sorry for the easy question, but how is the fan supposed to work on these trucks? I've only ever had to deal with electric fans, so the water pump + clutch is relatively new to me.

heres my problem:

i have a issue where the engine is running hotter than normal (needle stops at the last 0 in 200) and i've tried tracking it down. I decided to replace the clutch fan, because i was suspicious of it since i never heard the fan. bought it for $40 bucks from advance auto, replaced it and good news, when the engine started up cold, i can hear the fan going.. i can't even hear the engine sound at all because all i hear is the fan (sounds kinda cool actually), but then i noticed that once the engine gets up to normal temp (220ish i assume it is) then the fan noise goes away, and all i hear is the engine sound. is that the proper way its supposed to work?

also, i notice that when i turn the key to the ON position (where all electrics are on, except the engine) the coolant gauge goes to 200 and stays there. when engine turns on, it jumps up to 220right away. what gives??

thanks and sorry for the long post

 

another thing to add... when the engine is cold and I check the coolant, i need to top it off in the rad, even though the overflow tank has plenty in it. i top it off, after driving around and engine cools down again, i check the radiator and it needs topping off again. does that mean its losing coolant somewhere? im just afraid it might be the heads. because i get the faint smell of coolant while the engine is running.

 

200 is really about normal but 220 is hot and thes engines really don't like to heat up that much. Do you have good heat? How old is water pump and thermostat?

Compression test will let you know what shape the heads are in. What's your oil look like? Any smoke coming out the tailpipe?

Definetly have a leak somewhere of burning it.

 

I wonder if the sensor is messed up. My gauge doesn't move until it gradually warms up. Also, the overflows aren't pressurized in these trucks, so coolant doesn't flow in and out of them.

 

if you are constantly having to add coolant, then you are leaking it out somewhere, most likely either around the water pump seal or maybe a radiator seam leak. how much are you having to add, a little or a lot? and how often? water pump is generally only good for about 100-150k miles, so you may be due. our stock radiators also suck, so the seam leak is just a matter of time too.

the way the clutch fan works is that it slips - as opposed to an old fashioned solid fan. the idea is that you don't need to always turn the fan at 2000-3000-4000 rpm and suffer all that drag. if it freewheels with no resistance it's bad. if its stuck solid and won't slip its bad. most anything in between is ok.

any overheating is bad for the engine. start simple and look for/fix any leaks. snug up any hose clamps. flush out the radiator, block, and heater core. change out any old, nasty, or rusty coolant. don't get too carried away on replacing things until you figure out where you coolant is going. you might need an expensive water pump or radiator, so don't wast any money yet.