MIDNIGHT RIDER
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- Joined
- Sep 29, 2005
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I have heard that, but am not seeing it. I am sure it uses some power, why else would the factory put the clutch on it. If they could have saved a dollar on every truck they built, they certainly would. But 90% of the time unloaded, I am going along at about 1500 rpm in overdrive, and I notice no difference. Even at interstate speeds, I am doing around 2000rpm, and I am certain it's putting some drag on the engine, but I cannot even hear the roar till get up above 2200 rpm. And the only time I ever really get above 2200rpm is when I am pulling something hard in a lower gear, so it works out well for me.
My own experiences with LOCKED PINNED direct-drive fans have been likewise as franklin2's.
It never fails I mention having the fan locked and fifteen people who never drove a direct-drive fan in their life will bombard me with all sorts of reasons why I am doing something very bad that is costing me lots of un-necessary money and is making my truck weak as an old sick cat.
For many years, on several trucks, I have been regularly swapping back and forth between PINNED/LOCKED fan-clutches in SUMMER and un-molested sluggish never-engaged junk coast-along fan-clutches in WINTER.
I never notice an change in either fuel-mileage nor power.
Honestly, providing it was cool weather, if someone else switched them on me, un-beknownst to me, I doubt I would ever be aware that anything was different.
I just this week managed to find a direct-drive fan-hub that eliminates the fan-clutch and have now got it installed; now I have no more need to pin/lock any more fan-clutches.
This is on my Cummins and it will not fit the I-H.