My current clutch sucks big time, I can't afford a new one ($150) or electric fan conversion any time soon, so I do what I can with what I got.
My 1978 K-20 Chevy nor my 1972 F-250 Hi-Boy never ever had a fan-clutch and both are power-houses.
There are many applications for the 6.9/7.3 engines, other than in these trucks.
Also, I think the IDI block was initially an old International gas-burner block; so............, surely, if one looked around, there are direct-drive fan hubs for these engines.
A free-wheeling fan might be okay out West on the open LEVEL road in coolish weather; but, when you actually need all that horse-power, you also need that fan sucking air, so I see little real advantage in these clutched fans.
Now, I might go for a fan that had an electric clutch, something that could be called into action at the flip of a switch, like an A/C clutch; then, when needed, the fan could be turned ON, and when not, OFF.
I almost ordered one of those HUGE Lincoln MK-VIII electric fans, so that I could have air coming across the A/C condensor at full fan speed, regardless of engine RPM; but, alas, the Lincoln fan is about twice as thick as the space I have.