Originally Posted by Spooler

It does sound like you have a blown head gasket or a big air pocket in the cooling system. Does it push any antifreeze and fill up the overflow tank?

Originally Posted by StealthDiesel

SNIP

The electronic fan clutch is closely monitored by the ECM. Do you have a CEL on? Are any DTC codes being logged in the ECM?

If no fan codes are being logged are you sure the fan is causing your overheating issue?

Originally Posted by Diesel Girl

Hi,
I don't post a lot, usually only when I have a problem. Well, new truck, new problem I've spent countless hours over last winter and now again searching for my problem and a possible fix. Well, from what I can tell most of you are just upgrading to electric fans. I don't think that will work for me.

Background:
I often haul quite a bit in the summer (and little in winter). Sometimes 40,000+ miles in four months. My truck is connected to a 32 foot gooseneck filled with moving cargo for three weeks straight. The trailer alone, when full of supplies and horses weighs 18,000 + pounds. The roads have grades as steep as 12%, sometimes they go on for 12 miles before heading back down. Not to mention the temperatures rise to 100F often.
So needless to say, when something breaks, I prefer to upgrade instead of replace with stock. However...

The manufacturer of the Electric Fan replacements recommends not using their product for vehicles that haul what I do. Basically it is for trucks that barely work, if at all. That would be fine, except I work my truck, pretty hard.

Here's why I am asking if anyone has attempted and succeeded or failed at the conversion to old style, non electronically controlled fan clutches:

These events happened over a two month period while hauling heavy load cross country: I went through four fan clutches and two different brands, and am still running on a fan clutch that won't engage and cool my truck. I have removed the thermostat, in which had also been replaced once or twice trying to determine the issue. The large amount of liquid flow keeps the truck nice and cool. But alas it is winter time in Alaska and I am about to put another new one back in for heat inside the truck. This means my truck will go back to overheating (yes even at temps below zero outside) when worked, put into heavy traffic too long, or run at speeds over 75mph for long distances.

Over heat meaning the gauge went/goes/will go all the way to the red and the truck will warn to check them.

Two of the fan clutches I went through don't really count I guess, since one was bad bearings within a 1000 miles of use, the other bad right out of the box, didn't make it 40 miles. None of the fan clutches I install will engage properly and cool the truck, you can reach in and stop the fan by hand when the truck is hot.. don't try this at home

Initially I thought the issue to be a bad thermostat or gauge due to the truck not seeming or smelling hot, and the gauge jumping around. The thermostat replaced, and an external gauge was put on -it read out same as dash. The Fan Clutch replaced. A few days later in the haul the truck overheated to boiling point hauling the load up a dirt road slow speed steep hill. Another Fan Clutch was purchased and installed.
Shorten it up:
The truck was "babied" all the way home, and another one installed, this time a Mopar. It too does not work, will not engage, truck will not cool. I'm pulling my hair out at this point.

I don't want to buy electronic fan clutch number five or is it six? lol Because it will only give the same results, I'm sure. Told myself to just buy the electric conversion before buying the latest fan clutch. But I couldn't bring myself to pay a high price for something even the manufacturer of the item recommends not using for my application.

There has to be another issue we are all overlooking, Someone who has completed a conversion to non electronic, somebody else with a similar issue? Anything would help, I'm way open to any advise or opinions, anywhere to check or something to try.

Thank You for Help.