Quote:
Originally Posted by TX76513
and if the fan clutch is good?
Just for readers who might not want to attempt that, do a simple test: Spin the fan as hard as you can on an engine that has not been started that day. If the fan rotates more than five times, you can bet the clutch is bad. You should feel some resistance and the fan may spin up to three times, depending on the ambient temperature. But even if it rotates three or fewer times the clutch could still be bad. |
If the fan clutch is good, no harm no foul - as I stated above, just approach it very slowly, say 1 inch per hour. The worst that can happen is you will have a LOUD rat-tat-tat sound and you might get a little scared. Obviously you don't want to just jam the broom handle in there...
I have seen fan clutches that rotated freely but were not faulty. Now I didn't sit there and count the number of rotations, but I'm sure they would have spun more than three times. For that matter, the clutch in my E320 currently has plenty of resistance when cold but is easily stopped by a broom handle with the engine running. I just did the test two weeks ago, and yes I am driving with the faulty clutch (I'll replace it eventually).
And what if Mike Tyson is the guy spinning the fan? Or Pee Wee Herman? Too many variables, if you ask me...