fan clutch help

[RAD]

i need some fan clutch help. local a/c place swapped out my oem fan clutch and replaced it. didnt ask them to but they did. now a/c temp rises at stop lights. the fan clutch they put on, the fins are much shorter than the fins in the picture in @Mopar1973Man "cooling system flush" article. does anyone know the brand/type/part number you have on your truck. i got 2 numbers from parts look up tool, need to find the proper fan clutch and get it cooling correctly again. the one i looked at from autozone have short fins also.

 

for comparison, belt is 1-1/16" wide

 

first picture is of @Mopar1973Man fan clutch fins

second picture is from thoroughbred diesel site

third and fourth picture is what is on my engine

Edited July 9, 2019 by RAD

[Mopar1973Man]

Doesn't matter. Its the thermostatic coil in the front that makes it lock or unlock. Housing doesn't mean anything.

[RAD]

1 hour ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Doesn't matter. Its the thermostatic coil in the front that makes it lock or unlock. Housing doesn't mean anything.

i still do not think its the proper fan clutch the application since my a/c temp output does rise at stop lights.engine temp rises a little higher than the 190 nark also. 

[wil440]

I'd say temps will go up when stopped and idling as fan shouldn't be locked at 190 should it ?? and  fan revolutions won't be a lot even locked, are you sure the original fan they took off wasn't locked and being driven all the time, also has your truck got the shroud fitted ??

[RAD]

1 hour ago, wil440 said:

I'd say temps will go up when stopped and idling as fan shouldn't be locked at 190 should it ?? and  fan revolutions won't be a lot even locked, are you sure the original fan they took off wasn't locked and being driven all the time, also has your truck got the shroud fitted ??

Fan shroud still. i have an oem fan clutch coming this way from the dealership (dodge part number 52028615AB). i will compare it to pictures and what i have installed prior to purchase.

[dripley]

I dont think  the fins have a thing to do with the clutch locking up. The spring/t stat  on the front locks it up. I believe the the fins just help keep the fluid in the clutch cool.

I never hear my fan lock up at idle and since my truck is my office for now I am idling 3 to 4 hrs a day easy in 92* heat with Mr sun baking all day here Georgia. But I wil, be interested in seeing what comes of an oe fan clutch swap. I still have my oe on mine after 17.5 years and 474k miles.

It almost seems to me they thru a part at a conceived problem and were u sucessful.

[Mopar1973Man]

8 hours ago, RAD said:

i still do not think its the proper fan clutch the application since my a/c temp output does rise at stop lights.engine temp rises a little higher than the 190 nark also. 

 

Fan does NOT lock till about 210 to 215*F. 

 

My truck runs 197*F to 205*F. Normal for my 195*F thermostat. About two needles width from the 190*F mark.

 

Even my A/C temp rises in traffic and slow moving. Fan isn't locked and this totally normal.

[NIsaacs]

8 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

Fan does NOT lock till about 210 to 215*F. 

 

Even my A/C temp rises in traffic and slow moving. Fan isn't locked and this totally normal.

 

Mine will lock with AC on in town and unlock as I leave town. The condenser will create enough heat to engage the clutch without having high coolant temps. If AC is off then my clutch stays in free wheel mode in town. I do have a rather large power steering cooler that probably helps add heat to slow speed/low RPM driving. I also run a 180 stat. I think that might add some early heat to the radiator during slow speed.

 

I recommend oem Mopar clutch. I tried two Napa/Haden clutches with zero luck, they don't work right.

[Mopar1973Man]

2 hours ago, NIsaacs said:

I recommend oem Mopar clutch.

 

Just remember Mopar does NOT produce any fan clutches just like they do not product thermostats. Nor does Cummins. 

 

I've seen plenty of people go down this road. Friend of mine in Ontario, OR just bought a Cummins thermostat for $60 bucks and it was junk. Seen the box and every thing. Again Cummins just buy whatever re-labels and sells under there name. Even Mopar does this. 

 

Just like Mopar sell Fram filter with Mopar logo. Right there is a Mopar Filter that is just a relabeled Fram.

