Fan Clutch Symptoms? How loud is yours?

Neil_R said:

Normally the fan should be very quiet at normal operating temperature. If it sounds the same at normal idle as it does at cold start (very loud) then it is definitely seized.

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TheFriZ said:

FWIW with anyone else who has this problem,
Amazon has the Aisin FTC-013 for $96.19 and it's Prime!
Amazon.com Shopping Cart


Ordering mine Monday, and it'll be here Tuesday that extra $4 I pay for one day shipping will be paid off in less than a tank of gas, im sure! LOL

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Testing the fan clutch:
If you have reason to suspect that the fan clutch is defective, here is the recommended procedure to verify the condition of the fan clutch.
1. Start the car (cold) with the hood open and note if the fan is turning, increase the engine RPM and note if the fan turns faster and the noise increases, if it does, first good indication, if it does not increase speed/noise, clutch is bad and needs to be replaced. (Remember, this must be tested after the car has been off for and extended period, over night etc.)
2. Leave engine running and note if the fan starts to slow down after 2-5 minutes, speed/noise should diminish and even raising the RPM, the fan should not make as much noise as when first starting, if it does slow, this is the second good indication. If speed/noise does not decrease, clutch may be “frozen” and should be replaced.
3. Leave the engine idle and watch the temperature indicator. When normal operating temperature has been reached, some increase in fan speed/noise should be noted, in particular when the RPM is increased. If temperature is fairly stable and the fan noise/speed increases or cycles, third good indication. If temperature indication continues to increase, with no increase in fan noise/speed, clutch is defective and should be replaced.
4. After the engine is at normal operating temperature or above, is the only time that the “rolled up newspaper” test that many people talk about should be performed! Take some newspaper and roll it up into a long narrow tube. Be careful, keep hands and fingers away from the fan while performing this test! With the engine at full operating temperature and idling, take the rolled up paper and insert it on the back side of the fan and try to reach the hub of the fan avoiding the blades until close to the hub. Push the rolled paper at the fan increasing the friction to the hub area of the fan. If the fan can not be stopped easily this is the fourth good indication, if it can be stopped the clutch is defective and should be replaced. Again, this test can only be performed when the engine is at or above full operating temperature.

Testing can be performed in any order but just make sure the conditions during testing are those that are specified for that specific test.
Do not continue to operate the engine if the temperature continues to rise and certainly stop if the temperature approaches “redline”.

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TheDurk said:

Uhh, good heads up but it is FCT-013 (not FTC) and your link is bad (it just goes to your own shopping cart)--here is a good one:

Amazon.com: Aisin FCT-013 Engine Cooling Fan Clutch: Automotive

That's an excellent price for the OE fan clutch.

Since the thread deserves it, here is my standard fan clutch test post, stolen from a BMW board but applies perfectly to ours:



AND, just for fun, here is a link to my mini-DIY on the swap:

1998 3.4 Auto 4Runner, Overheating Issue, Suggestions? - Page 4 - YotaTech Forums

More good stuff on fan clutches elsewhere in that thread, too.

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TheFriZ said:

:wtf:

Thanks for the correction Durk! at least i had it right in the Edit on my original post!! haha.. Im good a finding deals, i like to use the best parts possible, but i obviously dont like to pay MSRP for things either! Thanks forthe diagnosis tips as well!

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TheDurk said:

You're welcome. It's weird, these Amazon/Aisin deals seem to come and go. Last summer, I tried to find a sub-$100 Aisin fan clutch for the 2013 fan clutch thread--there's one every summer--and there were none, including on Amazon. All about $125. Last November, I got the Aisin Clutch Kit CKT-040 (5-speed V6 clutch, not fan clutch ) for $198. In March, I looked and it was almost $250. Now it's $217. WTF?

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TheFriZ said:

Looking into these Diagnosis tips, A lot of this seems to be for a fan clutch that is slipping, I however feel like I hear my fan waaayyy too much.

It's very loud, what seems like all the time.
my truck has never overheated on me, even in 100* weather at low speeds. I lived in north Carolina when I first bought it a little over a month and a half ago, and we had some hot days.
my motor doesn't seem to be that rev happy.

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TheDurk said:

Test #2 is for your condition. That ''jet roar" at cold start-up should go away after a minute or two. Can you rotate the fan with your hand when the engine is stopped?

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mattjm321 said:

Guys,

I swapped out my fan clutch after work before dinner. Total time was 30 minutes. I could have done it faster if I had a proper tool for holding the pulley.

You'll need a 10mm and 12mm wrench. Loosen the 4 12mm nuts holding the clutch first and remove it. I used a spare wrench and wedged it between the bolts to get leverage and to keep the pulley from spinning. Then remove the 4 10mm bolts holding the clutch to the fan. Put everything back together. I user a c clamp around the pulley to keep it from spinning. I didn't use a torque wrench - as I never really do unless I'm working on something with tight tolerances. Easy job.

Took the 4runner for a quick test drive and the roar is gone. Everything running smoothly with no new vibration.

Fwiw, I took off an Aisin unit and replaced with a generic made by "Cooling Depot." The casting said it was made in USA. So at least it isn't Chinese.

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