1972RedNeck

In the process of swapping the radiator and intercooler out of my '93 with a 2nd gen radiator and intercooler. While I'm at it, I need a new fan clutch. Who makes the best fan clutch?

I have watched Dad go through 5 or 6 clutches on his Highboy that he swapped a Cummins into with minimal luck. Napa clutches are junk, they engage at about the right time, but they won't stay engaged (run for 30 to 45 seconds and then kick off for a bit even though the water temp never fell). Hayden severe duty clutch seemed to work the best, but it still came on a little late. Finally, Dad ended up shelling out the cash (a little over $1K) for a Horton electric clutch and matching fan blade from Turbo Auto Diesel in AZ and solved his heating trouble when pulling.

I don't have the cash to spend on the same setup right now otherwise I would.

So, what is the best fan clutch in your experience?

1972RedNeck

Nobody else runs a fan clutch?

mknittle

I am running a Murray It looked heaver duty than the factory one i took off.

deere country

I guess they have been quite reliable for me. I cannot really say who makes a better one as I have always had a used one to replace a bad one which is not very often. It seems odd that a conversion truck would have any different luck with them. The only thing I can see being different on a conversion is the airflow threw a different radiator, condenser and such.

Could be like most things aftermarket today that just are not worth a sh__ . Mostly beacause so many look at price and price only and it drives the market to make things good and cheap, oh wait you don't get both its either cheap or good not both.

BearKiller

NOBODY.

The A/C shop put at least half-a-dozen NAPA fan-clutches on the wife's truck and two more from another local parts store and every single one of them were bad; then, they called me and asked what they should do; I went and got the old junker clutch, drilled through it, and pinned it solid.
That has been more than ten years ago and it is still running strong.

On my personal truck, I found a solid fan hub from Summit Racing, made by Flex-a-lite or whatever the big fan company is called; I have been running this no-nonsense solid fan hub also for more than ten years.

Every engine on the place new enough to have ever been plagued with a clutched fan either has it pinned or replaced with a solid hub.

None of our older engines ever had a clutched fan.

If you are interested, I will search out the part number for the Summit Racing hub.

Ol-dodge 1992

Bear killer... can you elaborate on "drilling out and pinning" the clutch on the fan ... I'm not understanding ...

So your fans run constant as in when the engine is turning the fan is "engaged" and turning

BearKiller

Yes Sir; the fan is locked solid such that it is always engaged and spinning.

If there is any negative side to this, I have not noticed it in many years on numerous vehicles, including several 1st Gen. Cummins.

Ol-dodge 1992

That's what I thought you meant... now can you describe the drilling and pinning?
Is there a specific place of engagement that's best or ... definitely don't put the pin here?

BearKiller

My notes say that this is the direct-drive hub that I used:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/flx-852

This hub requires a standard 4-bolt fan that I also had to get; for whatever reason, I failed to record that part number in my notes.
I think I still have the original box and the number should be on it.

I like my solid hub/fan so much that I wouldn't trade it to any type clutched fan and money to boot.

BearKiller

On some, I just drill all the way through in three or four places and install 3/8" bolts/washers/nuts; but, as best I remember, on the 6BTs, there is a clearance issue with the bolts going all the way through; so, I would have to look at one of ours to be certain, but I am fairly sure that I just drilled/threaded four 3/8x16 holes through the front face of the clutch and threaded in short bolts, tightening them against the clutch internals, squishing them together such that the clutch is always engaged.
Some brands of the Cummins clutch can be drilled all the way through and you may get lucky and have that type.

I have yet to see two Cummins clutches that were identical; there is something different about every one that I have had off.

When it is daylight and hopefully not zero outside, I will look and see just what I did.

high bid

Any updates on this... I replaced my fan clutch and the new one seems to spin the same as the old. When idling in the heat, it spins the same and really doesn't ever seem to "lock up" and pull the air through. Any pics or diagram on the drilling to pin it would be appreciated.

ofelas

Mopar # 52028760 hands down; fits all 12v engines, and works as intended.

qweekat

I am grateful for your posts BearKiller - I was able to order the same adapter - flx-852, but that fan (you had the part number in another thread) is no longer sold. I ended up getting the FLX-1309 fan because the new FLX-2019 would take two months to deliver. Flex-a-lite products are on 4-6week delivery at the moment due to Covid - but Summit is getting parts in today that no one else has, including the adapter.

Here's why - a plastic bag flew up and caught on the fan when my partner was driving, it locked up and sheared the fan clutch right off the base, spinning the fan into the copper radiator - shredding it to bits - having to go aluminum since the price of copper ones is $5-700 now - last one was from a junk yard for cheap. just paid $330 for an all aluminum new one with the right dimensions for my rankentruck or as my mechanic calls it a Chevy Dodge.

new to this forum, but learning lots - moving to Alamosa in a month so the cold weather threads are high on my list!

need to set up my signature still - have a 1993 Chevy C3500 4 door with steel bed and a 1989 Cummins 6BT swap.

BearKiller

It always makes me happy to have helped someone.... so long as there is no financial endeavor on my part.

Your episode with the sack getting into the fan made me think of a similar experience I recently had.
I was pulling a long grade in a super-sweet R-model Mack, integral walk-in sleeper and all (Prior to this truck, I would have argued with anyone who claimed to have an R-model with integral sleeper.), pulling a 48' livestock trailer.
One of those Old Dominion trucks pulling doubles was gradually passing me on a long grade when the outside rear tire on the last trailer went into shreds right beside the front corner of the Mack.
Within seconds, I started smelling rubber burning.
At the top of the grade was a rest stop and I pulled in to investigate.
A big strip of tread from the tire had caught under the double V-belts and had turned them completely over on one pulley and then jammed tight between the engine and one of the pulleys, hence the burning rubber.
You talk about HOT! ! ! ; I had to let it cool forever before I could even attempt to get it dislodged; and then, I had to deal with coaxing the upside-down belts to twist back over.
I managed to set things back to rights without loosening a bolt.

edwinsmith

I got a cat tangled up in the fan of my old 58 chevy once. The cat liked to sleep in there to keep warm. It didn't wake up soon enough to get out before I started cranking. Broke it's poor back and had to euthanize it.

Edwin