fan clutch mystery/ theory

Bob Dunahugh

New member
Sep 17, 2012
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The heat starts building during the climb in the radiator. It takes time to heat up the fan clutch sensor from the radiator's heat. Thus the fan clutch has no idea that you're climbing a hill when your doing it. As to the fan clutch size. The standard duty unit is designed for a smaller fan then we have. Heavy duty unit is designed for our fan's dia, pitch, and number of blades. Sever duty is for a larger dia fan with more pitch, and blades. Thus the SD unit will have a tendency to be engaged for a longer time then it needs too. As our blade can't put enough load on the clutch to disengage the fan. Bob Dunahugh
 
All the heat buildup from larger throttle opening and combine that with the
transmission fluid and engine oil cooler. It takes time to reach the top of
the radiator and to transfer to the AIRFLOW COMING THROUGH THE RADIATOR.
HOT AIR is what locks up the fan clutch, not hot water. Jus' sayin'.
Jim Hupy

> The heat starts building during the climb in the radiator. It takes time
> to heat up the fan clutch sensor from the radiator's heat. Thus the fan
> clutch has no idea that you're climbing a hill when your doing it. As to
> the fan clutch size. The standard duty unit is designed for a smaller fan
> then we have. Heavy duty unit is designed for our fan's dia, pitch, and
> number of blades. Sever duty is for a larger dia fan with more pitch, and
> blades. Thus the SD unit will have a tendency to be engaged for a longer
> time then it needs too. As our blade can't put enough load on the clutch to
> disengage the fan. Bob Dunahugh
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My 23' behaved that way - fan came on on the downhill side except the long hauls. MontEagle a mile before the top, Culowee about a third of the way
up. It stayed cool for both with the fan roaring away.

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
The coolant sensing fans have been on GM trucks for many years. When Jim at Applied has them available for our GMC's. I'm getting one. Since my 78 -403 Royale GVW is always between 17,000 to 21,000 lbs. Bob Dunahugh

The heat starts building during the climb in the radiator. It takes time to heat up the fan clutch sensor from the radiator's heat. Thus the fan clutch has no idea that you're climbing a hill when your doing it. As to the fan clutch size. The standard duty unit is designed for a smaller fan then we have. Heavy duty unit is designed for our fan's dia, pitch, and number of blades. Sever duty is for a larger dia fan with more pitch, and blades. Thus the SD unit will have a tendency to be engaged for a longer time then it needs too. As our blade can't put enough load on the clutch to disengage the fan. Bob Dunahugh
 
I just got a new fan clutch for Barb's GMC. I checked several souses. In the parts business there seems to be some combining of cross reference numbers. Not sure. I didn't dig deep. As I just didn't have the time to do that now. So I just got a Hayden heavy duty. As I know that clutch is sized to our stock fan. It's working perfectly on her GMC. As every time I've found that a new unit was engaged too long. It's been a Hayden sever duty. The SD units aren't going to last longer in an equivalent use. It's the fan load/size. We as gear heads are of the mined set that a sever duty item has to be better. NOT in this case. If you insist on a SD. Go get a bigger fan in dia, pitch, and number of blades. Bob Dunahugh

________________________________

The coolant sensing fans have been on GM trucks for many years. When Jim at Applied has them available for our GMC's. I'm getting one. Since my 78 -403 Royale GVW is always between 17,000 to 21,000 lbs. Bob Dunahugh

The heat starts building during the climb in the radiator. It takes time to heat up the fan clutch sensor from the radiator's heat. Thus the fan clutch has no idea that you're climbing a hill when your doing it. As to the fan clutch size. The standard duty unit is designed for a smaller fan then we have. Heavy duty unit is designed for our fan's dia, pitch, and number of blades. Sever duty is for a larger dia fan with more pitch, and blades. Thus the SD unit will have a tendency to be engaged for a longer time then it needs too. As our blade can't put enough load on the clutch to disengage the fan. Bob Dunahugh
 
"They all pull the same amount of air. Bob Dunahugh". Assuming they all have the same fan connected. The several replacements folks have suggested
all will move different amounts of air at a given RPM.

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
Acturally, what I want is a fan system that bolts on, runs off a temp sensor, tells me when it's engaged, and lets me engage it manually. Which
actions the one JimK has will do.

