just ordered the Bluedriver bluetooth scanner so I can get some before and after numbers with the new fan clutch
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Landtank Fan Clutch- 6 Year Update
- Thread starter cary
- Start date
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I get where you're coming from and going to with this. But, one thing is undeniable: The performance of the new blue clutch, as it comes from Toyota, is pitiful compared to the performance of the clutches that came in our rigs. Like my '94 had a black hub originally - one of the strongest clutches according to mud info. Why can't we get them any more?.... Because they're not available! So, are we supposed to accept this replacement and live with it as it comes???? Hell, no!!!! Thankfully, we've got guys like Landtank and Tools r us, who've spent countless hours trying to get the performance back and even improve on it. I'm not any harder on my '94 today, than when I 1st got it - if anything, I baby it when possible because it ain't no spring chicken anymore. I don't know how hard the OP runs his rig, but it sounds pretty normal, to me. I don't think it's asking too much to expect more than 45k from the only OEM Toyota clutch that's available. Why is the clutch adjustable in the 1st place??? It's made to be modified, that's why it's the only clutch available. It's for all FZ engines - in all climates. The mods that are being done by Landtank are not extreme. They're just getting back the performance that we should be getting out of our 80s. When we put a Landtank modified clutch in our rig, we're only doing what any competent mechanic would be doing to bring our cooling system up to par - for where we live.
Just a few weeks back I replaced the blue clutch I put in five years ago from @cruiserdan by a new @landtank's modified blue clutch. So far, I have only drove around 1.5K miles, including 200 trail miles, in the oppressive, hot & humid southeast climate @beno loved so much
The A/C is always on. While in the sop-and-go traffic I have helped the AC with the aux fan.
It is indeed premature to reach any long term conclusion, I can however affirm couple of things: 1) the average running temp has consistently dropped 5F and rarely reach 193-195F, 2) As soon the engine revs up tp 2.5F the temp quickly drops to a comfortable 188-190F...at ambient temps near 95F. Once the ambient temp is below 85F the running temp has never reached 190F.
IMO, this is one of the best and simple mods anyone can do.
Cheers!
The A/C is always on. While in the sop-and-go traffic I have helped the AC with the aux fan.
It is indeed premature to reach any long term conclusion, I can however affirm couple of things: 1) the average running temp has consistently dropped 5F and rarely reach 193-195F, 2) As soon the engine revs up tp 2.5F the temp quickly drops to a comfortable 188-190F...at ambient temps near 95F. Once the ambient temp is below 85F the running temp has never reached 190F.
IMO, this is one of the best and simple mods anyone can do.
Cheers!
COYS
SILVER Star
Got mine through Wits End which I believe is the landtank unit. Good to hear. Thanks for sharing.
NLXTACY
Wits' End
- Thread starter
- #27
Final update on my clutch. Now at 273k miles and 8 years, it drifted out of adjustment again. This is no fault of Landtank's mod, for whatever reason, it appears the bimetallic spring in my clutch decided to start dying early. We had a heat wave two weeks ago and at 103f, my temps were going up to 200F before the clutch would really start to engage. My A/C vent temp with re circulation on was at 52f and in traffic was drifting up to about 65f. I decided to just order an new Landtank clutch from Wits End. ]
I installed the replacement clutch last week and went to tahoe this weekend. The replacement starts to lock up at about 180f. Yesterday on the way back, it was 95-100f, with me cruising at 75-80mph, I was seeing 190-191 coolant temp, an the fan was pulling pretty hard (I might have sucked up some geese). With fresh clutch, plus careful weatherstripping I installed a few years ago between the radiator and condenser, with the A/C on, fan speed at 2, no recirculation, my vent temps were 40f. I have never had the AC on fan speed 2 when it was 95+f, much less facing the sun in the afternoon.
I installed the replacement clutch last week and went to tahoe this weekend. The replacement starts to lock up at about 180f. Yesterday on the way back, it was 95-100f, with me cruising at 75-80mph, I was seeing 190-191 coolant temp, an the fan was pulling pretty hard (I might have sucked up some geese). With fresh clutch, plus careful weatherstripping I installed a few years ago between the radiator and condenser, with the A/C on, fan speed at 2, no recirculation, my vent temps were 40f. I have never had the AC on fan speed 2 when it was 95+f, much less facing the sun in the afternoon.
