• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Fan Clutch Replacement?

M

My_Little_Pony

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Renton, WA
Alright, let me start by saying I am a complete moron and like to take the easy way out. Now that we got that settled, let me ask you guys this:

How the hell do I change the mechanical fan clutch? Do I need any special tools? Are there any tricks to this?

I will set the stage for you guys: I have horrible lighting where I am doing this at, it is on an 89 Inline six, and I have very limited mechanical experience.

I looked it up in my Haynes manual, but all it did was show a picture of what the part looked like and it said "take these 4 bolts off" and that was all it said.

So, PLEASE HELP!!
 
let me know how it goes....i need to replace mine this evening.

how long did it take you? any tips/advice? where did you purchase the clutch from? the dealership wanted $130. ouch.....

mine is an 89 limited as well.

thanks!
 
Its pretty straight forward, just limited space to work with. If you need a little more room, you can take off the radiator support on top and tilt the radiator back. I got impatient with mine and tried to force mine out without doing that and broke the plastic fan shroud. I have a Modine two row though so I had a little less space to work with.
 
For taking the fan off, the new ratchet head box end wrenches are a huge help. They are available at almost every hardware store, now. Stick the wrench on there and swing away. Don't have to worrk about making a quarter turn, then having to take the wrench off and get another quarter turn.
 
The autozone fan clutch I bought is wider and doesnt really fit on there, the radiator definitely has to be tilted back for that one. I should have bought an oem one from quadracrap.
Anyhow I did mine a few weeks ago after first trying dual electric fans.
That fan shroud sucks to work around!
KH
 
Well I replaced my fan clutch about 45 minutes ago.....didn't do s***!!! I still have overheating problems. I am lost on what to do.....I don't even know where to go from here.
 
Start with the basics, you already did the fan clutch, thats pretty much the expensive part. I would do a cooling system R&R, hit the parts store and get the following: 2 gallons of cooolant, prestone back flush kit, 7 hour prestone cooling system cleaner. From there to the dealer for both upper and lower hoses and heater hoses would also be a good idea, OEM thermostat, OEM pressure cap. If your system is a closed one you might also pick up a new pressure bottle w/cap. Then hit the local supermarket for 2 gallons of DISTILLED water [not SPRING water :D ]
Next drain the old coolant out and refill with water and the 7 hour flush then follow directions on the bottle, turn your heat on to flush the core. Once you have done the 7 hours install the back flush kit into the heater hose. Back flush the system then drain it again. On an open system remove and clean the overflow bottle, reinstall and fill to between the hot and cold marks, on closed system install the new pressure bottle. Remove all the hoses and replace, the OEM heater hoses should have the clamps already on them, the big hoses won't so you will need 4 clamps for them, the OEM lower hose will also have a spring inside to keep it from collapsing. Both the big hoses will also come with an outside protective sleeve. When removing the heater hoses from the heater core near the firewall don't just pull them off, cut them lengthwise with a razor or xacto knife and peel them off gently. Remove the thermostat housing and install the new thermostat, the OEM will come with the correct gasket, install the thermostat with the little hole straight up in the 12 O'clock position. Once you have all the hoses back on and everything tight add one gallon of pure coolant and one gallon of DISTILLED water. Take the remaing one gallon of coolant and one gallon of DISTILLED water and make up two gallons of 50/50 mix. Start it up and let the engine warm up, keep the radiator topped off, it will look like fuzzy green soda, thats air and thats what you want to get out, let the engine run, keep adding 50/50 mix as the level goes down and k
 
RichP said:
Start with the basics, you already did the fan clutch, thats pretty much the expensive part. I would do a cooling system R&R, hit the parts store and get the following: 2 gallons of cooolant, prestone back flush kit, 7 hour prestone cooling system cleaner. From there to the dealer for both upper and lower hoses and heater hoses would also be a good idea, OEM thermostat, OEM pressure cap. If your system is a closed one you might also pick up a new pressure bottle w/cap. Then hit the local supermarket for 2 gallons of DISTILLED water [not SPRING water :D ]
Next drain the old coolant out and refill with water and the 7 hour flush then follow directions on the bottle, turn your heat on to flush the core. Once you have done the 7 hours install the back flush kit into the heater hose. Back flush the system then drain it again. On an open system remove and clean the overflow bottle, reinstall and fill to between the hot and cold marks, on closed system install the new pressure bottle. Remove all the hoses and replace, the OEM heater hoses should have the clamps already on them, the big hoses won't so you will need 4 clamps for them, the OEM lower hose will also have a spring inside to keep it from collapsing. Both the big hoses will also come with an outside protective sleeve. When removing the heater hoses from the heater core near the firewall don't just pull them off, cut them lengthwise with a razor or xacto knife and peel them off gently. Remove the thermostat housing and install the new thermostat, the OEM will come with the correct gasket, install the thermostat with the little hole straight up in the 12 O'clock position. Once you have all the hoses back on and everything tight add one gallon of pure coolant and one gallon of DISTILLED water. Take the remaing one gallon of coolant and one gallon of DISTILLED water and make up two gallons of 50/50 mix. Start it up and let the engine warm up, keep the radiator topped off, it will look like fuzzy green soda, thats air and thats what you want to get out, let the engine run, keep adding 50/50 mix as the level goes down and k
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response!! Quick question on that...I just replaced my thermostat and water pump about 5 months ago. Should I still buy a new thermostat?
 
My_Little_Pony said:
Thanks for the response!! Quick question on that...I just replaced my thermostat and water pump about 5 months ago. Should I still buy a new thermostat?
Click to expand...

If it overheated BAD you can damage a new thermostat. If it is not too cold up there yet you could remove the thermostat on a temp basis and see if it still overheats. I'm placing my money on the 7 hour flush, I've seen that stuff work with my own eyeballs and the amount of crud that it disolves is unnerving and it disolves it, not sand blasts it like the 15 minute flushes. The first time I used it on my 82 S-10's 2.8L I added the stuff the night before I headed from the poconos to syracuse NY on a service call. The inside of the rad was nasty, by the time I got to syracuse, did the call and checked it again before leaving all the crud was gone from the tubes, by the time I stopped on the ny/pa border for dinner I checked it again, the solder was shiny like it had just been done and I was getting a bit nervous being afraid it would eat the solder joints up. Got home, drained and backflushed, refilled, worked fine for another year but by then the copper fins were rotten, too many winter NY state service calls, they use some NASTY road treatment up there, and heat transfer was almost nil so I put a new modine radiator in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Fan not turning on when hot- fan works!
Replies
2
Views
2K
JMA_2001XJ
J
A
Auto locks issue
Replies
4
Views
294
Saudade
Saudade
M
NP 231 input shaft
Replies
3
Views
2K
RCP Phx
R
V
High temp woes
2
Replies
21
Views
414
Vitzaa
V
D
1996 4.0 No Crank, Starter Works When Jumped
Replies
19
Views
276
Saudade
Saudade
Back
Top