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
> "They all pull the same amount of air. Bob Dunahugh". Assuming they all have the same fan connected. The several replacements folks have
> suggested all will move different amounts of air at a given RPM.
>
> --johnny

Actually that is not quite true. The various models of clutch when fully engaged do not produce the same RPM in and out and move the same amount of
air flow. I do not remember the numbers exactly but it is something like:
standard duty 60%
heavy duty 75%
severe duty 90%

I'm too lazy to go look up the exact numbers.

--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
Is it then your contention that f'rinstance the plastic fan shown in Shawnee turning 2000 rpm will move the same amount of air as the 7 blade original
metal fan turning at 2000 rpm? Can't agree.

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
And, for what it's worth, all the electric clutched fans I've seen have the ability to produce a rotation speed signal - which signal the modern
vehicle computers use to modulate the fan clutch and thereby its speed. It's fairly easy to use this to run a cheap tachometer, if you're that into
it :) They've a Hall effect transducer which produces a pulse train whose rate is directly relative to fan speed. By dividing the pluse train a time
or two, you can get a repetition rate which can be read directly by a cheeeep tachometer set to 4, 6, or 8 cylinders depending the number of pulses
per revolution. The fan JimK uses produces 6 pulses per revolution. Divide this by two with a simple flip-flop, and a tachometer set for a 6
cylinder engine will read actual fan speed. A 3 pin regulator, 4013 chip, and a capacitor and you can feed a ten dollar chinese tach. And probably
be staring at it when you rear-end the slow semi going up the mountain.

--johnny

--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
well, with sunday being a day of rest,
i’m weighing all the appreciated info and trying to figure out what to do down here tomorrow
(before i leave the mechanic’s shop and go to the bodywork shop).

One thing i can see is that its a MUCH bigger job to replace the fan clutch on my ’76 Birchhaven w/455
(which i’ve never had the occasion to do, myself)
than it is to replace the fan clutch on my ’78 Eleganza w/403 (which i’ve done a few times, easily)…
and i suppose that these very different fan shroud set-ups are due to engine size and model year.
Its really tight on this ’76! Looks pretty great for purposes of radiator airflow, but not great for access... for replacing the fan clutch!

So... i don’t think that air flow is my problem. (Comparatively, its seems my ’78 should be having issues,
since its not nearly as closed-in behind the radiator).
The whole cooling system was flushed this past November as regular maintenance,
and i have not seen the temperature creep up anywhere near “hot” (halfway mark) w/original sensor
during either driving or idling, and so i guess its a safe bet that my water pump is OK.
And, hearing from other people experiencing the same “counterintuitive” fan clutch behavior…
I”m guessing that it must be this dang Duralast 222045 that’s the culprit, especially in regard to Ken’s link here:

> Additional information stolen from the Hayden web site:
> http://www.haydenauto.com/featured%20products-fan%20clutches%20and%20fan%20blades/content.aspx http://www.haydenauto.com/featured%20products-fan%20clutches%20and%20fan%20blades/content.aspx
> " Some Chevrolet/GMC truck models are specifically designed to engage at lower temperatures than the original equipment parts that they replace. “

So can i find the proper AC Delco fan clutch down here in Tijuana? i’ll call around tomorrow and see…
If not, should i just have them swap another 22045? (2747)
Standard duty and Severe duty both seem like they have their own drawbacks.
BTW: i can see a very small weep of oil from the sensor coil on the relatively “new” (400 miles) fan clutch. Is a small amount normal?

This is a last chance to get some good affordable labor for a while (with my Mexican insurance policy expiring),
so I’d love to get this sorted out before i need to leave this shop:

monday: mechanic, tues/wed: bodyshop, wed/thurs: reupholstering cockpit seats, thurs dash AC recharge and possibly installing an AC aux kit from Jim Bounds, friday: following up any loose ends (like maybe having had to special order a fan clutch!)
We’ve got our work cut out for us...

Thanks everybody for the support!
Greg / SolarSonic / Los Angeles and technomadic
 
It is not a difficult job to replace the fan clutch on a 76 GMC. You do not need to touch the shroud.

