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clutch fan

3K views 9 replies 4 participants last post by  immattj 
#1 ·
my dakota is running a clutch fan and electric fans and im trying to figure out ways to lessen the load on the engine could i remove the clutch fan without causing any issues with temp?:confused: the engine is a 4.7l 2nd gen
 
#2 ·
I have a 3.9 and i removed the clutch fan and didnt notice any temp issues. the motor liked not having that extra load there for sure. I would say its fine as long as you dont tow too much and you dont sit in traffic if your ac blasting for too long. You could always install a 180 t-stat to help as well. I did this i while after a took my fan off and you can tell it ran a cooler. hell it only takes a few mins to do, so if you think the truck is running hotter then just put the fan back on it.
 
#4 ·
Just curious...do new fan clutches (for 01 4.7) need any kind of breaking in period? I replaced my 20-yr-old OEM (even tho it seem to be working) and the new one makes for a bit more of noticeable fan noise, even at highway speeds, whereas the old one made none. Old one never had any temp issues either.
 
#5 ·
That interesting.
I recently changed the H2O pump & clutch on my '97 Chevy 1500 with 100k on it (I am kind of assuming it was all OEM) & I noticed the same thing. I've got 300 miles on the job & I don't know if it is quieter or if I am just used to it. It runs a tad cooler now, so I am thinking that maybe the old clutch wasn't engaging at the temp the new clutch is, & maybe that's why I hear it more.
 
#7 ·
A few nights of 70's-ish degrees and the fan clutch still sounds like a jet engine. Gonna give it another month then consider replacing it again. Hard to believe it could be bad. Just hate hearing it waste horsepower. Good thing I don't drive it much.
 
#9 ·
No it didn't. It would turn, but not freely. Today I did some Youtube research, then was fortunate enough to find an AutoZone clerk who was patient enough to allow me to check a few clutches to see how they operate at room temperature. I looked at 4 clutches, and gave them all about 20 to 25 turns. They all started out somewhat stiff for a few turns, but by the 20 to 25th turn they all spun relatively freely. Unlike the one I just put in my truck that I got from Amazon (Irontree brand), which NEVER loosened up even after 90-ish turns. Probably the reason for all of the roaring. Even my 20 year old original OEM Mopar clutch acted just like the new ones. (Hmm...still works after 20 years?) I went ahead and got the lifetime one from AutoZone and shipped the Amazon one back. I was considering getting a Mopar one from Amazon, but the cost was a little prohibitive, the return window was closing in 2 days, and I needed my truck to be available. Funny thing about Amazon...I took the Mopar part number from my old clutch and punched it in to Amazon search. They stock the clutch, but they said it DID NOT fit my truck!!! Same thing happened when I looked up the serpentine belt. I now have more confidence in Ebay than Amazon. But I digress...about 45 minutes of work and the AutoZone clutch, and the roaring problem is gone. How am I gonna control myself with all that extra horsepower?!?! :)
 
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