the clutch for temperature, I used a pair of needle nose pliers to turn the shaft back and forth to make sure it is not stuck.

Radyota

My dad's truck had the same problem with the fan staying engaged. When we pulled the motor apart to rebuild the heads, I cleaned the rust off of the bimetal coil with a wire brush and shot some WD-40 on it. I used a pliers to make sure it was loose, and it's doing better now. That little spring IS important!