1. Place a piece of cardboard between the fan and the radiator to protect the radiator from the fan blades.

2. Reach inside the shroud and remove the bolts holding the fan to the clutch.

3. Remove the 4 bolts holding the clutch to the water pump.

4. DO NOT REMOVE THE PULLEY or the BELTS.

5. Remove the clutch and leave the fan inside the shroud.

6. Reinstall in reverse order.

Note: I do not loosen the belts while replacing the fan clutch.
I have a 1976 GMC with a 455 engine and can do this in about 20 minutes.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
When I worked Delco Engineering, the number of blades on the fan was of no concern to them. It was diameter and pitch that they wanted. Keep in
mind that the difference between standard, heavy, and severe duty clutches is the speed that they drive the fan. So changing from one to the other
changes how fast the fan will turn reference the input speed (the water pump). The fan shuts off at higher input RPM. The assumption in this design
was the radiator already has more than enough ram air at higher RPM because the vehicle is going faster. The clutch was designed to provide
additional air when the vehicle is hot and idling or going slow. A flex fan operates under the same design assumption.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
Thanks, that clarifies your rpm comment. I was misinterpreting it.... nothing new thee:)

--johnny
--
76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
"I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell" - ol Andy, paraphrased
 
> Is it then your contention that f'rinstance the plastic fan shown in Shawnee turning 2000 rpm will move the same amount of air as the 7 blade
> original metal fan turning at 2000 rpm? Can't agree.
>
> --johnny

Johnny,

Having only once seen and never used that 10 blade plastic fan setup, I can not comment on it's ability to move air. I would assume the rotational
energy consumed for the amount of air moved would be similar, but I can not comment on the difference between the two on the total amount of air moved
at any RPM. I also know of no easy way to measure the difference if there is any.

Finally, the existing fan and clutch has worked well for many, many years. So I see no reason to try to improve it's operation. I feel that people
are replacing clutches, and now fans, in an attempt to cover up for other cooling system problems.

I have no complaints with passive improvements to the cooling system like baffling and fender vents etc. GM did some of that on later coaches. In
fact I added a piece foam on the inside of the fan shroud in an attempt to reduce the amount of air that could leak by the end of the fan. Did it
help? I have no idea because I did not have a problem to start with but it was an easy and cheap addition.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
> > "They all pull the same amount of air. Bob Dunahugh". Assuming they all have the same fan connected. The several replacements folks have
> > suggested all will move different amounts of air at a given RPM.
> >
> > --johnny
>
>
>
> Actually that is not quite true. The various models of clutch when fully engaged do not produce the same RPM in and out and move the same amount
> of air flow. I do not remember the numbers exactly but it is something like:
> standard duty 60%
> heavy duty 75%
> severe duty 90%
>
> I'm too lazy to go look up the exact numbers.

I received the following information by email from another GMCer reference clutch output speeds. He said that it came from the Hayden web site.

Standard 60% to 70% engaged; 20% to 30% disengaged

Heavy Duty 70% to 80% engaged; 25% to 35% disengaged

Severe Duty 80% to 90% engaged; 20% to 30% disengaged
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
> I received the following information by email from another GMCer reference clutch output speeds. He said that it came from the Hayden web site.
>
>
> Standard 60% to 70% engaged; 20% to 30% disengaged
>
> Heavy Duty 70% to 80% engaged; 25% to 35% disengaged
>
> Severe Duty 80% to 90% engaged; 20% to 30% disengaged

I found this additional information on the the Internet. While the numbers are slightly different they do follow the same trend. This does include
pitch information and square inch information. I do not know what "Land and groove design" is.

Standard Duty Thermal
Turns the fan 50-60% of shaft speed when engaged. Used with fans with lighter pitch. (1-1/2" of pitch) Flat plate impeller design with 30 Sq. In. of
working surface.

Heavy-Duty Thermal
Turns the fan 65-75% of the shaft speed when engaged for increased cooling. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 47
Sq. In. of working area allows higher operating RPM's.

