Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Fan Clutch Retro Fit 2004/5 to 1998.5 24v

[John - K5AWO]

Okay,



Here's the deal. My fan clutch currently will not activate until the dash temp guage is about 220+ or so. Hard to know because of the lack of intelligent markings on it.



I have only heard it activate one time in six months, when idling on a day when the ambient temp was 114* F here in the valley. When temps are 105 or less, the dash guage shows a nominal 195-200* F and no airplane noise.



Airflow through the condenser is the pitts 99. 75% of the time. The truck must be moving at 40+ mph to get any cooling at all. At 55 mph, exhaust temp is about 43* F at the center vent.



Question: Is there ANY physical reason why I can't just purchase the electric clutch for a 2004/5 year model and just bolt it up to my water pump on the 98. 5 24V motor??



Come Monday, I will be stopping at the Cost Plus arm/leg SteelerShip and compare the two fan clutches. But in the meantime, any knowledge out there on this subject?



Thanks,

John



In retrospect, I should have bought that Horton Fan clutch a couple months back... ...

 

[Huff N Puff]

Before you do any thing with a fan clutch,make sure your radiator is not clogged with slim from the blowby bottle. When the radiator clogs with debris, the radiator cannot heat up the air, to activate the fan clutch. Look on the inside of the radiator with a flash light,to see if it is clogged. Let me know if it is.

 

[John - K5AWO]

I took some steel wire and wrapped it around the clutch and jammed the spindle so it won't slip. I still don't hear any airplane noises. The fan blades on my fan only measure about 2. 5 inches in width. This is only about half of what my Suburban fan measures.



What is the stock width of the factory fan blade?

 

[John - K5AWO]

Before you do any thing with a fan clutch,make sure your radiator is not clogged with slim from the blowby bottle. When the radiator clogs with debris, the radiator cannot heat up the air, to activate the fan clutch. Look on the inside of the radiator with a flash light,to see if it is clogged. Let me know if it is.

Huf N Puff,



Just for sake of being on the same page, I looked just now with a 500,000 candlepower lamp. Radiator fluid is Nice and clean, no trash or oxide build up.



The lamp projected thru the radiator, front to rear, shows the pathways to be open and clean. Hasn't been too long, maybe 3 months since I used the pressure washer on it... . backed off about 10 inches, but enough to make the tire cleaning soap do its' work.



The problem is there isn't any air being pulled thru the radiator and condenser. I have already removed the trash, bugs, etc... I can place a sheet of paper a 1/2 inch in front of the a/c condenser and no air flow. Air exhausted from the rear of the fan is very nominal (a gentle breeze). The same tests on my Suburban is a gale from the rear and the sheet of paper "snaps" to the front of the condenser. All of this at idle, or 825 rpm.



That fan is not pulling any air. I am all for drilling two 1/4 inch holes thru it and bolting that sucker down solid. The temps here in Phoenix are a/c weather 8 months out of the year anyway. I can't remember the last time I drove the truck without the a/c being on MAX.





And to repeat my earlier post, the fan blades on this truck are anemic looking. Only maybe half the width of the fans on my Suburban and on my 2004 Ford Van.

 

[Huff N Puff]

If you have the blow by bottle in place or have had it in the past in its position on the front of the timing cover,I assure you the slim venting out of the bottle coats the radiator cooling fins, in the radiator the whole area the diameter of the fan will get coated. You can only see it from the inside. I'm not saying that your fan clutch is not a problem. You can not check the fan clutch,though if the air in the area of the fan clutch is not flowing thru the radiator to the fan clutch which is what transferes the heat to the fan clutch. When the fan clutch does lock you will feel it it moves a tremendous amount of air. If you did bolt it you would loose alot of HP,driving that fan constantly. I am almost certain the radiator is restricted. I have fixed alot of over heating Dodges by pulling the radiator,and cleaning it with a pressure washer. You will not belive how dirty it can get, when you pull it out.

 

[John - K5AWO]

I got the truck used and since it is six years old, I think it is time for the radiator shop to give it a health inspection. Rod it out, etc... . This will mean they have to remove the tanks, so everything will get really clean.



If it still won't blow air after that is done, then I know the clutch is history.



As for having it locked, 95% of my driving for the next 3 years will be in the city, with temps above 85 degrees all the time. I won't be concerned with the extra HP loss. I will enjoy having the a/c work all the time though.



