Fan clutch

[Eric Fairclough]

I have a 72,454,auto,ac and my question is.... Does a fan clutch supposed to make alot of noise? When i am driving slowly and the rpms get about to about 3,000 you can hear the noise of the fan. It actually sounds louder than the exhaust since i have stock mufflers at this time. My friend had a 85 trans am with a fan clutch and it sounded the same and then he got a direct drive and eliminated the cluth on his and it was quiet. Should i eliminate it or is there a quiet replacement for it? It does not overhaet it's just annoying? Thanks Eric

[John H.]

Re: Fan clutch

Eric -

When fans move a lot of air, they make a lot of noise; tells you it's working.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Fan clutch

Not only that, but I can only imagine the noise increasing, not decreasing, with direct drive. When you go direct you lose "any" slipping that the clutch has been doing and it runs all the time. At least with the fan clutch, there are times it does its job and the fan is turning at less than engine speed.

Patrick

[Mike McKown]

Re: Fan clutch

Eric:

Yes, your fan clutch will make a lot of noise if it is operating properly. It will also make a lot of noise if the hub is locked up and the fan will not slip. Check this.

Your friend may have bought a "flex blade" fan. The blades flex and tend to flatten, the more air they try to pull. This reduces the noise but at some point will also limit the amount of air they pull. Another potential problem, if they are flattened out at highway speeds, you might get airflow blockage through the radiator and cause overheating at highway speed.

You may even have a replacement clutch fan, different than your original. Best I remember, your application will make a lot of noise.

Mike