Severe Duty Thermal
Turns the fan 80-90% of the shaft speed when engaged. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2-1/2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 65 Sq. In. of
working area.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
Ken,

Here's a link to a presentation made by Steve Ferguson on the cooling system
that provides a LOT of good info:

http://gmcws.org/Tech/Engine_Cooling_System_Basics_-_Steve_Ferguson.pdf

Here's a link to a presentation Billy Massey put together on modifying the
existing fan shroud:

http://gmcws.org/Tech/fan_shroud/fanshroud.htm

Regards,
Rob M.
The Pedantic Mechanic
USAussie - Downunder
AUS '75 Avion - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
USA '77 Kingsley - TZE 267V100808

-----Original Message-----
From: Gmclist [mailto:gmclist-bounces] On Behalf Of Ken
Burton
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2017 2:49 AM
To: gmclist
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] fan clutch mystery/ theory

> I received the following information by email from another GMCer reference
clutch output speeds. He said that it came from the Hayden web site.
>
>
> Standard 60% to 70% engaged; 20% to 30% disengaged
>
> Heavy Duty 70% to 80% engaged; 25% to 35% disengaged
>
> Severe Duty 80% to 90% engaged; 20% to 30% disengaged

I found this additional information on the the Internet. While the numbers
are slightly different they do follow the same trend. This does include
pitch information and square inch information. I do not know what "Land
and groove design" is.

Standard Duty Thermal
Turns the fan 50-60% of shaft speed when engaged. Used with fans with
lighter pitch. (1-1/2" of pitch) Flat plate impeller design with 30 Sq. In.
of working surface.

Heavy-Duty Thermal
Turns the fan 65-75% of the shaft speed when engaged for increased cooling.
Used with deeper pitch fans. (2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 47
Sq. In. of working area allows higher operating RPM's.

Severe Duty Thermal
Turns the fan 80-90% of the shaft speed when engaged. Used with deeper pitch
fans. (2-1/2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 65 Sq. In. of
working area.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
 
hey Ken,
Not sure how to measure the “pitch” of the fan,
and i thought figuring out the “working area” might be easier,
but my fan has (7) blades that are 4” wide and 7” high,
so my guess is that this equals 28” of "working area", each??
multiplied by 7 blades = 196” total working area…

Must be some other way to measure, because regardless of whether they’re referring to individual blades or sum of all the blades,
both specs are out of the ranges that they mention… hmmmm…..

Its looks like a sizable fan to me (i think my ’78 eleganza has a slightly smaller one… not sure)

> I found this additional information on the the Internet. While the numbers are slightly different they do follow the same trend. This does include
> pitch information and square inch information. I do not know what "Land and groove design" is.
>
> Standard Duty Thermal
> Turns the fan 50-60% of shaft speed when engaged. Used with fans with lighter pitch. (1-1/2" of pitch) Flat plate impeller design with 30 Sq. In. of
> working surface.
>
> Heavy-Duty Thermal
> Turns the fan 65-75% of the shaft speed when engaged for increased cooling. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 47
> Sq. In. of working area allows higher operating RPM's.
>
> Severe Duty Thermal
> Turns the fan 80-90% of the shaft speed when engaged. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2-1/2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 65 Sq. In. of
> working area.
 
hey Ken,
Not sure how to measure the “pitch” of the fan,
and i thought figuring out the “working area” might be easier,
but my fan has (7) blades that are 4” wide and 7” high,
so my guess is that this equals 28” of "working area", each??
multiplied by 7 blades = 196” total working area…

Must be some other way to measure, because regardless of whether they’re referring to individual blades or sum of all the blades,
both specs are out of the ranges that they mention… hmmmm…..

Its looks like a sizable fan to me (i think my ’78 eleganza has a slightly smaller one… not sure)

> I found this additional information on the the Internet. While the numbers are slightly different they do follow the same trend. This does include
> pitch information and square inch information. I do not know what "Land and groove design" is.
>
> Standard Duty Thermal
> Turns the fan 50-60% of shaft speed when engaged. Used with fans with lighter pitch. (1-1/2" of pitch) Flat plate impeller design with 30 Sq. In. of
> working surface.
>
> Heavy-Duty Thermal
> Turns the fan 65-75% of the shaft speed when engaged for increased cooling. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 47
> Sq. In. of working area allows higher operating RPM's.
>
> Severe Duty Thermal
> Turns the fan 80-90% of the shaft speed when engaged. Used with deeper pitch fans. (2-1/2" of pitch). Land and groove design with 65 Sq. In. of
> working area.