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Another Fan Clutch Question

dreadx

New Member
Joined
July 20, 2012
Messages
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City, State
Tampa, FL
Year, Model & Trim Level
2003 Explorer 4.0L
I have searched the forum for a while for fan clutch issues that sound like what I have going on but have not found anything quite like it.

I noticed while towing my vehicle gets hot under acceleration then cools off while moving or stopped.

When the engine is cold the fan is hard to turn. It will only move a few inches and stop. When the car is warmed up and I turn it off and spin the fan, it spins much more freely. It will go around 1 and 1/2 times.

Does this mean I have a bad fan clutch and is it very hard to replace. I have not found a guide for a 3rd gen fan clutch replacement.

Thanks in advance
 






You can get the gist of a clutch removal tutorial in the first part of this thread:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294228

Your overheating issue is most likely not the clutch. It does sound like it is aging, as it should be easier to turn when cold. You should consider changing it, as the fan is running more than it is needed and costing you fuel economy and power.

How are you determining that the vehicle is getting too hot? It would be a good idea to start by make sure the radiator is clean and that the entire cooling circuit is up to snuff.
 






I was watching the temp via ODB II and the temperature gauge on the dash. Per my ODB II device temps were getting up around 242 and my dash gauge would get a hair over the 3/4 hot.
 






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