Is my new fan clutch bad?

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04RubiOR

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so this past weekend I did the cooling system overhaul from Chris’s how to guide. After finishing everything up I drove it around and noticed the Jeep sounded like a jet engine. Fan was really loud. Now I researched this the last couple days and I seem to be seeing some conflicting info on how to know if your fan clutch is bad.

It seems like the fan clutch won’t disengage. Fan is always super loud. I read the test about trying to spin the fan when it is cold. Supposedly it’s supposed to spin freely. Mine does not. I can force it to spin but as soon as I take my finger off the fan it immediately stops. Now I also read that could be due to the oil in the clutch is “stiff” because it’s cold and needs to warm up. Kind of contradicting.

I also read that there is a break in period. But others say this is not true. What is the consensus on this board? Thanks guys.
 
Well, the fan on these things is horrendously loud from the factory, so that's normal.

However, the fan shouldn't be on the entire time, so it sounds to me like your fan clutch might be permanently stuck on. It is possible you got a faulty fan clutch. Did you use an OE Mopar one or just a cheap auto part store brand?

This may be of help:

fanclutch.jpg


Fan Clutch Diagnosis

1) Noise - Fan noise is sometimes evident under the following normal conditions:
  • When clutch is engaged for maximum cooling.
  • During first few minutes after start-up until the clutch can redistribute the silicone fluid back to its normal disengaged operating condition after overnight settling.
Fan noise or an excessive roar will generally occur continuously, however, under all high engine speed conditions (2500 rpm and up) if the clutch assembly is locked up due to an internal failure. If the fan cannot be rotated by hand or if there is a rough grating feel as the fan is turned, the clutch should be replaced.

2) Looseness - Under various temperature conditions, there is a visible lateral movement that can be observed at the tip of the fan blade. This is a normal condition due to the type of bearing used. Approximately 1/4" (6.5 mm) maximum lateral movement measured at the fan tip is allowable. This is not cause for replacement.

3) Silicone Fluid Leak - The operation of the unit is generally not affected by small fluid leaks which may occur in the area around the bearing assembly. If the degree of leakage appears excessive, however, proceed to item 4.

4) Engine Overheating - If the fan and clutch assembly free-wheels with no drag (revolves over five times when spun by hand), the clutch should be replaced.

How To Tell If A Fan Clutch Is Defective:

1) Check for oil streaks (or dust collected on oil streaks) on the fan clutch - It's a sure sign that the internal fluid that provides the clutch action is leaking.

2) Check for a worn bearing - Grasp the fan blade on either end, with the engine off, and check for lateral movement. If there's more than 1/4" of side-to-side movement, the bearing is worn and the unit needs replacement.

3) Check for proper fan clutch operation - First, run the engine until operating temperature is reached. Next, with the engine off, give the fan blade a gentle spin. If it rotates more than twice, the clutch is worn and needs replacing. If fan rotation is rough or noisy, or the fan fails to turn, the unit is worn out and needs replacement.
 
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Also, taken from the FSM:

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING VISCOUS FAN DRIVE
If the fan assembly free-wheels without drag (the fan blades will revolve more than five turns when spun by hand), replace the fan drive. This spin test must be performed when the engine is cool.
 
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Chris said:
Also, taken from the FSM:

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING VISCOUS FAN DRIVE
If the fan assembly free-wheels without drag (the fan blades will revolve more than five turns when spun by hand), replace the fan drive. This spin test must be performed when the engine is cool.
Click to expand...
Great info. Thanks Chris. I used the one linked in the how to guide for overhauling your cooling system. For my particular model it listed a Hayden heavy duty premium fan clutch. I don’t see a Mopar or fan clutch replacement.
 
04RubiOR said:
Great info. Thanks Chris. I used the one linked in the how to guide for overhauling your cooling system. For my particular model it listed a Hayden heavy duty premium fan clutch. I don’t see a Mopar or fan clutch replacement.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Hayden is a good replacement brand. There are some cheap crapy ones out there, but those are usually the Duralast ones and such that you find at Autozone. It is possible to get a "new" part that is faulty of course. Doesn't happen often, but it can from time-to-time.
 
