pull the radiator out to replace the fan clutch.
creates a good opportunity to clean the core fins from the backside with power washer on low P. setting.
soak the core fins with a good degreaser first to loosen the bug guts and road dirt.
radiator fins outside air flow is as critical as coolant flow inside thru the core

check the fan blades for any hair line cracks at base and any tip damage. slightly out of balance fan blade makes for lots of belt bounce and short clutch life.

 

Thank you for the updates.

No smell of burning rubber, so I will buy a replacement alternator and as I have a new fan clutch, less then $30, I will install it as well as well as the new idler pulley. I will see if the fan clutch failed after I replace it there is a oily / greasy residue appearing on the fan, could be something else.

So probably no more replacements for several years, I drive less then 10k a year. As within the last 2 years I will have replaced the Water pump, Thermostat, Radiator, Fan Clutch, Idler pulley, Serpentine Belt, Alternator. Fuel filter, Air Filter, tie rod ends, headlights, side lights. battery, plugs, plugs wires, PCV valve, and changed out he rear end fluid with synthetic oil. I now have 145+K on my 1996 Aerostar 4.0.

All that will be left to replace is Power steering pump, recent fresh fluid, and A/C compressor. I will wait for them to wear out.

Recently I put in new front brakes. Replaced the calipers, brake hoses, rotors, bearings, pads. New front & rear shocks, new front sway bar bushings, Hellwig rear sway bar. Tires and rims.

Huge improvement in handling with Hellwig rear sway bar.
I highly recommend this upgrade. I absolutely love the improvement, from now on I will install one of these on any car I have.

Thanks again for the updates.

 

Thanks for the tip on the fan, mine had several large cracks.

Bought a replacement @ Napa had to use a spacer and now real hard to fit the wrenches, specialty ones for fan clutch R&R, to reinstall fan clutch. next time I will put in electric fans no more fan clutches for me.

Replaced the Alternator today as well.

Thank you so very much for the suggestions.

 

hhhmmm, on my new fan blade, it did come with a spacer, but if I had used it, the fan would be almost completely out of the fan shroud. I am wondering if you should have not used it.

 

Right you are I looked and the fan sticks out of the shroud by quite a bit.

If I do not use the spacer I can not fit the fan into the space do I need to pull the radiator, the water pump pulley alternator or what?

So I have put the fan back on the fan clutch with no spacer. So now the fan will fit inside the shroud, when I finally get it in.

I removed the idler pulley and the tensioner and still can not get the fan and fan clutch assembly, when they are together, in the space. The fan clutch nut hits the fan pulley by about 1/4". If take off the fan pulley I can probably drop the fan and fan clutch assembly in and then put the pulley back on.

It is obvious to me that I am missing something here.

At this point I am confident if I ever do this again, I will pull the radiator first. Still waiting for confirmation that this is the best, only? choice.

All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you in advance!

 

If I remember correctly, the fan/clutch and fan shroud come out at the same time, it is just a PIA to get them out through the upper radiator hose and a/c lines.

Removing the tensioner and idler do help, but if you can, pull the upper hose too to give you more room.

Install is just the reverse, just keep everything loose until you have it in position.

 

Pulling the whole radiator is a lot of extra work, you have an internal trans cooler you need to connect and disconnect if you pull a whole radiator. The fan and shroud must come out together.

My van is running e-fans. If you converter to electric fans, remember two things. One is that you MUST get sufficient airflow, so not just any e-fan will do, and two is that a shroud is almost essential.

I have used e-fans on Aerostars, and have learned a few things about what it takes to do it right. If you do it, here are the pluses and minuses.

pros
•better cooling and AC at idle
•easier to change belts and access the front of the engine
•easier to remove than the stock fan (the fan and shroud are together and are not attached to the engine)
•decreased engine load and waste, can save fuel and increase usable power
•can be set up to cool engine after shutdown

cons
•to do it right, it can be expensive
•added electrical load, getting an alternator with more than 130 amp output is recommended
•splicing some stock wiring is required.
•seal between radiator and condensor is more critical
•fan speed remains relatively constant and does not change with engine speed or cooling load

So where do you start if you want to pursue?

Unless you want to build your own shroud, you need to purchase a fan that comes with a shroud, and it has to be of the right size. There are only two that fit the bill that I'm aware of.

The first is the Flex-A-Lite model 180
Flex-a-lite 180 - Flex-a-lite Black Magic Xtreme Series Electric Fans - Overview - SummitRacing.com

it has 3300 CFM, enough to cool an Aerostar adequately for most use, though it may struggle with high loads and extreme temps if the outside air gets more than 95 on a regular basis. It should work great with a 3.0L, especially if you use a 4.0L radiator. It also works with the 4.0L. This one comes with the fans controller and wiring

If you need something a little more powerful that can keep the engine cool in temperatures beyond 95 and can handle heavy loads, this unit should be the ticket
Derale Cooling Products 16830 - Derale Performance High Output Dual RAD Fan and Shroud Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com

It uses dual fans and bumps the CFM to 3750. It also have the one way louvers, which opens as the vehicle travels at speed allowing more airflow from motion. Al low speed the louvers close, acting as check valves to prevent the fans from recirculating hot air. This setup allows better flow at speed than a design that lacks the louvers. It is a tight fit width wise, but should work great. This unit does not come with the wiring or controller.

There are a lot of controllers you can choose from, with varying levels of features and complexity.

You can wire in a simple switch on the inside that allows you to turn it on and off. This obviously requires you to do something, but its the least expensive option.

