I ended up buying my fan clutch from rockauto.com using one of the discount codes floating around on the 'net. It it came to about $75.
Having read others' testimony about AutoZone's incorrect tool, I tried O'Reilly's. The guy said they didn't have a tool for that job.
So I went to AZ anyway and got their kit. (At AZ, you "buy" the tool, then return it for a full refund.) Their computer, and the sticker on the side of the box, said "Explorer 4.0 91-Up." I wondered about that when, further down on the same sticker, it said "Explorer 4.0 '97-Up." Why would it list both? The first one covered them all.
Anyway, I took it home and found it wouldn't fit. The wrench for the nut was too big, and the wrench-type thing to hold the pulley bolts was too big, also. So I improvised.
My motive in replacing the clutch was to remedy hot-idling problems, including warm AC and, once during an extended summertime idle, a leaky front transmission seal.
Here's how the process went on my '93, replacing the (cracked) fan and (failing) clutch:
I drained the radiator first; it takes a while. I let the fresh coolant run into a bucket for re-use. (Note: If you do this, pull the bucket out after the radiator empties, and cover it. All kinds of dirt and crap will fall into it if you don't.)
Next, I moved the intake hose and pulled the radiator. The fan shroud came out next. (Lay them down in order so you don't forget the shroud; it won't go on after the radiator's in place.)
Do not loosen the four screws holding the fan pulley to the water pump. But you can take the belt off, just to get it out of the way.
To turn the clutch nut, I used a pair of slip-joint pliers and a length of pipe for leverage. One of the AutoZone tools was close enough to work on the pulley. I kept that tool in place with a breaker bar and another length of pipe.
Ahh. There's nothing like the feeling when a tight fastener gives way.
Out with the clutch and fan. I re-used the old bolts on the new clutch-to-fan pairing.
Still lacking the correct tool for tightening the clutch nut, I slathered its threads with Loctite, then used my pliers-and-pipes contraption to set it up as snugly as possible. In went the belt, shroud, radiator, old coolant (with a strainer), and intake hose. A quick run around town allowed me to fill the radiator completely, after it cooled.
I tested the car driving about 30 miles out into the country for a little walkabout with my German Shepherd. The truck ran seamlessly. On the return trip, I left the Ex idling in the Wal-Mart parking lot while I shopped for about 10 minutes. Afterward, I found the interior cold and the temp gauge just left of center, toward the C. On the highway, it actually crept to the middle -- surprising to me, as most cars idle hotter than they drive on the highway.
Today I returned AutoZone's tool. I brought the old fan clutch with me, as well as photos I'd taken showing the wrench not fitting it properly. I got the manager as soon as I walked in, and told him what I'd found. I also noted that I had gone into this project after seeing numerous rants at Serious Explorations denouncing AutoZone for providing a tool that doesn't fit. However, I wanted the problem fixed, so I told him directly. He thanked me for the pictures and the fan clutch core, and promised he'd forward the complaint to corporate.
I had to go to the 100 percent one on mine to stop overheating pulling a boat to the lake with my manual trans sport explorer.