[RAD]

17 hours ago, dripley said:

I dont think  the fins have a thing to do with the clutch locking up. The spring/t stat  on the front locks it up. I believe the the fins just help keep the fluid in the clutch cool.

 

i agree with you, it just one of the items (fins) in the pictures that did not match the fins (height) on the one that was installed on my truck.

[Mopar1973Man]

 

[015point9]

So do those fans ever come off and do a happy dance in the radiator?

[Dieselfuture]

18 hours ago, RAD said:

i agree with you, it just one of the items (fins) in the pictures that did not match the fins (height) on the one that was installed on my truck.

I always fought the fins were to absorb the heat, so the clutch can do its thing.

[Mopar1973Man]

10 hours ago, 015point9 said:

So do those fans ever come off and do a happy dance in the radiator?

 

If your really abusive. On my 1973 Charger long ago I start to see water pump weeping through the weep hole. I had my family in the car. On my way over Horseshoe Bend the water pump decided to take the bearings out and chuck the fan into the radiator. Did over 450 dollars of damage. 

 

On ours typically the bearing gives up and the fan hops into the radiator and does the happy dance.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Mopar1973Man

[RAD]

 it is what was put on my truck by the a/c shop does not match the pictures of what i posted. major part being thickness of the fins most notable. that is now what i am trying to find.

 

i am sure yall have all taken a part off your truck, went to the auroparts store and compared what you took off versus what your buying. that is all am am trying to do with the pictures, comparison, since i do not have what was taken off.

 

once i get the installed one off i will compare that one with the one i picked up yesterday.

[KATOOM]

On 7/9/2019 at 8:00 AM, RAD said:

local a/c place swapped out my oem fan clutch and replaced it. didnt ask them to but they did. now a/c temp rises at stop lights. the fan clutch they put on, the fins are much shorter than the fins in the picture

 

The OEM fan clutch is superior to anything else you'll find...period.  Anyone who says otherwise is simply proud that they spent half the money for something that "works good enough".  Its a well known issue that the parts store fan clutches are not as strong as the OEM ones, nor do they last anywhere as long.  If you have an aftermarket parts store fan clutch then you'll likely be replacing is often...or finding that its not working as good as it should.  The OEM engine fan pulls some serious CFM and it takes a lot of holding power from the clutch to achieve that much air flow.

 

That said, if the A/C isnt very cold during idling then the fan clutch isnt working right.  Yes, the clutch is only partially engaged at idle but its still engaged based on the temperature its reading from the radiator and condenser.  For clarification, my A/C feels just as cold idling as it is driving, and its COLD too.

 

I was curious about my OEM fan clutch after my last towing trip this summer due to how it was reacting, but I came to somewhat of a conclusion after much testing and research that my radiator isnt getting hot enough fast enough to for the fan clutch to engage during a hill climb situation while pulling my 5th wheel.  I wont go in to it all since this thread isnt about my truck...but just know that I've been all over this topic recently.

 

I would suggest you take it back to the place you had work on your truck and tell them that you want the OEM fan clutch put on there.  Its your right to have the parts you want on there.  It may cost a little more money but you'll find that it will work better.

 

[wil440]

8 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

I always fought the fins were to absorb the heat, so the clutch can do its thing.

To be honest I couldn't decide which way cooling or heat conductivity to the silicon fluid so no comment from me, but as the whole thing needs to see what temperature the air coming through the rad is at I'd eerr on the side of heat to the fluid BUT then the coil also does that, I'm only the supervisor of a heavy mobile plant workshop that does this for a living so what do I know  but to be fair the stuff I work on does gallons to the mile and it's all direct driven or hydraulic and I've always gone by the theory as when the fan eats the rad it's cream crackered

[Dieselfuture]

Maybe it does both, absorbs heat to engage and helps to cool when the fan is actually engaged and pulling air through. 

[wil440]

4 minutes ago, KATOOM said:

 

The OEM fan clutch is superior to anything else you'll find...period.  Anyone who says otherwise is simply proud that they spent half the money for something that "works good enough".  Its a well known issue that the parts store fan clutches are not as strong as the OEM ones, nor do they last anywhere as long.  If you have an aftermarket parts store fan clutch then you'll likely be replacing is often...or finding that its not working as good as it should.  The OEM engine fan pulls some serious CFM and it takes a lot of holding power from the clutch to achieve that much air flow.