Simple temperature switches turn the fan on and off when target temperatures are reached.
Summit Racing SUM-890015 - Summit Racing® Electric Fan Thermostat Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Painless Wiring 30103 - Painless Performance FAN-THOM II Electric Fan Relay Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Summit Racing SUM-890014 - Summit Racing® Electric Fan Thermostat Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Painless Wiring 30102 - Painless Performance FAN-THOM II Electric Fan Relay Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Derale Cooling Products 16735 - Derale Performance Single Stage Fan Controllers - Overview - SummitRacing.com

and you can get nicer ones that are adjustable and let you set the on/off temps
Derale Cooling Products 16749 - Derale Performance Deluxe Adjustable Controllers with Pipe Threaded Probes - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Flex-a-lite 31147 - Flex-a-lite Adjustable Electric Fan Controllers - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Hayden Automotive 3651 - Hayden Electric Fan Controls - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Flex-a-lite 31165 - Flex-a-lite Variable Speed Controllers - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Painless Wiring 30104 - Painless Performance Adjustable Electric Fan Thermostat Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Zirgo ZFSWA - AutoLoc Radiator Temperature Control Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Perma-Cool 18905 - Perma-Cool Adjustable Fan Wiring Kits - Overview - SummitRacing.com

Any of the single kits can be converted to 2 or more fan control by adding relays, with the exception of those that allow fan speed control.

I myself use electric fans on my Aerostar. It has been a learning curve, but in my situation, the stock radiator and fan proved inadequate, and the fuel economy penalty over time adds up, and I do a lot of driving. the more miles you drive, especially highway mileage, the more you will notice the improvement of converting to electric, but as shown here, it can be expensive initially. And it requires some minor fabrication skills.

If you want the fans to come on when the AC comes on, you will need to tap into the hot wire on the AC clutch. If your controller has built in AC or switch input, run a wire from the clutch hot to that input, otherwise you will need to install a relay in parallel with the controller that is triggered on by clutch coil energizing, and bypasses the controller.

 

When I replaced the water pump on my '95 4.0L I removed the radiator. I took advice from this forum in doing so; some guys said it wasn't necessary, others said the job is easier with as much out of the way as possible. I too found cracks on the factory fan and bought an AZ replacement. (Still haven't convinced myself this was necessary.) The uninstalled spacer is still sitting on the bench in my garage. I was afraid of excessive noise and vibration with the after market fan. It has been in place 18 months now without any problem. I reused the factory fan clutch as it was completely clean.

One problem I encountered was that moving the A/C hoses (lines?) around to clear the radiator created a leaky connection. I have had a flat A/C system for two summers now. I mention this at the risk of hijack here, I realize. I'll separately post results of vacuum test, parts availability and my luck with this repair.

 

Many thanks to all that helped.

Here is what I learned.

Specifically for the 4.0l motor.

The nut is RH thread, loosen in counterclockwise direction.
So are the bolts on the fan tensioner and idler pulley.

Do use the specialty tools for fan clutch R&R
Do loosen up the fan shroud for more clearance.
Removal of the Idler Pulley and Belt tensioner made it easier for me.

The fan shroud bolts are 1/4" SAE.
The bolt holding on the idler pulley is 5/8" SAE.
The bolts on the Alternator were 1/2" SAE
The bolts for the fan clutch were 10mm Metric.

Do not use spacer on replacement fan.

You may choose to remove the alternator for clearance.

Check for cracks or missing pieces on your fan, mine had 2 really deep cracks, rather scary.

Remove the Alternator first if you are going to replace it, then install after you get the fan clutch in. Also if you are going to replace your alternator remove the oil filler tube at the back, it make it much easier to move the heater hose out of the way to reach the back bolt.

If your fan belt and or belt tensioner idler pulley have serious miles save your self time and trouble put in new ones now. My fan belt was a Gates with 40k and it looks great so I am keeping it as a spare.

The idler pulley on mine was worn out, a Gates with 40k. Could have been killed by the cracked fan or fan clutch. My belt tensioner is Gates with 40K. The idler pulley is now Delco, it too has some blemishes in the finish.

Temperatures are much more stable with new parts. I replaced the alternator so I do not have to go in again soon.

Once again, many thanks to everyone who helps here on the forum.
I often come here for advice. It helpful to know what the best parts and techniques are for our beloved Aerostars. I would buy a new one in a minute if they made they today. As they do not, I will be maintaining my old one and expect to get another 140K+ out of Red The Aerostar.

 

seen too many guys with fan belt scars or fan blades stuck in their chest or arms from fan blades reaching in to goose the throttle

out of gear engine with no load revvs much faster than on the road to redline revv limiter. that's when hell in a handbasket raises it's ugly head.

 

A minor correction: On a 4 liter engine, the bolt on the tensioner pulley is a left hand thread. To loosen the belt, I usually put a 15 mm socket on the bolt head and turn it counter-clockwise with a breaker bar. I don't remember about the idler pulley.

 

IF you are right that it goes CCW to loosen.

It is a RH threaded bolt which you turn Counter Clockwise to loosen.

A LH Thread turns Clockwise to loosen.

Both the tensioner itself not sure about it's pulley and the Idler pulley are RH Threads.

I did not remove the tensioner pulley sorry if I created a misunderstanding.

 

I was trying to describe how to loosen the belt, not the bolt. I'll try to be more clear. This is the case on my 1990 4 liter engine:

The spring loaded arm on the tensioner pulley applies a CW torque against the belt. In order to loosen the belt, the tensioner arm has to be turned CCW, which can be done either with a special tool, or by cranking on the bolt. I think that's probably why Ford made that bolt a left-hand thread, so you can crank on it in the CCW direction to pull up the tensioner pulley, and loosen the belt.