Clutch fan question
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Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 107
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From: Alberta Canada
Clutch fan question
Hey guys. I have been trouble shooting a water pump problem. Changed the old one for a re-man one. Ever since my truck runs hotter. I have now changed the sending unit and thermostat and it is still running at the same spot. One guy on this site mentioned the clutch fan. It blows lots of air at idle, has some tension to it when you spin it by hand. Its cooler here in canada now so the roar I hear when its hot out doesnt happen now. How do I check if the clutch fan is working properly. Can I do it or does the dealer need to use a special tool. My factory gauge ran just below the N of the word normal for the two years I owned the truck. It now runs on the O and does not cool down past it at idle. Rad has been checked OK, new thermostat and temp sending unit. If I knew the pump was working properly I could live with it but my experience tells me something is not right. Thanks for any tips on checking the clutch fan.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 509
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From: Pasco, WA
If it's cold, place a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator & run it for a bit; the fan should lock up & howl at about the same time the guage hits "M". When the clutch is cool, some resistance is normal. Your old reading of "N" was too cold; the "O" is just fine.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 107
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From: Alberta Canada
Clutch fan
DaBigTow, thanks. I have a heavyduty mechanic friend who allways said diesels like to run hot vs cool. Your post helps me to feel maybe O on the gauge is allright. My truck would cool down quite a bit if I was idling before. Now it seems to stay at the O wether I just stopped or have idled for 5 mins. Any idea as to why I would get a lower reading before the pump change and now it runs at a constant temp higher on the gauge. I just dont want to over heat my engine. It is cooler now that it's fall and I wonder what the gauge says next summer when I'm in the mountains pulling my old heavy camping trailer and it's 35 degrees celcius. Anyway, thanks for the input. Allways appreciated....
Ed
Ed
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 509
Likes: 1
From: Pasco, WA
At about 200k, I changed all the hoses as a precaution. I also changed the sending unit because the reading was fluctuating. That's when I got the increase from "N" to "O". At 250k, I changed the pump, installing a new one from NAPA; no change in reading. I can't explain why your reading changed, but you're well within acceptable limits. When I pull a large trailer (12k-14k) up a righteous grade in summer heat, I've seen the temp go as high as "L". At that point, it's a good idea to have already turned off your A/C, because that's going to add a fair amount of heat to the coolant (the air's hotter after going thru the condensor, so less cooling effect). My normal reading when towing is "R/M".
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