What causes a clutch fan to stay engaged?
Insufficient heat in winter is another common problem but caused by the opposite fan clutch failure. If the fan clutch seizes, it remains engaged all the time, cooling off the engine too much. Excess fan noise at high speed is caused by the same problem, a seized fan clutch.
What noise does a bad fan clutch make?
Clunking. Sometimes a customer will hear a clunking noise when the engine is running. It’s a common sound that could mean so many different things, including broken clutch fan blades. You can open the hood and then inspect the clutch fan (with the engine off, of course).
What are the signs of a bad fan clutch?
Overheating engine is the most common symptom of a bad or failing fan clutch. It controls the operation of the cooling fans. These cooling fans will disable/not work at maximum efficiency as the bad clutch will not engage properly. This result in overheating which may lead to serious issues if not timely attended.
When should a fan clutch engage?
around 170°F
What Temperature Does a Fan Clutch Engage? The majority of them engages when the air temperature goes around 170°F, which means that engine temperature is around 180-190°F. Usually, they can reduce it by about 20°F before disengaging.
How do I know if my 7.3 clutch fan is bad?
If you have a really bad clutch it will wiggle it should spin side to side but have NO back & forth movement. Another way is to start it up & watch the speed of your belt & pulleys then watch the speed of your fan, if it’s not spinning around like a cattle fan & is moving slower then that’s a good sign that it’s bad.
What temperature should a fan clutch engage?
about 170°F
At what temperatures do fan clutches engage? Answer: Most fan clutches engage at about 170°F air temperature (about 180-190°F engine temperature). They reduce the temperature about 20°F before disengaging.
Is a clutch fan better than a flex fan?
For high rpm use, flex fans are considered an upgrade over clutch fans. They can be a good choice for modified vehicles turning 6,000 – 8,000 rpm. Advantages include: They move more air for better cooling.
What does reverse rotation on a fan clutch mean?
Clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the fan blade is defined as viewed from the front of the vehicle looking toward the rear. The replacement counter-clockwise fan clutch will be marked “REVERSE”. Do not discard the original fan mounting hardware, as it will be needed to install the replacement fan clutch.
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 fan clutch work on a radiator?
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. This heats up a small bi-metallic coil in the face of the fan clutch, releasing an internal valve.
What happens to the engine when the fan clutch fails?
As the fan clutch is one of the main cooling system components, it is very important to the proper operation of the engine. When it fails, the engine can be put at risk of serious damage due to overheating.
How does a water pump fan clutch work?
The fan clutch is a thermostatic device, which means it operates based off temperature, and is usually mounted on the water pump, or another belt driven pulley. The fan clutch will spin loosely until the temperature reaches a certain level, at which point the fan clutch will fully engage…