Anyone know if I can retro fit the electric fan clutch from the new CTD's onto a 98 truck? I meant to get to the StealerShip today and compare, but duty kept me too busy, and now I am on call duty waiting on a Fire Truck to come back home from a "chest pain" call. Their dispatch computer in the truck had a heart attack of its' own.

 

[jrobinson2]

This TSB is only listed to '97 and you don't seem to have a snowplow but may still be worth looking into http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1997/07-05-97.htm

Jared

 

[John - K5AWO]

Fan Clutch available thru NAPA web site

or order it from your local store..... I talked to my local NAPA dealer and they couldn't pull it up on their computer screen. However, the web site brought it up right away. Info below. Cost is only $74. 99, just a tad lower than the ********$hips of 160+

 

[jrobinson2]

Is that the standard clutch or the 140* clutch from the TSB?

Jared

 

[John - K5AWO]

I have no idea what the temperature setting on this unit is. I just found the NAPA number on their web site. I will be calling my NAPA dealer tomorrow to find out. I haven't read the TSB on this unit.



My next move is to look that up right now.



EDIT: That TSB sounds like it would be nice... I will definitely check the NAPA unit to be sure it is the 140* unit.



TSB:



1 52028837AA Fan Drive, Viscous



NOTE: INSTALLATION OF THE IMPROVED VISCOUS FAN DRIVE WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN TO OPERATE MORE OFTEN.



Replace the fan drive with p/n 52028837AA

 

[John - K5AWO]

Hayden Fan Clutch info from their PDF catalog

I just stumbled onto this PDF catalog which can be found at

http://www.haydenauto.com/assets/2003Haydencat.pdf



They have a Severe Duty fan drive (clutch) #2798 for the CTD 5. 9L engines



Also in the catalog is a thermostatic control oil cooler diverter valve for engine oil cooling in hot climates. Neat!



228 pages of goodies, well worth the wait for it to download.

 

[SteveMiller]

Just a note but it looks like the TSB mentioned is for a gas engine. Not alot of help here.



Napa #272313 or Chrysler number 52004928 should be the right part. Neither Napa nor Dodge was able to give me the spec on when this fan should engage. And if you are going to Napa make sure you have the part number. They also could not find it for me either but when I gave them the part number they had no trouble.



Which makes sense. As long as my fan was working (its not now) I never had a heating problem going up the rockies pulling heavy. So it doesn't seem like the fan would need an upgrade.



The Hayden site is pretty cool. Too bad I can't get one today. Off to napa I go.



Steve

 

[John - K5AWO]

Well, I talked to the NAPA guy who tried to look it up by application- No Sourced!



Gave him the number and Ka Ching! Yeah, I got two of them in stock?? Oh Yeah, why didn't you tell me that last Friday when I had all day off to install it?



Stopped by Pep Boys and bought a Hayden #3700 electric fan. It is rated to totally replace the factory fan! I am just going to put it in front of the condenser, wire it thru a relay to the a/c switch and call it good.



Not even going to bother changing out the present fan clutch. I do know that if the temp guage reaches about 220, it definitely will engage. Only saw that once since I had the truck, oh well... ...



I called Hayden Customer Service. They told me that 98% of all thermostatic clutch fan drives are calibrated for 170* air temp to engage 100% including all of the OEM units which they said they make under contract for Dodge??



I still have my eye on that mopar 140* unit, but a phone call today found one in stock locally for the small pittance of $185. 00



Like I said, I will just use my $79. 00 electric fan and go on. At least it will give me full a/c capabilities while idling, unlike those thermostatic fans.

 

[SteveMiller]

I got the Napa one and put it in last night. Kinda hard to say yet what the outcome is but I'm taking a heavy trailer to El Paso this weekend so we'll see when I go over Raton pass and I have the air on pulling a trailer.



good luck to all

Steve

 

[SteveMiller]

Oh by the way, it took all of about 15min to install. Take the overflow bottle off and the the two shroud bolts on that side. Get the fan loose (I use the 36mm wrech and a large pair of channle locks to grab the bolts on the pulley) should be easy but if not I used a small propane torch and heated it up and it came right off. Then slid the fan out inbetween the radiator and the shroud. Then swap off the fan and throw it back on. No problem as soon as I managed to get the nut loose with a little heat.

 

[John - K5AWO]

Let us know how it works Steve... .



My truck doesn't have an overflow bottle on it. Just a long rubber hose that ends up on top of the steering sector. Making one filthy mess under there. I am going to have to do something with that, don't like the mess it is making.