Hey Guys...Long time member, big time slacker with posts.
So my E99 has about 368K on the clock and by the sounds of it the fan clutch has given up the ghost. Always locked....always howling.
Replacements are everywhere but not sure I trust the aftermarket and even OEM the prices range from 80 to 200.
So... reliable source? Brand? I have usually preferred going OEM but I have also found some complaining that they always stay locked or come on much more than needed.
Recommendations?

Thanks all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Put a fomoco clutch on mine over a year ago. Zero complaints

 

I'll start off by saying I bought a Motorcraft fan clutch from my parts house supplier a few years ago prior to retirement and installed it on the truck. It worked for long enough for me to retire and close that account, then it chose to lock up on a permanent basis and howl from that point on. It put so much drag on the water pump pulley that it would slow down the water pump to less than idle speed while underway and the truck temperature gauge all the way up to the hot zone.
What my solution turned out to be was to install an OBS water pump pulley and an aftermarket fan clutch. The aftermarket fan clutch doesn't lock up with the grip that the Motorcraft unit did, but it unlocks when it needs to. Plus with the OBS pulley in there now, the fan doesn't spin quite as fast. Another change for the better is before when I would try and drive with the AC on, even empty never mind pulling a trailer up a hill, faster than 70 mph, the fan clutch would come on with so much grip that it would start to make the belt slip and squeal. Now with the OBS pulley in there, that is eliminated and I am free to go as fast as I want to with the AC on.

 

Here's the threads that I started about this subject if you are interested.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...uty-7-3-a.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...superduty.html

 

I will look into Fomoco. I always forget about them. Thank you!

I am going through them now. I have been lucky enough, (knocking on wood), that I have never had an overheat or belt slipping issue. I did have my tensioner bearing go out some years ago but it held together until I got home. I smelled rubber burning and popped the hood and there was the belt with only 3 ribs left. The tension just fell out when I went to put a wrench on it.
I just want it to behave like it did before. Nothing until needed then the slight but noticeable howl as it spun up.
Thanks Kwik!

 

The smooth water pump pulley eventually will glaze and wear down...more noticeably a problem at high RPM and harder fan clutch engagement. I never thought to scuff mine up but rather just replaced it with a new one, which fixed the problem. The belt began to ride up on the inside edge of the old worn pulley and caused a squeal. Spraying the smooth side of the belt with water allowed it to momentarily jump back over into the middle of the pulley and immediately the squeal went away. Same belt, same pump, new pulley and the belt rides in the middle and doesn't slip any longer. So long story short I'd replace the pulley too and maybe even the pump as well unless it was done quite recently. Would be a bummer to have to take it all apart again in 10,000 miles when the pump starts weeping. You can also just remove the fan and run the truck without it in the mean time. You'd be amazed how much quieter and peppier the motor is without the fan and the engine actually gets up to operating temperature.

The common sense replacement option is a new OEM unit and move onto the next problem. The not-so-common sense options are electric fans or electromagnetic clutches like on 6.0 and newer that can turn off and on more intelligently than a mechanical clutch. Somebody here awhile back I remember was attempting to retrofit an electromagnetic clutch off of a T444E motor. No idea if it ever happened but a fun idea.

 

Fomoco is Ford
So is Motorcraft
I'd run the one the dealer sells you
Or better yet get the part number and search ebay