Chris said:
Yeah, Hayden is a good replacement brand. There are some cheap crapy ones out there, but those are usually the Duralast ones and such that you find at Autozone. It is possible to get a "new" part that is faulty of course. Doesn't happen often, but it can from time-to-time.
Click to expand...
Just to make sure, it’s a pretty simple install process, I’m guesssing that wouldn’t have an effect on the issue of the fan staying on all the time? If I somehow screwed it up.
 
04RubiOR said:
Just to make sure, it’s a pretty simple install process, I’m guesssing that wouldn’t have an effect on the issue of the fan staying on all the time?
Click to expand...

Correct. It's pretty hard to mess up the install of a fan clutch. I'm not even sure how you could really!
 
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Chris said:
Correct. It's pretty hard to mess up the install of a fan clutch. I'm not even sure how you could really!
Click to expand...
Lol, that’s what I thought. But with me, you never know. I’ll order another one and test it out. I also read somewhere that you aren’t supposed to lay them on their sides?
 
Fwiw, I compared a recently purchased hayden to a recently purchased mopar fan clutch. The casting marks and number codes etc were identical between the two. I wouldn't be surprised if Hayden makes the mopar unit.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
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04RubiOR said:
Lol, that’s what I thought. But with me, you never know. I’ll order another one and test it out. I also read somewhere that you aren’t supposed to lay them on their sides?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if that laying it on it's side thing can have any truth to it. If that was the case, how would they avoid having them laid on their sides during shipment / transport? Even if they put a "This side up" label on the box, I'm sure a lot of delivery drivers wouldn't notice it in all cases.
 
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Chris said:
I'm not sure if that laying it on it's side thing can have any truth to it. If that was the case, how would they avoid having them laid on their sides during shipment / transport? Even if they put a "This side up" label on the box, I'm sure a lot of delivery drivers wouldn't notice it in all cases.
Click to expand...
After doing some reading, is it possible I notice the fan much more because it is a heavy duty fan clutch. I saw that heavy duty will stay engaged quite a bit more than a standard duty. This would only make since if the stock Mopar fan clutch was standard duty. Anyone know if the stocker is standard duty?
 
Jeepaholic said:
I have a hayden replacement and that sucker is on a lot in town stop n go. It disengages after 30 seconds or so of steady speed/rpm. It's normal and since wheeling usually involves driving very slow, I appreciate the hd clutch. If I cared about gas mileage, then I would prefer standard duty
Click to expand...
Good call about it helping when wheeling
 
In the Chevy forums, it was well-known that the Hayden aftermarket viscous fan clutches were noisy. I returned one, bought an OE GM one and the excessive noise disappeared. Could be that the aftermarket version was set up for a range of applications whereas the one from GM was more specific. Likely nothing to do with quality.
 
The fan clutch itself is not noisy. The noise is from the fan moving air. HD fan clutches engage sooner than oe and disengage later. Same noise, just more often and for longer than ppl are used to with the oe. The hd fan clutches also hurt mpg, as the fan clutch is designed to help mpg on a belt driven fan, by disengaging when not needed.
 
Ordered a Hayden Clutch Fan as well and I believe mine is bad even though it’s brands new.

Jeep popped a p0128 code after doing a overhaul for my cooling system. Stayed hidden since my CEL was already on for a Small Eval Leak😂

Temperature showed just under 180* at all times. Thought it was my Tempt sensor and even as far as faulty Stant Thermostat but now I’m beginning to think it’s the fan clutch. The fan has plenty of resistant when spun cold and after it was up to temp. We’ll see what the verdict is when my replacement arrives.
 
Writing this to bump up the Hayden clutch fan going bad. It sounded like a turbine engine at idle. Replaced on my own, took to shop and it was the brand new Hayden clutch fan that was bad. Luckily they didn't charge me to diagnose it.
 
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