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fan clutch

Old 03-16-2013, 03:05 PM
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fan clutch

97 4 runner 6cyl. auto, how to tell if the fan clutch is bad
Old 03-16-2013, 06:52 PM
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Red face

Are you having any cooling issues??

Running to hot or to cold??

if you see oil leaking out of the fan clutch

if you have any movement side to side or up and down

with the engine cool you should feel a slight resistance when turning . The warmer the engine the harder it will be to turn.

If it spins free or is impossible to move .

any of these time for a new one.

Or just change it for peace of mind.
Old 03-17-2013, 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by carly777
97 4 runner 6cyl. auto, how to tell if the fan clutch is bad
From a BMW forum I frequent, but applies perfectly to our rigs as well:

Testing the fan clutch:
If you have reason to suspect that the fan clutch is defective, here is the recommended procedure to verify the condition of the fan clutch.
1. Start the car (cold) with the hood open and note if the fan is turning, increase the engine RPM and note if the fan turns faster and the noise increases, if it does, first good indication, if it does not increase speed/noise, clutch is bad and needs to be replaced. (Remember, this must be tested after the car has been off for and extended period, over night etc.)
2. Leave engine running and note if the fan starts to slow down after 2-5 minutes, speed/noise should diminish and even raising the RPM, the fan should not make as much noise as when first starting, if it does slow, this is the second good indication. If speed/noise does not decrease, clutch may be “frozen” and should be replaced.
3. Leave the engine idle and watch the temperature indicator. When normal operating temperature has been reached, some increase in fan speed/noise should be noted, in particular when the RPM is increased. If temperature is fairly stable and the fan noise/speed increases or cycles, third good indication. If temperature indication continues to increase, with no increase in fan noise/speed, clutch is defective and should be replaced.
4. After the engine is at normal operating temperature or above, is the only time that the “rolled up newspaper” test that many people talk about should be performed! Take some newspaper and roll it up into a long narrow tube. Be careful, keep hands and fingers away from the fan while performing this test! With the engine at full operating temperature and idling, take the rolled up paper and insert it on the back side of the fan and try to reach the hub of the fan avoiding the blades until close to the hub. Push the rolled paper at the fan increasing the friction to the hub area of the fan. If the fan can not be stopped easily this is the fourth good indication, if it can be stopped the clutch is defective and should be replaced. Again, this test can only be performed when the engine is at or above full operating temperature.

Testing can be performed in any order but just make sure the conditions during testing are those that are specified for that specific test.
Do not continue to operate the engine if the temperature continues to rise and certainly stop if the temperature approaches “redline”.
Old 03-17-2013, 07:32 PM
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Also, on our rigs, an important 'good' indicator is the loud 'airplane'noise on start-up that goes away after a few seconds. Bad is when engine overheats when sopped or moving slowly, but returns to normal on the highway.

Last edited by TheDurk; 03-17-2013 at 07:34 PM.
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