once you turn on the car,how long untill the fan comes on?
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,416
Likes: 5
From: East Palestine, Oh
the clutch fan will spin all the time, but when not engaged you can stop it with your finger.. if it is the stock fan, and it is engaged all the time (you cant stop it from spinning) your fan clutch is bad. It should only engage when the coolant gets up to temp.
If you have a clutch fan, that's what it's supposed to do.
It should come on shortly after the engine starts, then run for a few moments, then disengage until more cooling power is needed.
You should be able to hear this from inside the cabin and that is probably what you're talking about.
This is a good way to tell if you fan clutch is working properly, in fact:
If it doesn't engage right after startup, it may be bad.
If it engages but then doesn't disengage after startup, it may be bad.
And if it doesn't engage when the engine temp rises above your normal running engine temp, it may be bad.
But if you hear it engage for a few moments after a cold start up and then don't hear from it again unless you're in heavy traffic on a hot day, it's doing it's job.
It should come on shortly after the engine starts, then run for a few moments, then disengage until more cooling power is needed.
You should be able to hear this from inside the cabin and that is probably what you're talking about.
This is a good way to tell if you fan clutch is working properly, in fact:
If it doesn't engage right after startup, it may be bad.
If it engages but then doesn't disengage after startup, it may be bad.
And if it doesn't engage when the engine temp rises above your normal running engine temp, it may be bad.
But if you hear it engage for a few moments after a cold start up and then don't hear from it again unless you're in heavy traffic on a hot day, it's doing it's job.
Yep sounds like it's frozen up, you are probably getting some pretty windy conditions under the hood even when it's sitting idling in the driveway. That will be hard on belts. It will also increase your warm up times, cause a continuous power drag and cause the engine to run a little cooler than it should.
Used clutch fans are pretty easy to find and are usually inexpensive (usually free if you know the right people) and it's a 15 minute job to swap it out, well worth the time and effort.
Used clutch fans are pretty easy to find and are usually inexpensive (usually free if you know the right people) and it's a 15 minute job to swap it out, well worth the time and effort.
Yep, the clutch is bad, pretty common on these, the clutch gets corroded and siezes up. As Ray said, used ones are cheap and easy to change, or you can use this as an excuse to swap to an electric fan...
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I wouldn't jump to the conclusin that it's bad quite yet. He seems to think that because it's always spinning that it's fully engaged. Do the newspaper test.
Start your car from cold and let it idle for about a minute, then take a rolled up newspaper and gently prod the fan with it... If it stops, your clutch is fine. If it rips at the paper, replace it.
Start your car from cold and let it idle for about a minute, then take a rolled up newspaper and gently prod the fan with it... If it stops, your clutch is fine. If it rips at the paper, replace it.
Sounds like the clutch is the culprit alright, the squeaking and the seizing are probably the clutch failing.
Just to be sure you might still want to do the newspaper test that Gamah suggests (I use a broom for that procedure) before giving up on that clutch, maybe it's just been sitting for a while and needs a bit of use to loosen up. There's some kind of temperature sensitive viscoelastic gel in there that creates the clutch action and you might be able to get it working right again.
But since you have it out already, if you can snag a good assembly easily that's going to be the easiest thing to do.
Just to be sure you might still want to do the newspaper test that Gamah suggests (I use a broom for that procedure) before giving up on that clutch, maybe it's just been sitting for a while and needs a bit of use to loosen up. There's some kind of temperature sensitive viscoelastic gel in there that creates the clutch action and you might be able to get it working right again.
But since you have it out already, if you can snag a good assembly easily that's going to be the easiest thing to do.
Sounds like the clutch is the culprit alright, the squeaking and the seizing are probably the clutch failing.
Just to be sure you might still want to do the newspaper test that Gamah suggests (I use a broom for that procedure) before giving up on that clutch, maybe it's just been sitting for a while and needs a bit of use to loosen up. There's some kind of temperature sensitive viscoelastic gel in there that creates the clutch action and you might be able to get it working right again.
But since you have it out already, if you can snag a good assembly easily that's going to be the easiest thing to do.
Just to be sure you might still want to do the newspaper test that Gamah suggests (I use a broom for that procedure) before giving up on that clutch, maybe it's just been sitting for a while and needs a bit of use to loosen up. There's some kind of temperature sensitive viscoelastic gel in there that creates the clutch action and you might be able to get it working right again.
But since you have it out already, if you can snag a good assembly easily that's going to be the easiest thing to do.
Sounds like the clutch is the culprit alright, the squeaking and the seizing are probably the clutch failing.
Just to be sure you might still want to do the newspaper test that Gamah suggests (I use a broom for that procedure) before giving up on that clutch, maybe it's just been sitting for a while and needs a bit of use to loosen up. There's some kind of temperature sensitive viscoelastic gel in there that creates the clutch action and you might be able to get it working right again.
But since you have it out already, if you can snag a good assembly easily that's going to be the easiest thing to do.
Just to be sure you might still want to do the newspaper test that Gamah suggests (I use a broom for that procedure) before giving up on that clutch, maybe it's just been sitting for a while and needs a bit of use to loosen up. There's some kind of temperature sensitive viscoelastic gel in there that creates the clutch action and you might be able to get it working right again.
But since you have it out already, if you can snag a good assembly easily that's going to be the easiest thing to do.
i just dont see why a fan clutch is so difficult...
So it's off when you start the car, but then it comes on 3 seconds after the car has started? That sounds like it working right, so be sure that it really is locking up once it gets spinning. You may need to lean into it a little more with the newspaper once it gets spinning to slow it down, if it starts chewing up the rolled up paper with no effect on the fan speed then yeah, it probably really is locked.
What I don't get is why does it disengage later, so that it's not locked when you start up?
Anyway, assuming it's locking up then you are in the market for a fan clutch, which raises another question - are all the 12A FB fan clutches interchangeable or are they specific for some years?
As I recall the 82 GSL is different from the 84/85 GSL fan clutch, so an 84/85 GSL fan clutch may not fit your car.
Anybody know if they are?
If so, I have some spares from the 84/85 cars, send me a PM and mailing address and I'll get one out to you.
What I don't get is why does it disengage later, so that it's not locked when you start up?
Anyway, assuming it's locking up then you are in the market for a fan clutch, which raises another question - are all the 12A FB fan clutches interchangeable or are they specific for some years?
As I recall the 82 GSL is different from the 84/85 GSL fan clutch, so an 84/85 GSL fan clutch may not fit your car.
Anybody know if they are?
If so, I have some spares from the 84/85 cars, send me a PM and mailing address and I'll get one out to you.
You totally confused me with that post. On a cold start up no ones fan is on. I took of the fan and get no squeal.
Can someone explain how a bad fan clutch induces squeeling?
Can someone explain how a bad fan clutch induces squeeling?
A bad fan clutch will be always on (clutch engaged, spinning vigorously.) This put a higher load on the engine which increases as the rpms increase (more RPM's more air moved, more load.) More load puts more stress on the belts, making them squeal.
Did you do the newspaper test with the engine at idle and cold?
Did you do the newspaper test with the engine at idle and cold?
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,416
Likes: 5
From: East Palestine, Oh
you need a clutch fan or you can upgrade to an electric fan. a clutch fan would be the easier/cheaper way. An electric fan is less loud, has the ability to make your engine bay look cleaner and less cluttered and isnt that hard to install.
Whats the best kit to get then and from who. how much are we talking about?
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,416
Likes: 5
From: East Palestine, Oh
