I'm looking at the next thing to be fixed..... Seems like i'm hearing a lot of fan noise from the truck whilst driving.... almost as if the fan clutch is locked solid which is a killer for mpg and engine load.


I've read a ton about water pumps going when people change the fan clutch so I'm looking at two different options:

1. Get new clutch & water pump (hopefully find the pump for less than 150....)

2. Do an all-electric conversion... Add an elec fan or two to the inside of the radiator as well as the outside.



Any feedback, has anyone done an all-electric conversion on one of these things?

Pro's/Con's to both sides are welcome

 

Seems like a couple were posted about and at least one taken out because it just didn't do like they wanted. A D1 has a 100 amp alternator, and with everything stock turned on, my 97 draws like 85 amps. Not sure if you have enough capacity for extra fans.

Spin fan when truck warmed up, should come to a stop in less than 1 revolution. Freewheel means no cooling when slow, fluid is lost. Stops at once is clutch seized, and it will have been trying to overwork the water pump. Should feel like peanut butter inside for normal clutch.

I got my WP off a donor D2, same pump. This one was shiny, $5, so it was newish, lots of D2s in the boneyard. I got my clutch and fan for $19 from a 2000 Blazer, same thread and rotation, cut the fan down carefully to fit our shroud. My "Frankenstein" is a 97, brought back to life with parts from the dead ones.

 

Seems like a couple were posted about and at least one taken out because it just didn't do like they wanted. A D1 has a 100 amp alternator, and with everything stock turned on, my 97 draws like 85 amps. Not sure if you have enough capacity for extra fans.

Spin fan when truck warmed up, should come to a stop in less than 1 revolution. Freewheel means no cooling when slow, fluid is lost. Stops at once is clutch seized, and it will have been trying to overwork the water pump. Should feel like peanut butter inside for normal clutch.

I got my WP off a donor D2, same pump. This one was shiny, $5, so it was newish, lots of D2s in the boneyard. I got my clutch and fan for $19 from a 2000 Blazer, same thread and rotation, cut the fan down carefully to fit our shroud. My "Frankenstein" is a 97, brought back to life with parts from the dead ones.

 

It's unfortunate that there don't seem to be any donor yards that have Disco's around me ... I take that back 43 miles and they have 1 disco in unknown condition lol


I'll test the clutch today after my drive to work.

 

its scary but you can take an old sweatshirt and wrap it around your hand, with the truck running push the sweatshirt into the fan very easy. if its a bad clutch the fan will stop very easy, with almost no pressure.

try that and be careful

 

Id try a wooden dowel or something other than my hand with something soft wrapped around it. Ive seen fans do some serious damage to an arm/hand

 

Heh I'd be more concerned that i'd get somethin caught in the belts .. or lose a finger, cant imagine why you would tell someone to stick their hand in there, i've seen "Sweatshirts" as thin as t-shirts and knowing people ... someone would lose somethin and come back crying


Anyways... When I got to work I tried to spin the fan engine was hot and it stopped as soon as I let off, so confirms my suspicion that its been running full-out... Also explains why its been running so cool

I'll look into the chevy fan/clutch I'm a bit concerned with having to trim the blades, how in the world would you do that and keep them balanced can't imagine its easy

 

Make sure to rev it to 6000 RPM before sticking body parts in.


That way it makes a cleaner cut :P

 

Water pumps new are about $70. Try RovahFarm.com
New fan clutches are about $50. There's a GM replacement that works, should be in the D1 section Sticky Thread.

 

Would love to get it from rovah, problem is identifying which one fits, the descriptions are minimalistic.. Looks like about 80$ at AB, if there a part # for rovah i'd be happy to go there.