Has anyone installed a pusher fan or puller fan on the radiator in order to throw heat on the sensor in the clutch fan? When I tow a trailer through congested traffic on secondary roads my engine and transmission heat up but the clutch fan does not turn on. The clutch fan will turn on only when the hot air from radiator reaches the sensor and I have to be traveling over 35 miles an hour for this to happen.

I wonder if anyone out there has had any luck with either of these fans and if so, where can I buy one?

Thanks.

Tim

 

That doesnt sound right. Your fan should come on if its hot, not if your going fast enough for the hot air to heat up the clutch fan. Maybe you have a bad clutch fan or you just dont know its coming on. Do you have engine temp trouble?
As far as a pusher fan, I wouldnt because the electric fan can get in the way of air getting to the clutch fan. It just doesnt work right unless you have it off to the side for say a tranny cooler.

 

Katoom:

The clutch fan is working as designed. I have worked with the dealer as to why the clutch fan does not engage while the engine and tranny temps keep climbing dangerously high while in stop and go traffic while towing.

The clutch fan needs heat being blown through the radiator in order for the bi-metal contact in the front of the clutch fan to engage the switch to turn on the fan.

It is easy to tell when the pusher fan is coming on. It is loud and I am listening for it to come on while the temps are climbing.

I dont have engine temp trouble that I know of. The engine temps or tranny temps have never been near enough to the red where I was considering pulling it over to shut down. But, I dont want to get into that position. I want some way to engage the clutch fan if I am in stop and go traffic for a long period of time resulting in engine overheating.

I appreciate your comments.

Tim

 

Your Automatic Trans cooler could be causing your temp fluctuations, more-so if it happens when towing in traffic.
I'd try a thermostatically controlled electric fan just on the trans cooler.

 

Regardless of what the dealer is saying, with the clutch unlocked and the truck idling and stationary, the fan will still generate enough flow through the rad to activate the clutch properly.........Your clutch may be coming desensitized to heat fluctuations - this is a sign that it is starting to wear out.......

As Katoom mentioned, do not put a small electric fan in front of the rad as it will impede air flow through it when the clutch engages........It could be that your tranny is running way too hot and preheating the engine coolant excessively........As Shovelhead mentioned, an inline remote tranny cooler with a thermostatically control fan would solve potential ATF heat problems......This would still be a band aid fix, though........your fan clutch is definately not working properly if it will not engage when the truck is stationary.

 

As was said there should be plenty of flow to the hub because the fan spins whether it's locked up or not. If it's not spinning it's broken, if the temp gets too high it's not locking and is broken.
New hub is about $80 from any auto parts store.

 

Not saying your wrong but it sounds as if the dealer is trying to get out of replacing a stupid clutch fan. Or he's really just not that smart.

 

Another thing that causes that problem is when the rad starts to corrode or restrict the flow in the tubes, the air thru the rad will be cooler than it should be and will not turn on the fan clutch. This is another reason you should be useing coolant conditioner every year. If it is plugged, it's replacement time, then keep up on the conditioner every year.