I keep wondering if there is something wrong with my cooing fan clutch. My truck has such terrible fan noise whenever I drive it. I bought a new clutch but I thought I would check on here to see if you guys thought it might be something else.

There are two things that make me wonder if the clutch is actually bad. Fist off, the fan spins freely when I spin it by hand when the truck is off. It actually feel looser than the clutch I bought to replace it. Secondly, if I floor the pickup once and bring it to red line the fan noise quiets down for the remainder of the trip. Do you guys think this is a bad fan clutch?

And if I do need to replace the clutch does anyone have any tips? How do you hold the pulley from spinning while you spin the nut for the clutch?

 

The best way to check the fan clutch (if you have a helper) is to start the engine and then shut it off. The fan should stop rotating when the belt ceases traveling. If the fan continues to rotate after the belt has ceased moving, then it's bad.

There is a special tool that holds the fan so the nut can be loosened to remove the blade.


Your local auto parts chain usually rents this tool.

 

Thanks for the reply. My issue isn't that the fan isn't cooling or is spinning too freely, it is that it is not spinning freely enough. It sounds like a big rig from my seat when I take off.

Thanks for the info on the tool, I will have to check that out if I decide to go through with changing the clutch out.

 

When mine went the truck,would roar under any load...changed fan clutch and havent had the roar since

 

Where are you located? You can have the one off my truck. Switched to e-fan.

 

DPR250 That would be great! I am in Iowa, where are you?

 

Sounds like it's locked up always engaged.. if it sounds like that all the time. When you first start driving You'll probably hear it.. then it should quite down.. once you hit about 2.5-3K it should quite down when accelerating. if its always constant than i'd say its locked up.. but hey at least it's engaged and not the other way around.

 

Yeah, that's what I figured but thought it was weird that I could spin it so freely by hand. I have been dealing with it for about 6 months, when I got the pickup. I know it wont hurt the truck but it is annoying and I can use all the help on MPG I can get!!

Also, I checked and the local auto parts store has a tool to hold the pulley to unscrew the fan clutch, but it only works for a pulley that is bolted on. Mine is pressed on. Does anyone have any other tricks to take the thing off??

 

I used a pipe wrench and a big hammer to knock it loose before even taking off the serp. belt. Worked great.

 

I was planning on giving that a try and hopping it would work. Hitting it with my hand wasn't! Thanks!