Fan Clutch Never Disengages

[GliDeThuNDeR]

I've ran two Duralast fan clutchs in my car (pt. number 922783), and I've had the same problem with both.

It's my understanding that once the radiator reaches 160-170 degrees the fan clutch should engage and spin the fan faster, right? And once it cools off again it is supposed to disengage the clutch again and let the fan spin slower? I've seen different behavior out of my car.

The fan clutch remains disengaged until the radiator reaches ~120 degrees (doesnt take long in the summer...). Once that temperature is hit, the fan clutch engages. It will remain engaged for the rest of the time the car is running. I can drive the car down the highway at 70-80mph on a cool day for hours and have the fan clutch never disengage.

Then I shut the car off, and let it cool down, and the cycle starts over. That is the only time it will disengage.

With the car off, I can turn the fan by hand, and it has the amount of resistance I would expect it to have. It just seems to me the spring makes the clutch engage at a temperature that is too low. (And because of that, it is never able to drop the temperature back below the threshold?)

Has anyone had similar issues with a fan clutch, or with a duralast fan clutch? Any ideas for a solution? Maybe even one that doesnt force me to give up my lifetime warranty with autozone?

[GliDeThuNDeR]

I did some reading and found that you can adjust what temperature a fan clutch engages at by changing the tension of the spring. Adding tension makes the temperature at which the clutch engages increase. Here is a before and after:





Like I said before, the clutch would engage when the radiator was barely 110-120 degrees. I put it back together and tested it after that adjustment. I let the car idle with the ac on max in 85 degree weather, and the radiator got up to 165, with the thermostat housing at 190-200 degrees. The fan clutch never engaged during this test. I would need a hotter day to know where it actually would engage right now.

But this is progress. This indicates to me that I actually do have enough room for adjustment. I think I will straighten out that bend, move it over, and the put the spring back where it was originally. It seems it needed like 3/4 of what I gave it in terms of adjustment, so I just need to measure the distance I changed it, and move the bend over accordingly. At that point, I ought to have a fan that stays on low when driving, but kicks on high if you are sitting in traffic for a long time, and then actually goes back to low again once it's cooled off a bit.

What a f***ing concept....

[stangPlus2Birds]

Imho, duralast clutches are junk.

In the summer and good weather, my Stang is my DD. That means I can sit in bumper to bumper traffic, especially at some traffic lights, with the nearby temps well past 100F.
Add in wanting AC , and for me, that means using a severe duty clutch.


Fwiw, from:
https://www.haydenauto.com/en/techni...q-fan-clutches
===============
What is the difference between a standard, heavy and severe duty fan clutch?

Answer: Each fan clutch type is designed to simulate the performance of the original equipment clutch that it replaces. All fan clutches are for specific applications and should be applied only on the vehicle for which they are cataloged. Use of the incorrect fan clutch may result in poor cooling, excessive noise, reduced fuel economy or fan clutch failure.


• Standard Duty Thermal: Turns the fan 50-60% of shaft speed when engaged. Used with fans with lighter pitch (1-1/2" of pitch). Flat plate impeller design with 30 sq. in. of working surface.


• Heavy-Duty Thermal: Turns the fan 80-90% of the shaft speed when engaged for increased cooling. Used with deeper pitch fans (2 1/2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 47 sq. in. of working area allows higher operating RPM's.


• Severe Duty Thermal: Turns the fan 80-90% of the shaft speed when engaged. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2- 1/2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 65 sq. in. of working area. Larger working surface provides cooler running and longer life expectancy.



At what temperatures do fan clutches engage?

Answer: Most fan clutches engage at about 170°F air temperature (about 180-190°F engine temperature). They reduce the temperature about 20°F before disengaging.
===============



Btw, Hayden/smpcorp, is another company with a moron as a webmaster/exec.
Doh, what is the google and the nets - duh!!

Here is a link:
Note: Pick "Thermal Clutches" on the left side check box.
https://ecatalog.smpcorp.com/v2/hay/...8%20CYL%205.0L


Also, feel free to send them a message and tell them to Get A *******ing Clue about marketing and the interWeb.


Let's make it impossible to send links to products that we sell.
NOTE: Given the above, there is a better than average chance that Hayden/smpcorp is really a front for illegal money laundering!!!




Links to clutches:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hda-2723/
Hayden Automotive 2723 - Hayden Fan Clutches
Fan Clutch, Standard Thermal, AMC, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jeep,
$26



https://www.summitracing.com/parts/hda-2733
Hayden Automotive 2733 - Hayden Fan Clutches
Fan Clutch, Heavy-Duty Thermal, Reverse Rotation, Ford, Dodge
$46




Good Luck!

[erratic50]

I’ve never heard of successfully adjusting a fan clutch’s on/off points by messing with the spring. Never really thought about it. I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work exactly how someone might have hoped.

No need for radiator temps in the 110 range and fan clutch running the fan full out!

Ive had fan clutches fail and have hard wired them for traffic to get home before..... then replaced the clutch.

Good job shining some light into this Pandora’s box for us

[WilliamCapri]

I just replaced mine last weekend. I bought the Hayden 2723 from Summit Racing only to find it did not fit the fan and needed adapters to fit the waterpump. Their description was lacking. Returned it for the 2733 and more $ but it is an exact fit for the original fan. Driving Sunday, cooling seemed normal but it wasn’t a very hot day and I wasn’t in any stop and go traffic. I’ll run with it for now.