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Signs of a bad clutch fan **UPDATE STILL RUNNING WARM**

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wayne

3/4 ton status
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Carlisle, Pa
I hauled a load to the dump today with the Burb. Moving it runs about 190* but stopped in traffic she was heading over the 210* mark. It has a new water pump, 180* t stat, hoses, and antifreeze. The radiator looks good inside and not all gooped up. It cools down when moving but when I backed the trailer in to the driveway and parked it was climbing to 220*. I can't think of anything else except the fan clutch going bad. What do you think?

**UPDATE** Replaced the fan clutch. The new clutch is louder then the old one. Sitting in traffic it still is getting up to 210*. It is not overheating but it is getting warmer then it should. Could my new clutch be junk? /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

If a clutch fan is going bad.. like mine did...
It sounds like a turbine jet engine.. when accelerating. it sound alot louder than normal in the engine compartment.

When my blazer's clutch fan went, I just noticed the sound of the engine... and mine was overheating also.
I have since replaced the fan clutch that helped alot.
No more noise, but since then I have replaced radiator, thermostat, all hoses and fan clutch.. she runs no more than 195 degrees...

Hope this helps...
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

[ QUOTE ]
It cools down when moving

[/ QUOTE ] Sounds like clutch fan to me, and or air flow restriction (bugs/leaves etc). I've been dealing with something similar, heavy load, hot. No roar from the fan at 230, not good.
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

Fan clutch , yup , did mine last week , simple . Mine was a bad thermo-coil in the center , would never lock up solid when hot . Thank god I have a good cooling system , AZ with the A/C on in traffic , I only hit about 210 or so tops /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

[ QUOTE ]
If a clutch fan is going bad.. like mine did...
It sounds like a turbine jet engine.. when accelerating. it sound alot louder than normal in the engine compartment.

When my blazer's clutch fan went, I just noticed the sound of the engine... and mine was overheating also.
I have since replaced the fan clutch that helped alot.
No more noise, but since then I have replaced radiator, thermostat, all hoses and fan clutch.. she runs no more than 195 degrees...

Hope this helps...

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine does make a turbine noise but it comes and goes and is not consistent.
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

You should hear the fan roar when you start the truck and occasionally when it's getting warm and it's been idling a while. Mine doesn't work either, but the 6.2 never gets over 200 in my truck even without that fan.

It's on my list regardless...

Rene
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

With the engine running touch the fan with a cloth in your hand. I have had the experience before that when the fan clutch goes bad you can stop the fan easily and even spin it backwards. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

[ QUOTE ]
With the engine running touch the fan with a cloth in your hand. I have had the experience before that when the fan clutch goes bad you can stop the fan easily and even spin it backwards. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

[ QUOTE ]
With the engine running touch the fan with a cloth in your hand. I have had the experience before that when the fan clutch goes bad you can stop the fan easily and even spin it backwards. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh, no thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I already got a new clutch and will update tomorrow after I get it on.
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

hhmmmm you all have me wonderin now, cuz my ride gets to 210* before i note a the thermostat open drops....to about 190*....I haven't changed the thermostat, if you all aren't gettin past 200* maybe i should?? the <gauge> doesn't red til like 260*, so never thougt about it much....
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
With the engine running touch the fan with a cloth in your hand. I have had the experience before that when the fan clutch goes bad you can stop the fan easily and even spin it backwards. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh, no thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I already got a new clutch and will update tomorrow after I get it on.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sissy. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif I even put the towel part in there to soften it up a little. You could just do like me and stick your bare hand in there. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Signs of a bad clutch fan

If you pry that little "snail spring"in the center out of the slotted holder thing,and twist it 180 degrees and lock it back into the holder,it will "lock" the clutch up (it holds the little piston in the silicone fluid in the locked in posisition).A GM dealer told me of this trick when I couldnt go more than 5 miles with my plow blade on the truck,especially on the highway,the faster I went the faster it boiled over,and I replaced thermostats,water pump,different radiator--nothing helped till I locked the fan clutch in manually,now I can go to new hampshire with it on if I want to--when I am not plowing I move the spring back to the "normal" posisition. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
I don't see 210 as a problem if that is as warm as it ever gets...

Do you have a good guage or are you counting on the factory guage? I had a guage cluster/dash panel that only had one working guage. It regulaurly showed less than 5 psi oil pressure. I swapped it out and now all the guages work (oil pressure is 45-65 now)

I'll eventually upgrage to Autometer's.

Rene
 
It is a factory guage. 210 is a little warm considering all I have done to cool it down. I didn't sit long enough for it to go over 210 today. Does the same thing though, running down the road it cools down, stop and it heats up.
 
Wayne,

Sounds like a dumb question, but have you checked your coolant level recently?

Maybe you have a small leak and you are only running with 1/2 a radiators-worth of coolant??? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Wayne,

Sounds like a dumb question, but have you checked your coolant level recently?

Maybe you have a small leak and you are only running with 1/2 a radiators-worth of coolant??? /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Coolant is fine.
 
Text book temp. The electic fan doesn't come on till 220. Put the 195 themostat back it it.

It's a tow truck and does not like high engine speeds. I have temp gages on EVERYTHING.
If I run down the hwy pushing 3k on the tach (73 mph with 235/85/16 tires (31.5) and 3.73 gears with TH400) and then exit on a hot day the oil temp will hit 280, tranny will hit 220 and the motor will run 220 till I do a little slow speed driving.
If I drive it own the hwy at 2500-2600 RPM (65mph it's sweet spot for towing weight) even with 5500lb on the trailer it run 220 oil, 180-190 tranny and 200-205 on the engine. Running at 65mph makes all the difference in the world. It will get 10.5 mph with A/C on pulling 5500lb at that speed. It will get 11.5 not trailer with A/C. You start running it near 3k and it will get 10 empty! its that big of difference in that 8mph.

454s DO NOT like being run at 3k.

I'm going to rewire the electric to come on with the A/C always and I am looking for a activation switch that will turn it on around 205.

Now I did have some issues that was agrivating the temps/ The fin spacing on the A/C is wider then the radiator. The radiator was pretty plugged up with bugs. The PO of my truck was not good about maintaing the cooling system and I had some deposits in the radiator. I just replaced it and that helped. I also fine tuned the electric. It had no shroud at the outer edge so it was not running efficent. I top a peice of aluminum and riveted it into the guard to form a shoude and it seems to move more air now.
The 454 sits up a lot tighter to the radiator as well so air does not move past it as well. To help get some of that heat out I removed al lthe rubber spashe sields out of the inner fenders to improve air flow out. When the fan engages you can feel the heat dumping out behind the front wheels now if you stand next to the truck.

I have thought about moving the tranny and oil cooler away from the radiator and put some ducting and electrics on them on the inner fenders. Still haven't done it but I thing getting them out of the radiator air flow would help.

Clean the radiator and drive max 65 for a tank and see what you think. Yeah it takes a LOT of paitence to slow down. Wife says I drive like a grandpa now LOL. It's just what the truck likes. These trucks could really use OD. The 4l80 my buds mid 80's 454 burb makes all the difference in the world., He runs 80mph all the time and rarely exceeds 210.
 
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