Overheating confusion-is it now the fan clutch?

[raxley]

Is there another test for checking fan clutch besides stopping fan (which I can easily) when idling, and checking physically the wiring from radiator to fan clutch?

I’ve already checked the injectors, and although I’m glad I now know how to replace them, I would have liked it even more if my overheating condition went away. It’s kinda a long story, but I thought I was getting diesel in crankcase and too much diesel in cylinder was causing overheating. But I. I. (great service BTW) said my injectors were fine. I did find a connector tube nut that I unscrewed by hand after removing the fuel line-could this have added fuel to crankcase? I’m keeping a close watch on the oil, and heard it also could be a CP3 seal if I get fuel in there again. I guess it’s possible I misread the crankcase oil level, I still don’t quite understand that

I’ve gotten the overheating down quite a bit by adding 1-1/2 gallons coolant (I’m also trying to figure out why my coolant reservoir isn’t accurate) but it’s still hotter by about 25% (with the heater on) than I’m used to. This is in traffic, too, so maybe it’s still working partially?

I turned the AC on too, and could still stop the fan (with gloves on) easily. It was warmed up though. I can’t remember hearing the clutch for awhile (and I heard it was hard NOT to notice when it came on)

I found a fan clutch for $163 HERE.

Will this be durable and last awhile-others are over $300, and the Fluidampr is mid $400. I guess the Fluidampr uses a thick liquid to do the clutch thing, and is more reliable (and smoother) but is this the same thing-a fan clutch or a dampener for vibration? Or does it do both?

Although I set a code when it first got really hot, it hasn’t set a code since. Isn’t there a code the ECM sets if it sees RPM of fan is low?

Sorry for the long post, but I’d appreciate any info.

 

[AH64ID]

The ECM will set a code, but a soft code so no light, if the fan isn't working. You can have the fan tested with a scan tool, and it will tell you the fan rpm vs the engine rpm, and you can see it rise and fall. I thought my fan didn't work, but no codes, and the scan tool test showed it working, you just can't hear it unless its on above 90%. I have only heard my fan twice in the last 53K miles.

A fluidampner is not a fan clutch, its a harmonic balancer.

Are you looking at oil level on the dipstick, or UOA to determine if there is fuel in the oil?

What makes you think your overheating, is it the needle going well above 200 in normal driving? Rapid movement? Towing heat?

Have you done a radiator flush and thermostat change? Your truck is an 05, so its of the age where it needs the 60 month coolant flush and these motors are hard on thermostats, due to the size of the cooling system vs cooling demand for normal driving.

 

[raxley]

Thanks for the reply-I guess then that I'll be able to see the 'soft' code (if the ECM determines fan clutch is bad) with the Smarty?

Blackstone never got back with me over the oil I drained and sent to them some while back, so no oil info there. I don't know how I could have got the oil level wrong, I made sure vehicle was as level as I could, and pulled and inserted the dipstick 10 times. Would leaking fuel from loose fuel injector connector get into crankcase?

In my previous driving before all this happened, when I first started and drove it, it would be very cold and take forever to get up to a little more than one third of the travel of the stock gauge, well under the mid point of my stock gauge which is marked 200. I'd usually have to get on the freeway ( a couple of miles from my house) before it would heat up. I would guess that the gauge usually was around 185 or so. It never changed after warming up (although I don't tow or have much in truck besides a shell and a lot of tools)

Now when I'm driving in the city, it's around 200 and sometimes over 200 when I'm moving slowly in traffic.

I got 3 gallons of the proper coolant and I'm going to flush it out today, as best I can. I'll take out the thermostat and look at it (Do people routinely replace them, even if they look/act ok?)

$167 for the Dornan fan clutch isn't too bad (the threads I was reading were saying it's $400 for a Mopar part) It says it has a limited lifetime warranty. Has anybody used a Dornan fan clutch that likes/dislikes it?

 

[AH64ID]

Yes thermostats need to be changed, and they are cheap. Your smarty will tell you if you have a fan clutch code, if you don't I doub't its the fan. . most likely a bad thermostat. Here is my write-up on a coolant flush.

https://www.turbodieselregister.com...s-2003-2007/218402-coolant-flush-3rd-gen.html

 

[K3RACE]

I just replaced thermostat on my 06 with 60K miles. It smoothed out temp fluctuations. These engines are definitely hard on the stats. It looked fine on removal. PS do not use cheap thermostats.

 

[MMeier]

Be sure to use a Cummins T Stat, around $31 last time I checked .

 

[CROW]

I'musing the thermostat rom Geno's which I think was a Gates and it seems to work just fine. AH64ID, your instructions were a good read, good job.