I have the breather canisters off, the spoiler and lower metal shield on bottom of radiator is off,stats removed, what else must be removed to get fan clutch off ?
With engine cold I can spin the fan hard and it only goes a few blades and stops, do I need new fan clutch ?

This is turning into a big job for me.

Thank you

 

Hi Mac

What makes you think that you need a New Fan Clutch?

It sounds in Perfect Working Order to me.

When the Engine is Cold, you are NOT supposed to be able to Spin it more than a few blades before it Stops. (only flicking it gently with your finger)

Whereas if the Fan Spins round and round when the Engine is Cold, then you've got a problem and the Fan Clutch may need replacing.

When you First Start The Engine, the Fan should be kicking up a Storm, enough to Flatten Grass, then modulate itself and Slow down as the Engine

warms up the Clutch as you get under way.

What is the Fan doing differently to what it was doing before?

WARNING! If you are flicking the Fan Blades round with your finger DO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT MOVE THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY WITH THE BELTS or allow the Engine to turn.

Or you could Break the Timing Chain Tensioner if you turn the Engine the wrong way,

Which is a really BIG JOB to replace.

If the Fan doesn't move at all when you try and flick it (only using your finger) and doesn't Slow down when the engine Warms up the Clutch.

Then the Clutch 'May' be Seized and need replacing.

If you do decide to replace the Fan Clutch for what ever reason.

I WOULD REPEAT THE WARNING of making sure that you DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE in the Process.

Slacken off the Adjuster Belts if you need to BUT DON'T TURN THE ENGINE!

 

My fan only moves a little bit even with a fairly hard finger flick, hot or cold. So I assume it's fine. But I've never tried to move it by pulling on any of the belts, if that's what you're warning against. I wouldn't actually know a crankshaft pulley from a bread-and-butter pudding,* so I hope I've never touched it....

*Actually, that's not true. I'm pretty sure I can't eat a crankshaft pulley....

 

Hi Someday

Your Flan 'I mean Fan' sounds Fine but DO NOT pull the Engine round on the Belts or it could Spoil your day 'Big Time'

The biggest problem I can see is that you're in Japan eating 'Bread and Butter Pudding' and I am in the Uk where tonight were were having Chicken in Lemon Sauce.

With Special Fried Rice of Course!

Only you could turn a picture of a Rad Cap into an Award Winning Photo!

Why not put it in the 'What XJS Related Photo Thread'

 

That is ok when cold, the test is to bring the engine up to operating temperature, then turn it off while watching the fan, the fan should almost stop dead with the engine, if it spins even 1 full turn the clutch needs to be replaced.

 

I wish I was eating bread-and-butter pudding, actually. I'm not sure what I'm going to have for breakfast today, actually. Chicken in Lemon Sauce sounds nice (and I would totally have it for breakfast).
Ooh, what's my reward for that rad cap pic? I don't think I'll put it in the "Related Photo" thread, however. I feel that thread is best for showing how people enjoy their cars--a sort of antidote to all the "my car is totally screwed!" threads.
But thanks for the heads-up re the belts. I've never been tempted to pull on them to turn anything, luckily, and now I know not to even think about the merest possibility of doing so.

 

Thank you all for the replies, I only flicked the fan blade with fingers. Thank you for letting me know clutch is good.
I'm trying to figure out why it over heats standing still and does fine on highway.
At first I thought maybe no stats but they were in there, bought new stats, no trash between rad and ac etc,
There was some gunk at the mouth of rad cap, got some prestone rad flush,will leave stats out drain rad and engine block, put rad hoses back on without stats pour 2 bottles of flush in fill with water, drive a couple days,6 hours running time with heater on then drain, fill with water run till reaches running temp,drain, put stats in 21 quarts of 50/50 coolant and see if that fixes it, if not I guess I will take rad out have it checked or buy an aluminum one.

On another thread I have, the tranny stays in first gear till engine reaches running temp. In the beginning it would shift ok when cold and then stick in second when hot if I made it down shift into passing gear. Now just the opposite.

 

I forgot to mention, when I took the 4 bolts out that holds the breather canister on the passenger side, the bottom bolt closest to front of car had oil on it, is this normal ? none of the others had oil on them passenger or driver side.

 

OB,

Technically yeah, don't turn the fan COUNTERCLOCKWISE or ypu can do some damage. Only clockwise when standing infront of the engine looking at it...

Otherwise don't play around with it

 

Back to the original question: I changed my mechanical fan and had therefore the fan clutch off as well.
As I remember it, I removed NOTHING to do this. Maybe I slackened the AC belt, maybe I moved some hoses, but basically I just unbolted the fan from clutch and the clutch from pulley and removed it.

 

Your car, but I would not be running it without stats.

The fact you have gunk around the caps spouts, is not a good sign.

The metal header tank attached to the LH inner wing is possibly full of mud, as is the atmospheric tank that is hidden n the LH aperture, behind the panel behind the LHF wheel.

The header tank does NOT drain with the rest of the cooling system, so removal and emptying and flushing outside the car is the only proper way.

The atmospheric tank is simply a mud collector and most owners dont even know there is an atmospheric tank.

The fact it heats up standing still does indicate a fan clutch that is failing the HOT test. Anything over 30MPH supplies more than enough ram air to cool the system.

The list for other possible causes gets longish, but the basics of the cooling system MUST BE 100% before travelling that road.

