Fan+Clutch came off!

[velacreations]

I had my water pump replaced about 6 months ago. Today, I was setting up to change a transmission hose that goes to the bottom of the radiator.

Anyway, long story short, I moved the truck about 20 ft to a flat spot, and when I stopped, I heard a big crash in the engine. I turned it off and took a look, and the fan and clutch assembly came off the water pump and busted my radiator.

Well, no big deal on the radiator, as I'm replacing it this week, anyway (thank goodness), but what is the deal with the fan? The threads look fine on the water pump and the fan clutch. The clutch is tight when I try to turn it by hand, but it does turn. Did it seize up and come off? Do I need a new fan clutch?

I've read on some other forums that you need to put lock tight on these clutches. Does anyone do that?

I'm just wondering if it came off because the clutch is bad, if it isn't, and it is just because it needed lock tight, then I'll do that.

 

[Goofyexponent]

I put a new one on minbe about a year ago, loctited it with RED loctite (as the water pump is old as the truck is itself, and will most likely fail before the fan will)

I would suggest at LEAST blue loctite on EVERY clutch fan install.

 

[velacreations]

well, since it is a new water pump, I imagine it won't need to be replaced for a while, so I'll put some locktite on it (red probably).

It doesn't seem to be seized up, it turns, just slow when cold (I think it is supposed to do that, right?)

I am just glad I was already changing the radiator. I would have been pretty mad if this thing had gone through my new radiator.

 

[Goofyexponent]

BLUE!!! Blue loctite will be your friend here! Red is permanent, requiring heat to remove. If you heat that waterpump shaft too much, it will burn the seal.

Blue loctite on that new waterpump.

 

[RLDSL]

REd locktite will require heat enough to ruin the water pump seal and the fan clutch if you ever have to remove it for anything. use blue, and REQUIRED TORQUE , take a good look at the spec, it is MORE than you can get on the thing with those wimpy rental sets . You need a REAL bolt on holder and a real nice thick wrench to be able to do the installation or removal of that fan clutch. You may get lucky with other methods..... OR you may not.

 

[velacreations]

ok, blue locktite it is!

I will look at the specs, and I was looking through my wrenches today to see if I have anything that might work. I do have some big pipe wrenches, and a few crescents, but nothing else that will work.

 

[Kevin 007]

These things are funny, I have almost had to jump on the fan clutch wrenches to remove clutches in the past, and others just come off by themselves.... strange.

 

[RLDSL]

These things are funny, I have almost had to jump on the fan clutch wrenches to remove clutches in the past, and others just come off by themselves.... strange.

If they dont give you a heck of a fight, that's bad juju. THose suckers are supposed to be on there TIGHT

 

[sle2115]

I use red...it's going to get hot anyway, not to mention, I haven't seen red to be the "super glue" everyone else seems to see.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

iv never had red cause issues either,but results vary greatly it seems.
anyway,now sure would be a good time to just keep the thing off and toss a windstar dual e-fan assembly on there.check the tech section if interested.couple nice write ups to get ya headed in the right direction.
your not alone lol.a many idi radiator have bit the dust over the years due to them fan clutched flying off upon shutdown.still with all the reports,can you believe some still won't listen when we tell 'em loc tite on the threads.
they'll learn lol.

 

[franklin2]

If you do use red, use one little drop. I have ran into it before like some of the others, and it's pretty bad stuff. If the threads are clean and a lot is used, it's almost impossible to get off. I suspect whoever did the waterpump for you, did not tighten it up enough.

If you have some fabbing equipment like a welder and a metal saw, you can make your own pulley holder and wrench.

 

[velacreations]

I think I'll stick with blue, but even then, I won't use a whole lot.

Yeah, I figure that the guy who put it on last time didn't get it tight enough. Oh well.

I would love to put some e-fans on there, but I'm kinda tapped out right now. I am putting in a radiator this week, then injectors and IP next week. So, that's cleaning out the truck fund right now...

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Just another reason to go electric fans IMHO

Glad to hear you were planning on replacing your radiator anyways, do yourself a favor and get a fan wrench or a crows foot and make sure you get it to recommended torque.

 

[riotwarrior]

IMHO....for what it is worth......

Red if used correctly is a ****** to remove....more often than NOT it is improper assembly procedures that cause the RED to not be what it's supposed to be.

As with any sealant, threads MUST BE absolutely surgically clean! That means NO LUBE....no rust no nothing for the loctite to do what it was designed to do.

I have some BLUE that is oil tollerant, I still ensure surgically clean material to the best of my ability!

So....here is the procedure I did a few months ago and it's working fine still!



Clean the pump threads with a good stiff brush and BRAKE CLEAN...clean the clutch threads same....let dry

Use a good amount of BLUE loctite I mean lots...everythread should be blue IMHO!

Tighten fan/clutch assembly onto WP, torque accordingly. Let sit 12-24HRS

Yer Golden!

I have not had alot or experience with these fans as of yet...however mechanical knowledge knows no boundries!

The above procedure was what I used....has worked well for me thus far!

JM2CW

Al

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

i use the permatex red on my front arrowcraft dually wheel adapters.iv had to remove them a couple times for front end work.the first time i don't recall what i was doing,the second was to put on some upgraded rotors.the way their made,you can't even use get a socket on 'em.have to use a wrench.i just put the wrench on,and smack it with a 3lb and they free up and turn right off.not easy or anything cus that's what the stuff is for lol,but you don't need to be hulk hogen to turn the wrench or anything,and grabbing the torch was never a thought either time.so im not sure where the fear is with red loctite personally,im not afraid of the stuff.it's not jb weld type stuff or anything in my experience.
that said,i still think e-fans are the way to go,especially with a new rad going in,cus it's so easy to bolt on the windstar fan to a rad that's out,to get your bolt holes all drilled/tapped or self tapper holes made and then set the assembly in after the rad is in.couldn't ask for a more perfect time for the upgrade.