clutch fan installed!

73stallion · Apr 10, 2006

i just got done taking my 33 year old ford straight fan off and installed a brand new hayden fixed pitch fan and clutch. i swear to you, it's running cooler, i wouldn't lie about that!

before it'd idle at 190, now it's 180. running down the road it's between 170 and 175 as the t-stat cycles. on the freeway i was about 185, now it's about 178. i couldn't be happier, this is FANtastic!!!!

i have about 3/4" betweent eh fan clutch itself and the radiator, since it doesn't flex at all that's fine. the fan blade itself is a safe 1" or just a tad more from the radiator. if anyone is interested in this, here's the part numbers;

hayden fan clutch, 2765, $39.99 on kragen online
hayden clutch fan, 3618, $29.99 on kragen online

this was discussed about a year or so ago. i did a search last night and found the numbers, then finally decided to spend the money. i gotta tell ya, it was worth the $70.00!

DebosDave'72 · Apr 10, 2006

where do you have your clutch wired into? did you have to pick up a sending unit for the clutch?

Dave

73stallion · Apr 10, 2006

there's no wiring, it's a thermal fan clutch like newer cars have. fluid inside and a spring on the front.

DonsBolt · Apr 10, 2006

Does the engine feel pepier at all, is it quieter when reving up the motor??

Looks awesome, I may just order the parts today

Oh and do you have the Hayden part numbers??

73stallion · Apr 10, 2006

the fan clutch releases at higher rpm's, so yes it does feel like it has a little more upper end. it doesn't have the straight fan dragging it down. the noise is not bad, but i wouldn't be able to hear it over my flowmaster anyway. i did rev it a few times in the driveway from under the hood, it's not near as loud as i thought it'd be.

DebosDave'72 · Apr 10, 2006

73stallion said:
there's no wiring, it's a thermal fan clutch like newer cars have. fluid inside and a spring on the front.

That sounds pretty cool, what triggers the clutch then? Does it pickup heat from the antifreeze? I am sorry for the stupid questions, just wondering how the clutch works... it looks very cool, and is something I will want to do..

Dave

DonsBolt · Apr 10, 2006

I just went on to Kragens web page and ordered the setup you listed.

I have been really interested in this, but wanted to see it on a fairlly stock setup.

Thanks Don

slcpunk · Apr 10, 2006

when the fan clutch gets hot it locks(or mostly locks) so the fan spins more to cool the engine.

at lower temps it spins slower and the clutch slips more so the engine can heat up faster

73stallion · Apr 10, 2006

DebosDave'72 said:
That sounds pretty cool, what triggers the clutch then? Does it pickup heat from the antifreeze? I am sorry for the stupid questions, just wondering how the clutch works... it looks very cool, and is something I will want to do..

Dave

it picks up heat out of the water pump shaft.

Big Rig · Apr 10, 2006

hey ben, how much room did you have between the pulley and your radiator? that's a slick set up; something i might like to do on mine.

73stallion · Apr 10, 2006

from the pulley to the radiator i have about 3 3/8", the fan clutch is 2 5/8" long.

72Sport · Apr 10, 2006

73stallion said:
it picks up heat out of the water pump shaft.

Don't believe that is correct. The "spring" on the front is a bi metal strip that operates a valve inside the clutch. The hotter the air flow from the radiator the more the valve is shifted and the more rpms the fan turns. When the air temp reaches a certain temp the clutch is locked up or almost locked up just like a torque converter in an auto tranny.

I would invest in a radiator protector from one of the Bronco houses just incase of some body flex when you are offroad in far away places.

73stallion · Apr 10, 2006

okay, i stand corrected. i was told they pick up heat from the shaft, so i was misinformed.

i'll seriously consider a radiator protector, i hadn't thought about body flex until you said something.

73stallion · Apr 11, 2006

well, i put about 30 miles on it today and had no problems at all. it's defenitely running a few degrees cooler, and now it doesn't feel like i'm dragging a 100lb sand bag around at high rpm's. got to sit in some good traffic and it didn't get hot at all either. definitely worth it.

natureboy300 · Apr 11, 2006

does your fan blades sit closer to the radiator with that set up? just wondering why its running cooler than before, does the blade pitch on the fan look more aggresive than the stocky?

Thanks
NB

73stallion · Apr 11, 2006

the fan does sit closer, yes. it's also a fixed pitch blade.

my past understanding is that on the freeway the flex fans spin so fast they don't let as much air through because they're acting kinda like a shield. now the blade doesn't spin as ast as the engine on the highway. this let's more air through, allows more power because there's less drag, and may even allow for a bit more mileage. i have yet to find this out. in town the clutch locks itself up when it gets hot and flows more air because it doesn't flex.

natureboy300 · Apr 11, 2006

Is that a 4 core you have in there? from your picture that blade looks scary close to the radiator. I hope everything stays where it is supposed to and you dont end up having a radiator that matches the one in my back yard

everything was cool around town, but the first time real torque was applied, the engine torque managed to push the fan blades into the radiator.

NB

73stallion · Apr 11, 2006

no, it's a BC tripple pass 3 row. i've given it about 4,700 rpm since i put the clutch fan in, no problems. i'll try flexing it soon.

Mikey · Apr 13, 2006

Hello everyone,
I did this last year in a nearly stock 74 with C4. Feel free to email me at mijewell@mindspring.com and I can take photos for ya or answer questions. If you search on this subject, you should see a thread or two where I asked much the same questions and got it all figured out. I used the blades out of a 79 Ford Van and a Jaguar clutch....can't recall the number of it. The Van's fan is pretty big so fit is pretty precise...19" if I remember correctly and the stock Bronco was 17. Yup, it did fit in the stock shroud.
Good luck!
Mikey

BRONCO26 · Apr 13, 2006

Just Ordered Mine From The Local Napa Store. I Will Get It Tommorrow And Install It This Weekend. I Will Be Glad To Get That Noisey Staight Blade Fan Off. Thanks For The Info.

clutch fan installed!

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