Viscous Fan Clutch

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Originally Posted by moneypit_k5

Just my opinion, but I think going to electric fans is a great way to cook your motor. if they fail they just stop running. far less reliable than a clutch fan. if your battery goes, so do your fans. if a wire gets clipped, there goes your fans. bad relay't here goes your fans.

Especially with the bodge wiring jobs that some clowns do on the trucks.I feel like im going to catch on fire just looking at it.


The original design is a good one. if it wont keep your truck cool, its either worn out or you have other issues. Adding a complicated and less reliable E fan doesnt fix it, just makes it more complicated and less reliable :)

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Why would they fail :confused: I have 40year old cars running there original electric fans. Way more reliable than a clutch fan that can give up the ghost at any time with no warning :p Original temp switches to run the fans, original wiring. The relays that drive the fans can get crispy plugs onto the relays. That is the only real issue I've had in decades.

seeya,
Shane L.

Just received my new viscous fan clutch from Roverlord.

Thanx for the excellent service Heather & Mario.

Dave

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Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

Why would they fail :confused: I have 40year old cars running there original electric fans. Way more reliable than a clutch fan that can give up the ghost at any time with no warning :p Original temp switches to run the fans, original wiring. The relays that drive the fans can get crispy plugs onto the relays. That is the only real issue I've had in decades.

seeya,
Shane L.

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See other post.

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Originally Posted by moneypit_k5

See other post.

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Actually, you are quite right. The first thing I do to any car that comes to this house is remove and snip out all added wiring. If it's something that needs to stay, I unwrap every bit of insulation tape and pull of any aftermarket split harness. I almost always find ****ty crimp on terminals (that readily fall off with the gentlest of touches) or bare wires twisted together.

I seem to go through a heck of a lot of solder and heatshrink whenever a new car comes into this house :)

seeya,
Shane L.

Fitted the new viscous coupling just now and noticed a lot more air than my modified one straight away, and it disengaged after a short time where as my old one didnt at all so will take it for a run later today after the weather warms up a bit. Expecting 38 deg today so that will give it a nice test. We have a 3 k long hill close by so with AC on it should let me know if that was my heating issue.

Dave

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Originally Posted by SouthOz

Fitted the new viscous coupling just now and noticed a lot more air than my modified one straight away, and it disengaged after a short time where as my old one didnt at all so will take it for a run later today after the weather warms up a bit. Expecting 38 deg today so that will give it a nice test. We have a 3 k long hill close by so with AC on it should let me know if that was my heating issue.

Dave

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dont forget that the factory gauge is slow to react. by the time you see it over half way it can be too late. keep a very close eye on it and if it climbs at all back off and let it cool down. or else you will be needing a lot more than a new viscous fan.

mine had to be nursed constantly on highways fully loaded. im surprised it stayed cool actually when you saw how blocked my radiator was and how bad my cooling system was. but i watch gauges like a hawk. aviation history.

maybe check the rest of your system too. mine looked very clean from the outside but the inside was a different story.

Fausto79 ya might have missed an earlier post. But yep my rad is a lil sad in the fin department, I wouldnt go too close with a high pressure washer. But thats going to have to wait till I get back. Its all still there but a bit fragile.

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Originally Posted by SouthOz

Hey Shane, Ive got a ENGINE GUARDIAN and have been seeing a slight increase in engine temp so did some work on my Viscous Clutch and it fixed it for a while.

I was going to try the electric fan route but figured that the standard system has worked OK till now so will try to get it up to scratch again. Ive replaced the thermostat.

Ive been in touch with Mario from Roverloard and will be ordering a new clutch.

Thanx
Dave

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Max temp I saw was 93. Big improvement in max temp as well as the time it takes to come back to 82, running temp once I reached the top.

So far so good. The real test will be the trip to Lake Gairdner with my bike and camping gear in the van and the Disco pretty well loaded with tools, spares and fuel. Oh and quite a bit of beer.

Dave

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Originally Posted by Homestar

Electric motors are one of the most reliable mechanical devices known to man - our civilisation wouldn't exist if the electric motor was unreliable.

My 2 cents worth anyway.

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I too agree re reliability of electric motors.

As a matter of interest.

I had - dare I say it (Pajero) a few years back - v6 petrol. It decided it didnt like the crank bolt anymore so it spat it out in two pieces north of Woomera in SA. Thankfully the water pump didnt run off the crank pulley, but the alternator did, so I had no power to the battery (only one). I managed to drive all the way back to Adelaide, was near about 550km with no alternator....but the battery was close to dead. No cooling fan either so temps went up a little at lights.

The point here is that less electrical gear running gave me more kms, as I all I really needed was the fuel pump and computer. If the vehicle can run without electric fans then probably not an issue, but if you find yourself with a dead alternator or electrical charging problem and you require electric fans to get over the ensuing hills you may be in trouble, hence where a mechanical fan has its advantages. I think the greatest downside to viscous fans is actually knowing if they are working properly otherwise they are simple and reliable.

Until you snap a fan/serpentine drive belt and don't have a spare on hand.....

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Originally Posted by Traco

Until you snap a fan/serpentine drive belt and don't have a spare on hand.....

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You will have more problems than not having a fan, neither is perfect and both have their advantages.