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Clutch Fan (Again)

853 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  xntrik 
#1 ·
Just finished my project, anyways I used this go round a heavy duty fan clutch I picked up at Napa for $75, it was made by Hayden, it`s a reverse rotation job, problem is, it doesn`t disengauge, it`s a thermal unit, but it stays engauged all the time just like a non thermal unit would, it sounds like a flex fan and it drives me nuts. did I get a bad unit? or is the heavy duty unit just super stiff? either way it`s got to go, I never could stand how a flex fan screamed, and the way this one sounds is just as bad. Seems like every clutch unit I get is bad, last one I got was a standard thermal unit that I ran on my V belt system on my old engine and it wouldn`t engauge it always freewheeled, it seems like the only units that ever work right are the factory units, but finding one of them in good shape is hard to come by. I won`t go to a electric unit, so if anyone else has any suggestions on a company that makes a thermal clutch unit that works correctly a reply would be appreciated.
 
#2 ·
It could be the design, I know on an early-90s Chevy 1500 the heavy duty clutch always feels like it is locked up.

However, you hit the nail on the head when you said the OEM units work the best. With automotive a/c repair it is well known that aftermarket fan clutches are unreliable and often fail shortly. There's a good reason the OEM clutches cost twice as much (not including the dealer markup). Also, the fan clutch is a service item that will often not last past 30k-50k miles.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I got a bad one about 3 years ago from Hayden. It drove all the time until I got to about 78 mph and then it suddenly "silenced" due to rpm, which it would do in lower gears also. I fought it about 3 weeks and then took it off, went back to the store and got another one of identical part number which has worked perfectly since.
 
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