Another fan clutch bites the dust...

MSparks909 · Post by **MSparks909** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 1:04 am

Well less than 1500 miles after I put the new fan clutch on after my stock one started sticking this new one just started sticking the other day

Pretty irritated but oh well. More money down the never ending Power Wagon drain...I replaced the bad stock clutch with a new Mopar unit. At Rausch when my pulleys started squeaking after my mud hole run (still have a sticking noise; think it's the alternator or AC compressor

) I noticed that a rubber o-ring on the stock fan clutch where the threaded portion threads into the clutch itself was sticking out. Maybe this caused the fan clutch to fail prematurely? Don't know but regardless I'm going to get a new one this week. Should I get another Mopar unit or a heavy duty clutch from NAPA? Is the PW fan clutch a different unit than a regular 2500 fan clutch? If I go the NAPA route (hoping they have a lifetime warranty) then I'll try to get a severe duty fan clutch.

Looking into this fan clutch:
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... 0344193400

Severe duty vs. the other heavy duty clutch NAPA offers. Lifetime warranty. Interesting that the "severe duty" clutch is for a manual transmission truck and the "heavy duty" fan clutch is for automatic trucks. The severe duty clutch says "No Air Conditioning" in the description...can anyone clear up what this means?

Here's the link to the heavy duty NAPA one as a comparison:
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... 0344193398

VA_Wagon Man · Post by **VA_Wagon Man** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 12:09 pm

Miles, I can't say for sure because I don't have my receipts anymore, but I think I went with the second choice. I've had it on for about two years and have had ZERO issues with it. It still spins very freely and when its hot out, it'll kick in for a few and then right back off. I'm very satisfied with NAPA parts.

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MSparks909 · Post by **MSparks909** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:00 pm

Awesome Eric! Glad to hear. I'll probably go with the NAPA part then. I'll ask my local guy what the difference between the severe and heavy duty one is. Right now my fan constantly runs...very annoying.

jeepxj13 · Post by **jeepxj13** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 3:38 pm

Mine does the same thing. I broke two tools trying to stop the pulley from spinning. Best of luck.

pdavey · Post by **pdavey** » Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:02 pm

I have an automatic transmission and this is the one I have:
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... 0366571477

I can't imagine there would be a different one for manual. The first one you posted doesn't seem right as it is w/o air conditioner and I am pretty sure you have air installed.

RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 7:59 am

pdavey wrote:I have an automatic transmission and this is the one I have:
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catal ... 0366571477

I can't imagine there would be a different one for manual. The first one you posted doesn't seem right as it is w/o air conditioner and I am pretty sure you have air installed.

A/C is standard equipment now adays. So this don't make sense as it's listed w/o a/c.

TwinStick · Post by **TwinStick** » Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:57 pm

Regardless of what the descriptions are, i think this is the deal: there are 3 fan clutches available. Standard, Heavy Duty & Severe Duty one. My money says we have the severe duty one. Before my Dealer sold out to the current owners, the parts guy with 40+ years, was intrigued by my truck. It was the only one they sold since the 1940's/50's. He looked up some actual differences between the PW & a reg 2500 w/tow pkg (like my 04' 2500). He said we have a severe duty fan clutch & that it kicked on sooner & stayed on longer than the HD one on my 04. Don't know if that is bs or not. But it would certainly explain our very poor mpg, if the fan clutch was engaged all the time or a lot of the time. Mine comes on as soon as i start the truck. When i take off, it WOOOSH's big time, until i get a couple hundred yards down the road, then it seems to disengage.

jeepxj13 · Post by **jeepxj13** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 10:13 pm

So do they all make a large whooshing sound when you take off?

RustyPW · Post by **RustyPW** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:44 pm

jeepxj13 wrote:So do they all make a large whooshing sound when you take off?

Mine don't.

MSparks909 · Post by **MSparks909** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:20 pm

Mine whooshes all the time now

I just bought a severe duty fan clutch from Carquest. Hoping to have it on by the end of the weekend.

Post by **Pit Slave** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:03 pm

jeepxj13 wrote:So do they all make a large whooshing sound when you take off?

Mine does it for the first time I accelerate, after that it's normal. Generally only in the summer time or when it's hot outside. Winter months it doesn't do that unless I get it good and hot. When the temp gauge reaches past the halfway point, it stays engaged until it drops in temperature, that is if it drops. If I'm running it hard it never disengages as I'm keeping the RPM's sustained in the 2,500~3,500 range with it occasionally holding 4,000~4,500 RPM range.

azracer · Post by **azracer** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:26 pm

In the summer months here in AZ mine is on more than it is off when doing in town driving.

On the highway it rarely comes on and when it does it is not on for all that long even in the summer heat.

VA_Wagon Man · Post by **VA_Wagon Man** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:46 pm

Pit Slave wrote:
jeepxj13 wrote:So do they all make a large whooshing sound when you take off?
Mine does it for the first time I accelerate, after that it's normal. Generally only in the summer time or when it's hot outside. Winter months it doesn't do that unless I get it good and hot. When the temp gauge reaches past the halfway point, it stays engaged until it drops in temperature, that is if it drops. If I'm running it hard it never disengages as I'm keeping the RPM's sustained in the 2,500~3,500 range with it occasionally holding 4,000~4,500 RPM range.

^^Ditto!

pdavey · Post by **pdavey** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 4:06 pm

mine does again now that I replaced it with a new one. Still trying to determine what is squeaking up front in my belt drive. I think it may be the a/c compressor

hope to troubleshoot it this weekend.

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VA_Wagon Man · Post by **VA_Wagon Man** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:17 pm

Sounds like a likely culprit. I just greased mine and she's quiet as a church mouse.

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pdavey · Post by **pdavey** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:43 pm

Figured out what was still squeaking. It is the Tensioner Pulley. Will try to replace tomorrow

VA_Wagon Man · Post by **VA_Wagon Man** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:01 pm

At least that's an easy fix.......

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pdavey · Post by **pdavey** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 8:23 pm

VA_Wagon Man wrote:At least that's an easy fix.......

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No joke. Was not looking forward to replacing the A/C Compressor. Happy it is something simple.

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