You need a syringe to push in the fluid, it will require good strong hands. Remove clutch from car and thoroughly clean it, remove fan blade wheel, The clutch should be very clean.

remove the BMS and metering pin and heat the clutch in your oven at about 200 degrees for about 5 minutes, be ready with syringe filled with oil to push the fluid in, remove clutch with mitts, place onto work counter and push the fluid in. It will suck it in.

I have not drilled - but you can if you want, you can take care of the swarf by greasing the drill bit tip.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

The Gears: It's really easy....

I had a little trouble getting the fluid in the push rod hole sooo...
I ran down to Ace Hardware and picked up a 1/4" tap, slighlty smaller drill (tap package will guide you), and a steel hex key plug to fit. Then to harbor freight for their $12 heat gun.

Drill hole on same side as bi-metal piece. Go slow and as a Zilfigar (sorry for sp) says. You won't hurt it then tap it. Go for say one tube as Zilfigar advised. I put a little JB weld epoxy on the plug threads to seal it up & quickly so.

Don't worry about hurting it. Don't worry about it locking up and the fan grenading. I mean really who drives their diesel at 4,000 rpm. 3,000 rpm your going 75mph or around. The heat gun worked well for me 'cause it did take 15 minutes or so to get the fluid in and I was heating it in various places which seemed to help.

Also don't worry about the "balance" scare spoken about by putting a screw in the hole. It aint nothin compared to the dirt that gets built up in the fan collar.

And I also dont care if I loose a mpg or two with it locked up....I just ran back from Phx, AZ (350 miles) at 115*F and up over one of the steepest highway climbs into San Diego on HWY 8 at full speed with A/C and never got over 95*C...a full 10*C easy cooler than before the clutch fix.

Good luck....PM me if you want and I can talk you through it if you would like.

P.S. If you want to go with a new clutch I'd go for the Behr.

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1986 300SDL 440,xxx

speaking of rpm, I push my diesel to 5400 rpm, so I need the clutch to reduce speed. i cant say what happens to the fan at high vehicle speed, does it keep pulling air or does it go into equilibrium to the airflow. But Im bending more on the freewheeling side to be safe.


afterall the clutch is listed as a speed limiting device.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I have the tools to do the job in my shop. Not to many flat spots to drill. Can I drill in the area under the bi-metal plate? If I were to drill and tap two holes would that aid in balance and alleviate the problem of having to use heat to cool and suck the fluid into the chamber. Were can I buy the viscous fluid?
You information gives me confidence. I am becoming a fearless mechanic.

__________________
1984 300SD turbo 126
"My true love"

God made me an atheist and who am I to question His wisdom

you can buy the fluid at a hobby shop that sells RC stuff or any toyota parts department, toyota stuff is expensive compared to hobby store,

try to get the fluid in cst rating not in wt because the wt rating does not exactly translate into cst rating. I have 7000 wt fluid which I had got checked at where I work (they have this fancy thing to measure centistoke) and it was nearly 11000 cst. I bought an ebay 3000 cst fluid and it came about to 3000 cst.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Electric fan seems like a really good upgrade for these. I think I may try it, since I don't trust my fan clutch.

Please explain why the fan clutch is bad if fan instantly stops.

Is there a similar fan clutch test when the engine is cold?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

As Zulfigar offers...Hobby shop 300cst will work. My purchase came in a tube with a tip small enough to get into your drilled hole.

Re space you can go smaller with the size hole (tapped) just stay clear of the center area under the bi-metal strip on the side between the center and actuating pin.

2nd hole not needed if you use a heat gun. Heat will draw the fluid in. Squeeze the tube for 10 secs or so, stop / remove tube to allow the chamber to burp, and go at it again. You will probably due this 10 to 15 times for one tube.

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1986 300SDL 440,xxx

I have several good used clutches for the 123 five cylinder turbo cars available if anybody wants one. I'll sell reasonably.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

300? that would be incredibly runny, I wrote 3000 cst, I hope you meant that.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

My 83 300DT always ran great, summer or winter, temp gauge always steady and never run hot so I have never paid much attention to the fan clutch. Yesterday, I tried to stop the fan from a cold engine start with a pencil diameter tree twig but could not- just made a racket. I thought my fan clutch was bad since I thought that with a cold engine, the fan clutch should be disengaged. Further searching I found this:

When engine is cold started, fan will run at higher speed until oil in clutch has flown back from the working chamber to the reservoir (1 to 3 minutes). The fan coupling will then switch off. The fan RPM in disconnected condition will depend on engine RPM but fan speed should not exceed 2100 RPM. There was also mention fan RPM will never exceed 3500 RPM (if the fan clutch is working correctly).

Looks like I'll have to dig out my photo tach and do some more testing.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

My aux fan comes on at around 100° C. I replaced the temp switch on the on the thermostat housing with a 100°C switch and ran a ground wire through the switch from the same ground as the temp switch on the AC drier. Now either switch can close and turn on the fan. When turned on by the 100°C switch the fan runs at full speed. The original temp switch I replaced was to not let the heater blow cold air on the ritzy folks till the engine heated a bit. I can figure that out for myself. The new switch has two prongs so a receptical will have to be made to hold the wires on.

__________________
1984 300SD turbo 126
"My true love"

God made me an atheist and who am I to question His wisdom

Sorry about that...yes 3000 cst!

__________________

1986 300SDL 440,xxx

My fan clutch has been removed from my 85 300D since last spring, sitting in a box. It was always engaged. With a cold engine idling for 3 minutes should disengage it but it never releases and was always locked (could not stop the fan blades with a rolled up news paper).

I made an viscous fan clutch adapter to spin the clutch with a 900 RPM electric drill and did some bench tests.

I spun it in the vertical orientation shown in pic (same orientation as on engine) as well as horizontal (facing up and also facing down). After spinning for 900 RPM for 1 to 3 minutes in all 3 orientations, the clutch felt the same with the same resistance (did not release or free wheel).

What kind of failure mode is this?

After the test, I heated the fan clutch in a 200F oven upside down to drain out the Silicone into a tin can and less than 1/4 teaspoon came out. I have repeated the tests since draining, with bimetallic strip and pin removed (I have no way to tell if it was completely drained) and there was no change in subsequent tests.

What kind of failure do you think this is? Here's the FSM on the viscous fan clutch

http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/outside/12265/disc_2/program/Engine/617/20-310.pdf

I am thinking somehow the fluid is not spinning out of the working chamber into the reservoir due to clogging. I bought some 3000 CST fluid (it is much thinner than what came out) and will fill it and run the test again.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Is your fan clutch mechanically locked?

If not then it may have suffered the 'BMW' type fan clutch failure - they lock up internally and then proceed to explode the fan, puncturing the radiator and making a few nice dents on the hood too.

Such clutches cannot be revived. - btw - 3000 cst is pretty thin - I later updated some of my posts here on PP where I put in 5000 cst (need to check the bottles) fluid to the clutch, using too thin of a fluid makes it couple (weakly) almost all the time, the slightly thicker fluid makes sure it only couples strongly when its really hot. Using too stiff fluid makes it a locked clutch.

__________________
2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)