Most V12 engines I have rebuilt were ALL quite caked with hard crusty mud around the liners from $4 each side to teh rear. My HE had 2KGS of that in it when dismantled. It did not run HIT, but sure id run cooler when cleaned out. Sadly there is no easy way to rid the engine of this crud.

Any cleaning agents you use may loosen this stuff, and simply deposit it in the radiator. Then the radiator needs a tank off clean out, and the process repeats itself.
Leaving that crud as is may be the best solution, but using good old clean water, and a few hours runs, drop, refill, bleed, run, drop, refill, bleed etc etc cycles it probably the safest.

 

Are you saying flicking fan with finger clockwise and counter clockwise will cause damage, that does not make sense to me.

 

The salient thoughts to me in this long running thread are:


1. Put the stats back in. They serve a purpose. The only time removing them can relieve a hot run is if they are stuck closed.


2. Running hot while at idle and cooling at speed clearly indicates an air flow issue.


A.Garbage in the fins or between the evap and radiator.
B. Fan not moving enough air. A torrent of air should be going on.


3. That rust on the neck is indicative of a lot more in the block. As grant says, flush like h.... but not in to the radiator. Isolate it by opening the hoses.


4. Wow, a plumber's night mare of hoses and clamps.


Carl

 

Thank you, did not know about the tanks.

What is your thoughts on this ?
First off I replaced all hoses 12 or so 2 years ago.

(1)-Both lower hoses are disconnected from rad, a mixture of water hose and air pressure thru engine block.
(2)- I have 2 pvc plugs that fit in the lower hoses, fill engine block with hot water and rad flush mixture, let set a few hours, clean out with water and air pressure.

(3)-Do the the same steps on the radiator.

I assume it will not harm engine to back out of my shop 15 feet without any water in engine, wont be running 15 seconds.

 

Thank you, I can handle that.

 

I removed the 2 screws that hold the oil cooler and evap, I was able to move it enough forward to give about an inch clearance between evap and rad, very minimal debris at bottom, cleaned all out. Placed my drop light in front of fan and from the front of car looking thru the evap I could see the light thru the rad, so I'm thinking no obstruction.

 

Hi Mac

The Actual Fan Blades are driven by Oil inside the Viscous Clutch, which Spins the Fan Faster or Slower depending on the Temperature of the Oil inside the Clutch.

While Flicking the Blades with your Finger won't do any harm.

WHAT YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT DO IS ALLOW THE FAN BOSS OR THE BELTS TO MOVE.

AS IF YOU DO ANYTHING THAT TURNS THE ENGINE OVER THE WRONG WAY THEN IT WILL VERY LIKELY END IN DISASTER!

Accidentally doing this is easier than you think while you are trying to remove or replace the Fan.

So be extremely Careful that the BOSS or the BELTS or THE ENGINE DOES NOT MOVE even a Tiny Amount. (Or its Game Over)

If you ever need to turn the Engine for any other purpose, you need to know what you're doing and I would certainly never attempt it.

Unless Greg or Grant were holding my hand, every step of the way.

OTHERWISE JUST DON'T DO IT!

There is nothing more I can say.

 

Thank you and I never will.

 

Grant, I swept my driveway clean,backed the car out.
Put water hose and air hose on passenger side where stat goes.
Water and air gushed out the driver stat housing, did this for 5 minutes.
closed off upper rad hose driver side, put rad caps on stuck water hose in upper passenger side, water gushed out bottom rad hose, added air with water for 5 minutes.
Does not seem to be any blockage in engine or rad and no debris on drive way.
Earlier I cleaned between evap and rad, no significant trash.
I then put shop light between fan and rad and I could plainly see light from looking thru the evap and rad fins.
I will install new stats and new coolant, put all back together, get engine to running temp, check fan clutch and cross fingers.

 

Hi Mac

Changing the Fan Clutch looks deceptively Simple, for as you look down at the Fan Clutch there are only FOUR LITTLE NUTS to undo.

How hard can it be, what could possibly go Wrong?

The Answer to that is a lot in a short space of time, its nowhere near as easy as it looks.

In a Hypothetical Situation, you could put a Spanner on one of those Nuts and then try and undo it.

That Nut will be on there really tight and so you start to pull on the Spanner a little bit harder.

The Engine-Belts and Fan Boss are all holding Still and are not moving, so you then pull on that Spanner a little bit harder.

Then Suddenly and without Warning, your pulling on the Spanner, overcomes the Friction of the Bearings, which then has the Engine TURNING BACKWARDS (The Wrong Way!)

There is no way back from this and although it won't be obvious, there is a VERY BIG CHANCE that you have just caused Thousands of dollars worth of damage to the Engine.

If you had to get a Shop to attempt to try and fix it.

Which could be a Broken Chain Tensioner at the very minimum.

A very expensive little Job for a Shop to Fix.

If you find you absolutely have to do this Job, then you need to Slack off the Pulley Tensioner (which is not the same as the Chain Tensioner)

The Pulley Tensioner is the Wheel that tightens up the drive belt of the FAN BOSS to make the Fan Boss Spin.

Under no Circumstances must the Fan Boss be allowed to Turn, while you are undoing those FOUR NUTS.

Slackening off the Pulley Tensioner 'May' just give you a prayer if something goes wrong but don't rely on it.

Getting those Four Bolts undone can be a real PIA and getting them back on again can drive you to Drink and Self Harming.

Just by shear coincidence, I'm doing this very job on my own Car and although I've done it a couple of times, its already taken Two Days.