It'll kick in while running the freeway at 80ish on a hot day with no cargo or trailer. It's very loud and I'm 99.9% sure it is the fan and not something else. On really hot days, 110 or more, it'll run nearly full time on the freeway at 80, it'll only stop when I go downhill, then it kicks back in. The factory coolant temp gauge never gets over the half way point. It's also very active when towing, to be somewhat expected, but the temp never goes above half. I would expect a little more on the gauge before the fan kicking into full power, but don't know what's normal for these. I've driven my friend's F-250 7.3 quite a bit and don't recall ever hearing the fan, but I don't think I've driven it on really hot days.

'02 Excursion, bone stock except for an aluminum grill that looks like this https://freedomdieselperformance.com...hoCVWsQAvD_BwE.

I added that detail in case the grille could be causing it. I just realized I could try running without it to see if it's possibly restricting the airflow. The F-250 I've driven has the same style grille.

 

Generally, fans don't provide enough airflow to help over 40 mph or so. I would look at something else since your temps seem under control.
I would look at your A/C system. I'm not positive about these but in other vehicles it can trigger the fan to help with pressure build up. This would seem to match your symptoms as well if the A/C system is borderline.

 

I would say your fan clutch could certainly be going bad-the default is for it to lock up solid when it does.

Please be advised that I had a medium duty commercial truck that I drove for my employer do this several times (Inferior AFTERMARKET unit) and the fan clutch kept locking up causing the HUGE fan to lock up solid.

After a while they refused to fix/replace them....and the darn thing would scream down the road and I now have Tinnitus, which is there is no cure for-a ringing in my ears that will be with me the rest of my life......

 

Unless the Excursions got something better than the F series the dash gauge is almost completely worthless. You need to either read the oem oil temp sensor (you may have coolant sensor that goes to the pcm but my truck does not. not sure on your ex) thru the odb2 port or use a separate gauge to really know what is going on.

 

Grab a blade and give ur a spin. How much/far did it turn?

 

My fan will come on when hot (90+) and towing out 5th wheel camper, even at 65 MPH. The fan is there to help with cooling, even if it is useless above 40 MPH.

During this period the fan is on, it will normally shut off a few minutes after. Sometimes it will kick on when on level surface at 65 MPH when towing, but usually not.

The fan is working as intended and turning on when it is called for and shut off when it is not. I cannot remember 1 time it turned on when the truck was NOT towing though.

Of course, your E-350 has different air flow properties than the F series truck and Excursion. Your grille may not be helping air flow, but I don't think that a new/thinner grille will help much.

The temperature gauge on my truck is a POS. It rises to half way and stays there... I have monitored the engine oil temperature (EOT) while towing and while not towing. While towing it is ~205-215 and when not towing it is ~200-205 consistently for both readings. If I were you, I would check out the EOT while running around like you normally do. Perhaps your thermostat not opening all the way or your radiator is partially blocked with dirt or debris. The E-350 may be inherently hotter while running due to the space constraints, but I would not expect it to be running all day long.

The road surface can make a difference as well. If you are on darker roads like black top, they can be significantly hotter than painted or grooved concrete.

 

This is on my '02 Excursion. The old E-350 acts like I'd expect, temp starts rising under heavy load and as it get up around 3/4 on the gauge the fan comes on and it starts dropping shortly after that.

I did look at my EOT several times when the fan was whirring, but it seemed fine so I didn't commit the number to memory. I wanna say it was around 210 unloaded at high speeds and a little higher towing in traffic. The trans temp was staying around 190-200 high speed, and up to 220 area towing. The high speed cruise was in temperatures up to 118 according to the dash display, but the fan will kick in a lot any time it's over 95 or so out if I'm driving fast and especially if I hit any hills.

The factory coolant temp gauge does go up a little from the usual spot before the fan kicks in, but not by much. I'd say around double of the needle's width worth of movement. I'll try rigging up a real gauge. The coolant temp also seems to stay a bit to low on cool days.

As for the A/C; it's just OK, not great. On those super hot runs, over 110 all the time, with the AC maxed out it was just enough to keep it ok inside. It's a huge black vehicle so I know the system is going to be taxed, but I assume it was designed to do better. There were only two of us in it, with a bunch more bodies making heat that drive might have become uncomfortable. I checked pressures about a month or two back and they seemed a little high, but not sure. I cleaned the heat exchangers too and they seem to be flowing clear.

Other than suspecting that it's kicking on a bit early, the clutch seems normal. On a cold start it's spinning the fan pretty hard, but calms down fairly quickly and only starts kicking back in as the temp rises. If it's not over 90 out it only seems to kick in when towing heavy or pulling hills at high speeds; 75-80 is my usual cruise not towing, 55-60 when towing. Turning it by hand it feels normal. It's tight in the morning before start-up and pretty loose once it's been run.

I've seen some IH clutches that are adjustable, I should check mine as I have no clue what brand is on it.

 

I am having the same issue. My factory one locked up and so I changed over to a NAPA brand one and have had this issue since. In the morning when I start the truck it is on for a bit also which I think is weird.
Should I get another?

 

Are all of your radiators up there clean? (Trans cooler, condenser, radiator?) Junk blocking flow will cause this.

 

"In the morning when I start the truck it is on for a bit also which I think is weird"

Mine does as well but hardly ever comes on after that. I believe that this is normal operation.

 

I used coil cleaner on all of the radiators and a rubber tipped 24" nozzle on my air compressor to blow debris out of them from the backside for each of them. When pushing air through in reverse from typical flow there is a better chance of dislodging debris.

Worth a shot...

 

When I first start the truck in the morning the fan clutch is usually engaged for 60 seconds or so. My 93 Aerostar does that too. I think it's normal for certain generations of Fords.

For the fan clutch coming on I only experience it when towing, uphill, at 90* plus. On and off in a very regular cadence, so regular I thought it was PCM controlled. I'm thinking yours is not getting proper airflow, or the radiator is clogged and it's hotter than the dash gauge is letting on. Dash gauge shows EOT on an AT rig, and that will respond slower than coolant temp which affects the fan clutch. Dunno if people still "rod out" radiators. But if yours is OE I'd consider plopping in a new one as preventive maintenance.

For the AC sometimes the clutch needs adjustment. Your Ex already has the "Ranger" AC mod valve installed. But I'm not sure the Ex has the vacuum line part of that mod. That will keep the blend door out of the way during max cooling, so you'll get coldest possible air.

 

Mine stays on for a moment in the morning as well, IIRC Ford calls it morning sickness.

 

Timmer has your answer, Look up!

Grab a vane and spin it both ways cold. If it doesn't freewheel it's shot. Do the same after it gets to OT. (truck shut off keys out....lol) If it doesn't spin with restriction ok . but, wait until the engine cools down and do it again. Still sticky? Replace.

Might be looking pretty hard and a thermostat and housing I suspect.


2 cents

Denny

 

Normal for the fan clutch to engage in the morning. If you can see the dummy gauge move in your trucks there is obviously something wrong, I have never seen any of the work trucks or the pulling mules at work dummy gauges move, ive put my AE and temps never go over 205° towing in 100°+ at full capacity and then some. My work truck a 00 f250 5.4 2wd sc weights in at 11k probably a bit more as I added more tools, the only time I hear the Fan clutch engage was during traffic and when it idles for at least 10-15 minutes but dissingages as soon as the rpms hit 3500 rpm. Temps on my truck have never gone over 198° going of my hand held OBDII reader and my AE. The gauge never moves from the center.