Clutch fan question

[TTT]

hi all.

As you guys are aware, the skylines (R32 and R33 gtst that I know of) have a clutch fan system for the radiator cooling.

Recently my one has been staying on for longer and longer.

even on cold nights when not trashing or anything.

I'm guessing that the clutch system is starting to go or something.

Normally when the revs reach about 3000rpm it would die down and let the engine spin on it's own (like it should) but now it just keeps holding all the way to 5000rpm some times.

My question is..

Is there a way to REPAIR this?

Does anyone know exactly how the system works?

Does anyone know the cost of a new fan and clutch thingy?

I do not want to convert to an electric fan or anything like that.

I just want my one to work as it should.

thanks.

[sdm33]

I had the same problem with mine. The genuine assembly is about 350, davies craig do one for 175 (which I bought and has worked perfectly since) and is available at most parts places. I have heard that you can repack or replace the main bearing for a few bucks. I wish I had known that in the first place but it is fixed now so I should not complain. It is really easy to remove and replace the unit by yourself too.

[TTT]

do you know where (what shop) the bearing pack can be pruchased?

is there a part number?

[Sydneykid]

Hi GTST, ours chucked it in as well, same symptons. You can check it with the egine off, just try and turn the fan by hand. It should turn easily, if is a bit tight it's OK for a while, ours was locked solid. We got a good used one from a dismantler, didn't cost much, shop around

[TTT]

yeh.

this is the second one that I have had.

that's why I want to replace the bearings or whatever with a new pack rather than getting a second hand whole unit.

Thanks Gary..

TT

[Brody]

Mine seized a while back and smashed my radiator

Any particular reason why u don't want to goto electric fans?

Any major problems in doing so? Im thinking I might change soon depending on the problems, hate the sound of the clutch fan, and with a fmic in place electric maybe the way to go.

[TTT]

I just like to keep my cooling system the way it was designed.

it works well, just needs to be serviced..

so I gotta look in to this bearing pack.

wonder where I can get these.

[DJ_L3ThAL]

i have a new clutch fan (minus the blades) for $100

[TTT]

$100 plus postage to sydney.

let me see what my mechanic gets back to me with in regards to the price of the clutch bearing pack.

[DJ_L3ThAL]

okie

[Brody]

uve cursed me!

My water pump is making this shit bearing noise now, this is my fkn 3rd pump....1st 1 seized and took out all my shit with the fan. 2nd up just blew while letting the car cool, and we're now here...Ive tried turning the fan by hand with the engine off, and its feeling as tight as a 16 yearold catholic girl

mofo off to the mechanic we go

[DJ_L3ThAL]

get a thermo fan.. stops the engine fan bearing on the water pump... what i did.. but i prevented ther problem your having

[KamikazeR33]

my clutch fan did the same

i replaced it wif a davies craig 12' thermo fan

the car feels alot more responsive

i havent done any checking of water temps but the car hasnt seemed to be running higher temps at all

brody - try a davies craig electric water pump, works better than the water pump we have, it keeps flowing water after the engine is turned off, making less heat soak of the engine

[Brody]

Hmmm might be the go, though i think all this will be under warranty...Id love to go the electric gear, seems alot better, though ive heard ppl say its all manual, eg u have to flick a switch to activate it, then turn it off etc? Or is it all automatic/hands free as such?

[KamikazeR33]

nah on the fan, u have a switch thats connected to a thermostat, and u select at what temp u want it to come on, at what temp u do, u turn it till it click and thats the temp that it will come on at

do ya get what im sayin?

the water pump im not sure how that works as i havent put one in yet

[KamikazeR33]

also davies craig does have a warranty on their gear

[Brody]

Hmmm sounds pretty good....Ure using twin 12"s yeh?

[TTT]

I just bought a clutch kit for my clutch fan.

will put it on tomorrow morning.

$150 - brand new.

I will then pull apart my old one and have a look see what could have been done to reco it...

maybe I can find a way for others to save money in the future..

we'll see..

[blind_elk]

Just on the matter of going electric, my experience is it's not so straight forward.

With a FMIC in place, the engine would easily overheat.

I finally worked out what the problem was after reading a single sentence in a new book:

"Is the air going through the radiator?"

So I went outside, opened the bonnet and peered down in front of the radiator. What did I see? - the ground The air was hitting the FMIC and basically finding the easiest route was down and underneath the car, NOT thru the FMIC and the radiator.

So, I put the clutch fan back on, and no more overheating.

If you want to go electric, the solution is to build a sort of undertray that blocks off the area between the bottom radiator support panel and the front bar. And maybe put some flutes / vents in the bonnet.

Also, the A/C radiator (the one immediately in front of the radiator) relies on the engine fan to draw enough air to cool the gas. If you only have an electric fan, then the gas over-pressurises and sounds like a BOV. You need to have the little fan out front (which is thermo-activated by the sensor in the bottom of the radiator) re-wired so it comes on with the A/C.

FWIW.

[TTT]

my outside thermo fan is also wired to the A/C.

I am planing on puting some sort of vent just above the gap between the radiator fan and the engine block.

sort of like the vents that are on those aftermarket carbon fibre bonnets.. like a long slot from left to right..

that way, the heat that is sucked out of the radiator has an easier route out of the engine bay..