Outer Limits 4x4 Board

My engine fan is noisy all the time of late and when I spin it by hand (hot or cold motor) it feels tight and stops as soon as I let go.
Does this mean the viscous coupling is stuffed?
Does it affect power cos it feels a liitle sluggish when it started to do it?

The hub might be stuffed, normally they go loose and lose their drive, but they can sieze up as well.

Check your radiator, if the ac condensor and radiator have a lot of mud build up in them then this can cause the fan to lock up more than is needed when running, my jack suffered this after an 'adventerous weekend' , flushed out the fins on both really well, and it was quiet as a mouse again.

When cold you should be able to stop it with your hand (carefully) while the engine is running, feeling a slight resistance. dont try it when hot :-)

ps - a really good way to clean out the rad/ac without removing them is to get a jamec or similar 900mm long air gun with stainless internals, fit a quick connect hose fitting to it and bend the very tip at 90 degrees and flatten off slightly. this allows easy access to all areas to flush back and forth . works a treat.

cheers Brad

How old is the vehicle to start with, it might yust be getting old, sometimes you can yust add some special oil available for the coupling and it can fix the problem.

Don`t put your hand or your dick near any type of fan that has 85kw driving it
Alex

I read somewhere once that the hub on a clutch fan is lubricated. You need to pull fan hub apart and clean the two halves and put new oil on surfaces, i think there is a special oil for this and is only about a 100 mls needed.
Or you could just go to the wreckers and get another

hope that helps out

When the engine is cold without engine running you should be able to spin the fan. When hot shouldn't be able to spin.
As for recoing your own, can be done but the visco fluid is more expensive than petrol or diesel these days.
Wrecker or Burson's would be your best bet.

Hope this helps

Was that flywheel kw or atf (at the fan)? Hehehe.

Work out what is wrong quickly I would say the hub has locked and the fan is spinning at full RPM which they are not designed to do, if you drive it like that for too long it will disintegrate and throw the blades out through the bonnet and the radiator.

Check the fan for cracks at the base of the blades and then find a car that is a swap or replacement for the hub, for rangies and discos I know there is a falcon fan you can swap in with a slight blade trim

Tom

RaginRover wrote:Work out what is wrong quickly I would say the hub has locked and the fan is spinning at full RPM which they are not designed to do, if you drive it like that for too long it will disintegrate and throw the blades out through the bonnet and the radiator.

Check the fan for cracks at the base of the blades and then find a car that is a swap or replacement for the hub, for rangies and discos I know there is a falcon fan you can swap in with a slight blade trim

Tom

Another good reason not to stick your hand or dick on the fan to "test" resistance
Yes this sounds like the problem raginrover.
Think I'll just get a new one.
Thanks for all the tips guys, except this one: When cold you should be able to stop it with your hand (carefully) while the engine is running, feeling a slight resistance. dont try it when hot :-)
ok maybe if it's not stuffed

Don`t put your hand or your dick near any type of fan that has 85kw driving it
Alex

3.2 V6 147kw

well i said carefully, you dont just stick your hand straight in, you slow it gradually with your fingers trailing the blades, and as said only when cold.

been doing it this way for many years, i'm only a stupid mechanic anyway



edit - ps if you need to re-fill the hub, toyota is the best place to obtain the fluid, just ask the spares dudes for the viscous hub fluid, 2 bottles will do a normal sized hub, 3 for the larger versions.

http://www.off-road.com/~estegall/tech/ ... lutch.html
Thanks heaps Bogged but I just could bothered doing that myself. Got too many other things to do but I'll keep that link, thanks