Thanks for this thread. I have two black hub clutches. One modded per land tank instructions 4 years ago with 10k oil. This one was removed from service and shelved when I rolled that rig at the end of 2015.
The clutch I’m currently running is not modded timing wise but is running 15k oil. This clutch pulls really hard but here lately it seems to be engaging at 192 ( per my Koso gauge) and disengaging at 187 consistently rather than 189 on and 185 off as it did before as the 80 sits hood open and hand throttle set to 1500 rpm. When it comes on it still makes noise and pulls lots of air but it seems that perhaps the old spring is giving up after 26 years, assuming it’s original.
I need to decide whether or not I should spend the time to install my other black hub clutch that’s only one year younger with similar miles or get a blue hub and mod it. From what I have gathered here, the blue hub clutch isn’t as good as the older black hub in any way they could be compared.
The clutch I’m currently running is not modded timing wise but is running 15k oil. This clutch pulls really hard but here lately it seems to be engaging at 192 ( per my Koso gauge) and disengaging at 187 consistently rather than 189 on and 185 off as it did before as the 80 sits hood open and hand throttle set to 1500 rpm. When it comes on it still makes noise and pulls lots of air but it seems that perhaps the old spring is giving up after 26 years, assuming it’s original.
I need to decide whether or not I should spend the time to install my other black hub clutch that’s only one year younger with similar miles or get a blue hub and mod it. From what I have gathered here, the blue hub clutch isn’t as good as the older black hub in any way they could be compared.
surfpig
The Anti-Tech
A few thoughts here... I have a modded blue, ~12000K fluid. 5 years or so?
On very hot days it’s tough to kick the temp past 190 degrees, a/c blasting. Steep hills, crawling, it may briefly hit 207-210. So there’s that.
As to ‘modding’ the fan out of the box, I bet the existing fluid is fine for 87% of the conditions you might encounter. I think it’s crucial to check and adjust the temperature where the clutch engages. Mine was significantly off from spec right out of the box.
On very hot days it’s tough to kick the temp past 190 degrees, a/c blasting. Steep hills, crawling, it may briefly hit 207-210. So there’s that.
As to ‘modding’ the fan out of the box, I bet the existing fluid is fine for 87% of the conditions you might encounter. I think it’s crucial to check and adjust the temperature where the clutch engages. Mine was significantly off from spec right out of the box.
I have no freedom of choice in my Desert. I need efficient FC OR I will have to go with 2 speed Electrical FAN (Mercides G500 Unit) and larger alternator. (Normal mode on many desert rigs here)
I am 1 year with B FC mode used 30K 50ml 90F and I never experience AC cutouts anymore and most of the time its running in acceptable OBD coolant temp 193-195 in hot day medium load
I am 1 year with B FC mode used 30K 50ml 90F and I never experience AC cutouts anymore and most of the time its running in acceptable OBD coolant temp 193-195 in hot day medium load
- Thread starter
- #31
We went through this years ago when people were first experimenting. IIRC, ToolsRUs was the one that first enlightened us to the practice in hot climates of heavier fluid. I recall him saying 10-15k CST and we all thought he was nuts. CruiserDan provided the input that Toyota sold clutch fluid in 3k, 5k, and 10k cst. Landtank was the guy that really took the laboring oar and started documenting the different timing settings and fluid thicknesses. Again, my memory is not as perfect as I like, but I recall early on testing just timing with 3k fluid, 5k fluid and blending various weights up to about 8k cst, and finding the fluid started to break down in a matter of months. In contrast, as we have discovered a decent quality 15k fluid shows no sign of oxidation or breakdown after 5+ years (we don't have combustion byproducts here, so the oil darkening or turning black is its oxidating and breaking down).
We came the conclusion that Toyota probably specified the thinner fluid in the US to help a little with gas mileage.
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- Thread starter
- #32
Most people who have gone electric have ended up regretting it. The fan clutch properly tuned is extremely reliable and a with a properly maintained cooling system, will not overheat in even the hottest climate. The desert Southwest in the US has as hot of a climate as the desert portions of Israel, with some portions even hotter. The deserts of southeastern California, Arizona, and Southern Nevada average more than 100 days a year over 100f, with temperatures of 110f or higher occurring an average of 20-30 days a year and the occasional 120f+.
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I have 2 fan clutches i switch between summer and winter, one with 15K fluid and other with 30k fluid. Also thank you for the feed back.