 

That said, if the A/C isnt very cold during idling then the fan clutch isnt working right.  Yes, the clutch is only partially engaged at idle but its still engaged based on the temperature its reading from the radiator and condenser.  For clarification, my A/C feels just as cold idling as it is driving, and its COLD too.

 

I was curious about my OEM fan clutch after my last towing trip this summer due to how it was reacting, but I came to somewhat of a conclusion after much testing and research that my radiator isnt getting hot enough fast enough to for the fan clutch to engage during a hill climb situation while pulling my 5th wheel.  I wont go in to it all since this thread isnt about my truck...but just know that I've been all over this topic recently.

 

I would suggest you take it back to the place you had work on your truck and tell them that you want the OEM fan clutch put on there.  Its your right to have the parts you want on there.  It may cost a little more money but you'll find that it will work better.

 

I have to disagree with the OEM statement sorry.... and here's why

In 2010 I started work for Caterpillar at the factory in the UK that built the backhoe loader, after I'd been there a few months the site in the UK actually took over all production of backhoes and produced everything from the 450's sent mainly to NJ and all of the other models sent around the world, 2 distribution centres in the USA 1 at Waco and 1 in Clayton, I spent a month at the Waco one but thats another story, and distribution all over the world. Caterpillar actually make nothing but frames, they source EVERY single thing they use other than frames and this is over all models not just backhoes, pick up a cat part..... they are that thick they state where it's made and by who.. a lot is EU and there is a lot more but it's irrelavant, now Cat took on this Japanese Kiasan crap and I used to know what it meant but It's that important and works that well I forgot what it means but most manufacturers that use assembly lines use this, all of the car industry for sure, so the manufacturer does the design of every last item/ nut/bolt/washer/screw and figures out how IT will be assembled then IT will go to pre production which means something like 20 will go down the line and be built, this may take 2 weeks, there will be several more pre prod trials, then IT goes to production and one  is off every >>>>>> it was 6 minutes for backhoe.

Back in this paragraph I refered to manufacturer designing each part, they then just farm it out with a stipulation on the specs, now in the car industry the manufacturer here at least is protected from copywrite for a period of time, I don't know about the USA, when the time is up every man and his dog can make whatever as long as it passes tests, It's DOT here, TUV in germany

and from what I remember the USA is harder than both as I did import a Nissan skyline R32 into the USA about 10 years ago and while I did get it in it did got to somewhere where no one would be bothered to check what it was and it was down to the seat fixings not being deemed good enough among other stuff.

I'm rambling, but now I'd say the parts sold for these trucks COULD be any old tat from anywhere with no specs adhered to and the "anywhere" is easy to figure out without me saying it...... sub standard junk.... the UK is just as bad for buying "anywhere" crap..... comes down to it..... 20 yr old truck, pay your money and take your choice but there would be as good as OEM somewhere it's just finding it.

For instance Snap On do a Gas (whats gas as in a gas and not petrol to you guys.. butane ?) portable soldering iron..... damn nice tool, made in Ireland by Portasol, doesn't come in a red box it's a grey box, same iron 1/2 price

[KATOOM]

wil440, let me clarify...  There are few components on these particular trucks whereby OEM is superior.  The ones which come to mind right now are 1) The fan clutch and 2) the starter.  Other than that, most aftermarket stuff is just as good, or possibly better. 

 

I've been around the automotive scene for many decades and was even a part-time mechanic when I was younger, so I am and have been pro-aftermarket since I started wrenching on my own vehicles since "typically" those manufactures have an invested interest in the specific parts they're offering.  Thats not to say OEM isnt investing considerably R&D themselves but that there are pro's and con's to both options and knowing which one has the most to offer is key.

 

In this particular situation the OEM fan clutch has been proven repeatedly throughout the years that it will outperform and outlast most aftermarket "lifetime" warranty ones.