A The radiator fan doesn't seem to be moving very fast at idle.

B At prolonged idle today the temperature went dangerously near the top end of the normal range, at even low speed temperature is well below the half way mark on the guage. There is a new thermostat in the car but it seemed to be running hotter than I remembered this summer.

C The front end of the fan blade assembly (the Clutch?) Is too hot to touch after a few minutes of running.

Questions: Is the cooling fan clutch worn out? Is there any way to "lock" the clutch for more cooling for my proposed roadtrip in two days? Is an electric cooling motor as good or better for a replacement: it's cheaper in Victoria British. Is it difficult to install. Thanks in advance.

 

sounds like your fan clutch is worn out.
if you do get an electric fan, DO NOT get the victoria britich one. i have it and it is crap. it dosent move enough air to keep the car cool!

 

This is what I need to know being pretty uneducated on the car. Any jury rig for the clutch? Any good company to buy a real electric fan from? Thanks

 

You can probably find one for cheap at the junk yard. I don't *think* those go out very often...

I put in an electric fan (from an '96 Escort) and promptly took it out. We had one unseasonably warm day here at 89 degrees, and the 'ol temp gauge started rising. I'm sure with the A/C it would have been worse. That, besides the electrical issues it caused, I yanked it...

The mighty RX felt unbridled, though, when it was in! '

 

if you can slow down or stop the fan with your hand while the car is idling its toast... thats what mine does, lol it heats up when it idles and i can stop and spin the fan backwards with my bare hand lol luckily were a good way into it been cold as **** in ohio so it almost never even heats up to normal temp lol