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Fan Clutch T/U

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Finally took my truck into the shop to get them to yank the entire dash out and fix the damm diverter door. If I ever find the person who invented this method of heading/A/C, will tie them next to a fire ant mound and slather them with food. Not kidding... Anyways they got everything working fine, it was evidently only one door out of the three that was not working right but now they call and say that my fan clutch (which was working fine yesterday) is now not good and causing the A/C pressures to go too high when the truck is not driving. Interesting... it worked fine yesterday when they started working on it... Fan clutches are easy to change so am going to do that myself but am curious how others have experienced with this? The truck has just about 120,000 miles on it so if its original not concerned.Any suggestions or should I buy a aftermarket replacement fan clutch? Thx,Joe

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  • Owner

Ummm... I did mine and it wasn't too hard... http://forum.mopar1973man.com/showthread.php/1788-A-C-Evaporator-amp-Heater-core-write-up! http://forum.mopar1973man.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1034 Fan clutch is a bit of fun I did a fan Clutch on a 92 and use a long piece of re-bar and a hammer to get it knocked loose... It a left hand thread so remember its backwards...

  • Author

Mike,Thanks and I will probably do the next one. Problem is that its already hot here (going to be 112 this Sunday) and I can make money easier than I can work outside in the driveway right now. Anyone have any experience with the various fan clutches? The shop says to go "buy Dodge" and nothing else. Problem is that a real Dodge fan clutch is about $200 or so I am told, while Hayden or 4 Seasons is about $100 for the part so wondering if the Dodge part is that much better.Thx,Joe

  • Author

Mike,Thats what I am thinking and wondering if the A/C place was just pushing the Dodge brand. Sorry but a $100 unit appears to be what is going to go on the truck next.Not having good luck but at least its covered! Picked up the truck and turned right back into their lot. The Edge w/Attitude display was not working so they dove back in the truck. Found that they had jiggled loose the power connection to the display and was back on my way in 10 minutes.Then started driving and the A/C works great, making ice cubes and such in the interior while driving. Then got too cold and turned the temp control up a bit to a normal temp. Did not work... Called them back so they are now going to have to pull the entire dash again and fuss with the temp control issue. At least its not going to cost me anything. Will do it after I change the fan clutch so they cannot blame any of it on the clutch unit.Thx,Joe

  • Author

Mike,Next question. I thought fan clutches were easy to change, then I met Dodge. Have only done several hundred of them on various cars. This truck has some real idiot designers. First the diverter door concept of heating/cooling and running hot water through the heater core all the time, even with the A/C on, and now putting the fan clutch on with a big (36mm) nut and no clear way of holding the puppy still to remove the nut!Any suggestions on how to get this nut loose? I know its reverse thread, or at least the replacement one is. Have tried holding the belt tight but no luck, it still slips and the nut is not budging. Thanks,JoePS, thanks for the video of the blend door. It may have been one of the other doors that needed replacement.

I had to take a punch to get mine loose. After being on for 300k it was on there pretty good. I don't think anyone has a narrow 36mm so it was all I could do. It worked though.If you have a wrench that will fit, you just hold the fan still by using something on the pulley bolts, like vise-grips.

  • Author

How did you do it with a punch? Hit the nut part of the fan clutch and knock it off? Pls confirm that its reverse thread? Thx,Joe

Yeah I just hit the edge of the nut. The punch will put a dimple in it and then you can start hitting it really hard. Just make sure you don't go to the edge too much or the dimple will start sliding and just cut a groove into the edge of the nut. It is reverse, so if you are standing in front of the truck looking down at the nut you would hit the right side of the nut, or clockwise loosens it, all from from front of truck perspective..The problem is just getting it to initially break loose. If you use a wrench you have to hammer it really hard and it will break loose. The punch does eat the nut a little so if you go this route make sure you are careful.

  • Owner

Mike,

Next question. I thought fan clutches were easy to change, then I met Dodge. Have only done several hundred of them on various cars.

Actually there is 2 special wrenches you need for the fan clutch. There is a huge wrench used on the screws of the pulley and the second wrech for the fan clutch. really odd setup but it works... JL welding here can make you a set...

This truck has some real idiot designers. First the diverter door concept of heating/cooling and running hot water through the heater core all the time, even with the A/C on,

Some people add a ball vavle to the heater lines...

and now putting the fan clutch on with a big (36mm) nut and no clear way of holding the puppy still to remove the nut!

Any suggestions on how to get this nut loose? I know its reverse thread, or at least the replacement one is. Have tried holding the belt tight but no luck, it still slips and the nut is not budging.

Thanks,

Joe

PS, thanks for the video of the blend door. It may have been one of the other doors that needed replacement.

Some comments in blue...

  • Author

Mike,Thanks and appreciate the help.So there is not any real reason for the water flowing to the heater core in summer? I have never seen any vehicle do this, especially with the diverter door issue. I was about ready to loop the hoses right back to themselves had I not gotten the door fixed. Will look into a wrench that would hold the pully tight, maybe a motorcycle flange type of wrench would do it. Or may just give up and take the dremel tool and a cutting wheel to it as all you need to do is to relieve the tension on the nut to unscrew it.Thx,Joe

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  • Author

Well guys, no luck so far. Either this thing is on so tight that its going to take cutting off or I need that special wrench.Tried pounding on it with the chisel and rebar, and did a good job of messing up one of the flats but it did not budge a bit.Mike, you mentioned that someone on the list makes a special wrench for this? Any idea how long and how much $$$? Its either that or take it into a shop who does these and guessing that this would be more expensive.Thx,Joe

If you have an O-rielys auto parts store close by they borrow out special tools. some other auto parts places also do the same. I would give them a try before buying one.

Talk to JL Welding here he'll make you a set of wrenches and mail them to you... :thumbup2:

Any chance you or Joe can post a pic of the set of wrenches? Sounds like something I might be interested in at some point.

I went and rented the wrenches from O'reillys and it still wouldn't come off. I took the whole thing off the block and put it on the work bench to get it off. There are 4 10mm bolts and you can only get at 3 of them off easily and the 4Th on you have to use a hand wrench and turn it a 1/4 turn each time.

  • Author

Silver,I can get the bolts off of the fan unit easily, then there are four bolts holding it onto the pulley that I am assuming would come off easily.Its the damm big nut that will not budge and there is no easy way to hold it that complicates things.Live,Have not heard back from JL yet... Still hoping.Thx,Joe A

Have you checked your local parts jobbers to borrow/rent a tool rather than buy something you will probably never use again.

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