Worth doing blue hub fan clutch mod?

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Ok. I have the blue hub. Where do I get this 20k fluid?

Hobby shop. It is the same fluid as RC car diff fluid... Just ask for 20k CST fluid, and they should know what you are after.:)
 
so the factory clutches are not worth modding then? i bought a used one as a spare for 10$. should i still drain and refill with 20k, or just dump it for a blue hub and mod it with 20k?
 
The old clutches have more shearing surface area and are better. Tools R Us has some good photos and commentary on that.

Drain and refill with 10k and see how it works for you.
 
Do I just refill those 4 holes on the right unit?

Untitled by KChan156, on Flickr
 
I just did mine with 20K CST, filled the four holes on the right of your picture, to the very top of the hole, overflowing the hole slightly. It took about 40ml. I was trying to get 45ml into it, as I belive that is what landtank puts in his. Anyway, she is roaring now. I have never seen the temp this low. 183* on an 85* afternoon, aircon on full cold. :hillbilly:
 
I just drained out my new blue clutch and its 32.5ml. I know there's prob residual oil on the tray or cup so im looking st maybe refill with 37-38? Or should i try to fill in more to 40ml?
 
My 91 has 234k is it a good idea to change it for pm or just leave it alone. I have no real over heat issues as far as I can tell with the factory gauge. I could use a little more cold from the ac though.
 
Done! Filled to above the goes with 15k team
Losi diff fluid.
 
I missed this thread and started one with similar situation....I have OEM green hub. Feels like bearings are good so put in approx 40ml of 10K RC diff fluid from Hobby Town in San Antonio. My problem is getting the clutch mounted again. How do you guys do it? Are you using a special tool? I can't get my fingertips in there to start the nut back on the bolt......someond suggested having a second person hold the fan in place while approach from DS fender side and try that.

yes I am a noob. Looking for tips on how to do this. Thanks!
 
My 96 80 series with 282k miles is running hot on these hot days in the heat of California and especially going uphill. The AC doesn’t pump cold air, once the engine starts getting hot. So hot it’s sometimes gets in the red. I saw the Blue Hub Fan clutch, would this help or is there any other remedies that anyone could recommend? Help please! Driving in 100+ weather is such a bummer!!
 
The AC doesn’t pump cold air, once the engine starts getting hot. So hot it’s sometimes gets in the red

Depending on what's actually happening this could mean you are getting the engine too hot and that you could be flirting with damaging it. The AC is set to shut-off if coolant temps get into the mid-upper 220s so if your AC goes from cold to totally off / warm then you may be hitting that threshold. The stock temp gauges on these are known to be slow to react and as I understand it you are way too hot by the time the needle gets into the red. Of course, these systems can act up so you need to verify what's actually going on but I'd do that ASAP because the indicators you've listed point to things getting too hot.

Since your 80 is a '96 one immediate step to take is to order a bluetooth odb2 sender and then install the torque app on a bluetooth capable device. This will give you real-time temp numbers based on the coolant temp sensor output via odb2. You can install torque on your phone, just search for it. The odb2 senders are cheap and most of them work from what I've heard. I run this setup in my '97 and it works great. Here's an example:


Once that's in place you can start to get some real-time temp numbers to start to better understand what's going on.

Blue Hub Fan clutch, would this help or is there any other remedies that anyone could recommend?

Modding/replacing your fan clutch is likely to help and may resolve all of your issues. If the fan clutch you have now is fine modding/replacing it will do nothing. Personally, if the history is unknown I would order a replacement blue hub fan clutch and 30k CST oil immediately and then adjust the clutch and replace it asap. If yours is clean (no major corrosion) and tests well (valves open and close at correct temps, no leaks) then you can just set the opening temps and change the oil, up to you. Fan clutches are cheap though.

I'd be taking other steps as well and recommend you read up on this common topic here on the forum including the recent/ongoing temp related threads. Some of the items to look into beyond the fan clutch:
  • Make sure coolant and passages/system is clean. If history is unknown then a full flush may be a good idea, esp. depending on how things look. Is there crud in the overflow and under the cap? If yes, flush things well to try to get back cooling capacity. If coolant is relatively fresh and clean then nothing may be needed here. It's recommended that you change your coolant every 2 years to keep the corrosion inhibitors fresh, regardless of how it looks. Never mix coolant types, they can form a sludge that causes big issues.
  • Make sure fan shroud is intact, radiator fins and condenser are clear/clean, foam is in place between rad. and core support, etc. to maximize airflow through the radiator.
  • Confirm water pump is good and circulating coolant
  • Confirm thermostat is good and opening to allow coolant circulation
  • etc. as needed
In terms of modifying the fan clutch the first page of the following thread shows the major details. Most folks are running higher weight oils these days (15k to 30k +) so you can do that as your temps/conditions indicate, etc.


Good luck and take it easy with that thing until you can confirm you aren't cooking it!
 

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