A few months ago the GF and I went to Colorado in our first long trip with the LC (96, no mod's because it is for DD, 100,000mi). Everything was great until we got just outside of Denver and started going up the mountain. We started to smell antifreeze and assumed it was another vehicle because the smell went away. About 2 miles later the smell was back and I starte to watch the temp guage. I got real lucky on this one because just as it started to climb we hit an off ramp and I got stopped before it got close to the red. I bet everyone can guess what it was (PHH). What puzzles me is what caused it to fail at that time rather than in he long, hot drive accross KS. The only thing that I did different when I started to go up the mountain was to turn the OD off and that caused the RPM to go from about 3K to around 4.5K. I was wondering if my fan clutch was bad or if it was just the PHH time. Now that I have the PHH fixed there is no problem with the temp (runs the same as before) but then again I am back in MO also. If it is the clutch how can I tell?
Is my fan clutch bad (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Wildcat
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Sounds like the PHH failed. Assuming you did a flush when the PHH was replaced?
You can usually tell if the clutch is bad if there is no resistance when you turn the fan manually or when there is not "start up howl" of the clutch oil holding the fans rpms up while it warms up and starts to sheer.
Also, if your fan clutch doesn't have a blue aluminum base at the pulley, it is most likely older, less effective, and should get swapped.
Glad you made it home okay.
You can usually tell if the clutch is bad if there is no resistance when you turn the fan manually or when there is not "start up howl" of the clutch oil holding the fans rpms up while it warms up and starts to sheer.
Also, if your fan clutch doesn't have a blue aluminum base at the pulley, it is most likely older, less effective, and should get swapped.
Glad you made it home okay.
What's the ballpark price for a blue fan clutch?
I think it is ~$100, with shipping, etc may be more. Call CDan 
my 80 over head when im wheeling going hard up a long steep hill, i flushed my radiator and cleaned it from mud, didnt do anything to today i took apart my viscus hub and got oil from a toyots parts place, i used 2 things of it and filler it up to the brim.
i hope it helps on mine but cost me 20 buxs so worth the try.
mine is a diesel so i dont know if the hub is different but its 4 bolts out of the motor, then take the fan off, then the had has 8 (i think) screws holding it together, then just pull it appart and change the oil.
i hope it helps on mine but cost me 20 buxs so worth the try.
mine is a diesel so i dont know if the hub is different but its 4 bolts out of the motor, then take the fan off, then the had has 8 (i think) screws holding it together, then just pull it appart and change the oil.
You can also change the temp adjustment...there is a whole thread on it.
- Thread starter
- #7
Thanks for all the help. I will check how easy it is to turn the fan when I see the LC again. My GF drives to and from her place so I only get to see it on weekends. I will probably try the adding oil thing because I want to see first hand what the inside of the clutch looks like. Once again Thanks
Read the thread Dan referred you to then, and do it right.
Oh, and you didn't do anything to "cause" the PHH to fail; when it's gonna go, it's gonna go. There's no rhyme or reason to it; it just finally wears out, and that's it.
Curtis
check for blocked radiator
This may not apply to your vehicle, but here goes;
in my 1985 FJ60 I had a radiator leak; I added Prestone Stop Leak
Heavy Duty (I know, please don't flame me, I was 20 years younger
and suffering from sleep deprivation).
I subsequently noticed that my temp guage would go up in traffic,
but it was Ok when driving at least 30 mph;
I assumed it was my viscous fan clutch, bought a new one, put it in,
and guess what?
You guessed right; same problem.
So, while checking around, I put my hand on the backside of
the hot radiator; left hot, right hot, center COOL.
So, I took the radiator out (I was now more awake and realized my
previous error), took it to a radiator shop, and Voila!
The radiator was only plugged in the center section from the stop leak. Had it cored out, reinstalled; problem solved.
Summary: do not use Prestone stop leak (alumaseal is OK, IMHO to
get you home) and remember to check your radiator to see if it
is plugged. I also learned that a radiator flow check can miss this
ie: it will still flow OK, but the Viscous Fan never "sees" a hot
radiator if the plug is directly in front of the fan, so it never engages
ie: in traffic or when idling; The normal forced airflow when going
over 30mph is enough to keep the radiator cool most of the time,
except ie: when towing or going up a mountain like in your case.
G
This may not apply to your vehicle, but here goes;
in my 1985 FJ60 I had a radiator leak; I added Prestone Stop Leak
Heavy Duty (I know, please don't flame me, I was 20 years younger
and suffering from sleep deprivation).
I subsequently noticed that my temp guage would go up in traffic,
but it was Ok when driving at least 30 mph;
I assumed it was my viscous fan clutch, bought a new one, put it in,
and guess what?
You guessed right; same problem.
So, while checking around, I put my hand on the backside of
the hot radiator; left hot, right hot, center COOL.
So, I took the radiator out (I was now more awake and realized my
previous error), took it to a radiator shop, and Voila!
The radiator was only plugged in the center section from the stop leak. Had it cored out, reinstalled; problem solved.
Summary: do not use Prestone stop leak (alumaseal is OK, IMHO to
get you home) and remember to check your radiator to see if it
is plugged. I also learned that a radiator flow check can miss this
ie: it will still flow OK, but the Viscous Fan never "sees" a hot
radiator if the plug is directly in front of the fan, so it never engages
ie: in traffic or when idling; The normal forced airflow when going
over 30mph is enough to keep the radiator cool most of the time,
except ie: when towing or going up a mountain like in your case.
G
