Bringing a thread up from the dead

Good news As mentioned in my last post, I had lost the bimetallic spring, and had figured that I was SOL. Well, I found the bimetallic spring today.

I think I'm going to go with the higher-viscosity stuff...and I think I've got it; just go through the pin hole. So, there's no "proper" way to tell it's full (besides not putting in enough stuff to spill out )?

Also, what exactly am I looking for as far as a syringe goes? I went to the pharmacist asking for a syringe with a larger output than the "needle-type", and he looked at me like I had grown two heads.

Thanks again

Good questions. I'd like to know the answers as well, as i'm deciding between refilling my fan clutch, or just buying a new one.

Keep us posted on your progress.

In a different thread, someone (oldsouth?) discovered that the new OM606 clutch doesn't like the 12,000cst fluid - it never decouples! Probably due to the very lightweight plastic blade. He was going to attempt to drain it and use thinner fluid (maybe 3000 cst). The 12k stuff seems to work well in the old 603 clutch with metal fan, though, based on previous reports...

I too recently had a problem with my Fan Clutch not engaging, and was about to change it for a new one.

However, when I took it out, I discovered that the real problem was dirt and mud lodged under the Bi-Metal spring, preventing the spring from expanding and contracting. I subsequently cleaned out the crud with a high pressure hose and the Fan Clutch now works again as designed.

So before attempting to add additional fluid, or replacing the fan clutch, make sure that the Bi-Metal spring can move freely and that its not obstructed by foreign matter.


Phil

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'95 E300 Diesel, 264,000 Miles. [Sold it]

Good advice. I'll have to take the clutch off this weekend and see what's up.

Folks,

Certainly not the best solution - but it worked. I used a small syringe, but took the needle off. There is a small cylindrical end left on the body of the syringe that can go into the hole in the clutch. What it doesn't do is push down the internal barrier inside the clutch. The bi-mettalic strip pushes a pin that moves whatever this barrier is.

My solution was to put in a small amount of fluid (2ml?) with the syringe. The fluid would start coming back out. I then pushed a small nail into the hole the pin goes in. The fluid then drained back in. It took a while, but I had no other options other than wait for the next day.

Chuck

I removed the clutch and used a pressure washer to clean it. Be careful not to spray the bearing seal. (CAUTION: by pressure washing this area you can damage the seal, don't ask me how i know that) After cleaning the clutch I removed the bi-metal spring, seal and pin. I then placed the clutch in the oven and heated it to 250F. (If it wasn’t for me cleaning the clutch my wife wouldn’t allow me to use her kitchen oven) I then removed the clutch from the oven with an insulated glove and placed it on a piece of wood, and started filling it directly from the Toyota clutch silicone oil bottle (10,000 cst). While the clutch is cooling it will suck the fluid thru the pin hole, if it wont suck anymore fluid repeat the heating process. I repeated this process 4 times and used 2 bottles of fluid. If you want to speed up the process you can use a fan to cool the clutch faster. (CAUTION: do not increase the oven temperature for it because you can damage the internal seal between the bearings and the clutch body) By doing this way I didn’t lose any fluid what so ever.

Roman
87 300SDL 148K
86 300SDL 212K
86 420SEL 225K
83 300D 222K
80 300D 145K

does a 77 240d have a clutch fan

Tangent, I could be wrong, but I believe that all OM616's have straight fans, no clutches.

That heating/cooling idea's interesting; I may have to try that...may be easier than trying to get a needle, given the fear among pharmacies here that anyone who wants a needle is doing drugs. Did you remove the plastic fan blades from the clutch before doing this?

I'm still a bit confused on how much I should put in...I think there's still some of the old stuff in there; there's resistance when trying to turn the fan by hand. However, the clutch has never engaged, not even a brief period when first starting out cold (like every other fan clutch I've ever seen does).

Thanks again

The Warden I definitly will remove plastic fan blades.
If you have some fluid in the clutch I will recommend to add one bottle (18ml) of Toyota clutch silicone oil. I think the clutch has fluid reservoir and only part of the fluid is used.

Roman

87 300SDL 148K
86 300SDL 210K
86 420SEL 225K
83 300D 222K
81 300D 148K

If you have the plastic fan, be careful about WHICH viscosity of the 3 available Toyota fluids you use... as noted in my previous post...

gsxr, you said above that oldsouth did this to a 606. Don't you mean 603? I thought you said in another post that the 606 clutch wasn't refillable.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Just did this to my '84 300D and a junkyard clutch.

Here's 1k words:




Drill & tap for #4-40 (or #5-40 in my case - have a ton of 5-40 setscrews) in the reservoir boss as shown:



Draw up about 3cc at a time of the VERY viscous fluid (as with medication, first inject 3cc's of air):



Then inject into the pin hole (it should go in VERY easily with the air hole you drilled/tapped allowing air to escape):



When finished, screw-in a set screw with hydraulic sealer or locktite red (permanent) on the threads and then use a small O-ring over the pin you replaced in the center hole to minimize future leaks from that area.

__________________
1984 300D Turbo - 4-speed manual conversion, mid-level resto

1983 300D - parts car

1979 300TD Auto - Parts car.

1985 300D Auto - Wrecked/Parts.


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"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there". Lewis Carrol

Rick, there is no way to get the 606 spring out without the risk of bending or deforming it. Somone (oldsouth?) pried it out and said it looked fine, filled the clutch, and pried the spring back in. But then the clutch was almost 100% coupled all the time, even when cold. However, I have a slight suspicion that the flat spring may have been tweaked slightly during the procedure, allowing it to engage the fan when cold. Maybe not, but there were no photos, so I'm not positive. Said that with 12,000cst fluid, when the engine was shut off, the fan stopped almost immediately (like an engaged 617 clutch).

TomJ - Great photos! Soooo.... how does it WORK!?