What do you need to know about a fan clutch?
A fan clutch is designed with a temperature sensitive spring that is used to control the engaging and disengaging of the fan depending on the temperature of your engine.
What kind of wrench do I need to remove fan clutch?
There are typically two types of ways the fan will be attached; one will be with four large bolts, in which case you will need just a basic wrench of the appropriate size to remove.
Can a bad fan clutch cause your car to overheat?
Hello, I’m Brandon. Yes, a bad fan clutch will cause the engine overheat. When the engine temperature rises above the clutch’s engagement temperature setting, the fan becomes fully engaged, drawing a higher volume of air through the vehicle’s radiator, which in turn serves to maintain or lower the engine coolant temperature.
How does a torque limiting fan clutch work?
A torque-limiting fan clutch reacts to engine speed. A centrifugal valve opens to allow the flow of heavy silicone fluid, locking the fan blades to the pulley. At idle and low engine speeds, this fan clutch is fully engaged, gradually disengaging as engine speed increases.
When do you need to replace a fan clutch?
If there’s an issue with the fan clutch, the customer needs to have it replaced right away. The longer the customer leaves a malfunctioning fan clutch in their engine, the more engine issues will crop up. The biggest risk is that the engine may overheat. They may also see a reduction in engine power and/or a decrease in gas mileage.
How can you tell when a fan clutch is engaged?
You should be able to audibly detect when the fan clutch engages, with an accompanying rush of air. At idle, as engine temperature increases, a thermal fan clutch will engage at a certain temperature. Torque-limiting fan clutches will disengage at a certain engine speed. Alternatively, an optical tachometer can be used to measure fan speed.
How does a thermal fan clutch work on a car?
When the fan clutch engages, it spins up greatly, increasing air flow through the radiator and over the engine. A thermal fan clutch reacts to temperature of the air rushing over it from the radiator. As the radiator heats up, the air passing through it also heats up.
A torque-limiting fan clutch reacts to engine speed. A centrifugal valve opens to allow the flow of heavy silicone fluid, locking the fan blades to the pulley. At idle and low engine speeds, this fan clutch is fully engaged, gradually disengaging as engine speed increases.