Drive it like you stole it?

[Matt Bachand]

LOL, i was driving to drop my plow this morning, climbing a hill watching guages etc... A mustang passed me with the classic bumper sticker drive it like you stole it.

I laughed to myself, and thought I need a bumper sticker that says, "Drive it like its about to break"....

Needed to share...

BTW, anyone want to trade a 97 year severe duty fan clutch for a 1 year old 97 OEM Dealership bought fan clutch let me know. Mine kicks on at 210, but turns off way too fast (i'm still climbing the hill w/plow that caused me to heat up), Fan needs to stay on until i'm clear the crest of the large highway hills, can't dump out half way up the hill. (Temps do drop down, but just going to climb again)

I have heard peopel complain about the severe duty fans. I'd rather compalin about staying on too long than backing off the throttle just a little while climbing/loaded just in hopes the fan kicks on before 210.

 

[JiFaire]

2 things...

First, how sure are you that your gauge is accurate? Those friggin GM temp gauges are ALWAYS out. Just a thought.

Second, the Heath calibrated fan clutch is tuned to kick in a little earlier and transfer more of the rotational torque to the fan than the GM clutch (meaning there's less 'slippage'... if the engine is turning at 2000 rpm, the fan might be turning at 1600, with a stock fan, maybe 1300)

The Kennedy calibrated fan clutch kicks in even earlier, but kicks out 'way later... some people have complained that it doesn't kick out at all when under load (which is great, from a cooling standpoint, but sucks from a power/mileage standpoint... Turbine Doc had to get rid of his for that reason.)

Just my 2 bits... I would check your temperature actuals before I started buying more new clutches.

 

[Matt Bachand]

2 things...

First, how sure are you that your gauge is accurate? Those friggin GM temp gauges are ALWAYS out. Just a thought.

Second, the Heath calibrated fan clutch is tuned to kick in a little earlier and transfer more of the rotational torque to the fan than the GM clutch (meaning there's less 'slippage'... if the engine is turning at 2000 rpm, the fan might be turning at 1600, with a stock fan, maybe 1300)

The Kennedy calibrated fan clutch kicks in even earlier, but kicks out 'way later... some people have complained that it doesn't kick out at all when under load (which is great, from a cooling standpoint, but sucks from a power/mileage standpoint... Turbine Doc had to get rid of his for that reason.)

Just my 2 bits... I would check your temperature actuals before I started buying more new clutches.

Based on the new 195 Robert Shaw T-stats i put in this year, they sit right on 195, So I'd have to guess teh 210 I see has to be close, Clutch also kicks on around 210 as I believe it is spec'd to do so. Problem is, I either need to back off the rpm's a bit to let the clutch engage, which kills all momentum, and if I am wrong on the timing, it wont engange, now i'm climbing twice as hard, and just as hot.

Note, I have ABSOLUTELY NO COOLING PROBS whatsoever when I don't have my 9' plow up front blocking airflow.

I get nervous as hell when that temp guage goes a CH past 210, as last time I did that, I had head failure. Coincedence? perhaps.... I was also really 'pushing' her, making her work a bit, as I have been incident free for over 2 years on my rig. I guess I found the weak spot, I just don't want to find another one. Specifically Block.

This problem is also only highway related. I'm fine on the traffic roads, with or without hills. The highways around here have some tremendous hills, some long, some not so long. People don't even really notice them, unless your running a heavy rig with one eye on the temp guage.

 

[RadioMan]

People don't even really notice them, unless your running a heavy rig with one eye on the temp guage.

OR on a bicycle

 

[Turbine Doc]

Best cooling improvement I've made over cleaning, clutch that comes in sooner than stock but disengages when not needed, stats etc, was adding deep trans pan & Deraile trans cooler under bed with electric thermostat fan which comes on and is independent of how much airflow comes thru the rad/ and front mounted coolers, less trans heat on rad is total lowered system heat rad has to deal with.

 

[Matt Bachand]

Best cooling improvement I've made over cleaning, clutch that comes in sooner than stock but disengages when not needed, stats etc, was adding deep trans pan & Deraile trans cooler under bed with electric thermostat fan which comes on and is independent of how much airflow comes thru the rad/ and front mounted coolers, less trans heat on rad is total lowered system heat rad has to deal with.

And if the tranny oil is cooler than the radiator, it will help cool the coolant.

Seems a tad overkill for me though, TD, this is the only issue I have is highway w/plow. Solution, drop plow, and hook it up again when I'm back in town. Problem is, where I drop my plow is a quick Highway shot through the city, vs tons of traffic, everytime I take the highway I wish I hadn't, and everytime I don't I wish I did, LOL.

I don't think my truck ever breaks the t-stat regulated 195 year round until I plow up. So, I'm not sure that the Severe Duty fan would be a problem for me that it stays on when it doesn't have to. The only time it would kick on is when I'm w/plow, and as long as it will turn off when I'm plowing, (mainly idle speeds), I'll be happy. IF it stayed engaged for the entire plow night, 7-12+Hrs average, that would be horrific for fuel economy.

What do you think?

 

[94K30]

Hi Matt, Have you thought about an electric fan , for use only when your blade is on? you could wire one up in front, pushing air along with your normal fan

 

[Matt Bachand]

Hi Matt, Have you thought about an electric fan , for use only when your blade is on? you could wire one up in front, pushing air along with your normal fan

I have, but if i can find what I'm looking for in a clutch, to me thats easier and fairly cheap, and i don't have something else to tinker with.

I actually plow on a closeby route with another 6.5, but to the kid who drives it its just a truck to him. So he drives it and has no thoughts. Maybe all these forums have me paranoid

 

[packratt]

If you have a good pull it yourself junkyard near you, pull the electric fan off a Mercedes. It's the easiest electric fan adaptation I've ever found. OEM there are 2 rods forming a triangle in front of the radiator. The fan mounts inbetween these with a strap that goes around each (looks like that one you use to hold wires or pipe) and another strap to the body. Undo the bolts holding those straps. Replace with 1" 90deg brackets. Pick up an electric fan mounting kit and run the anchors through the brackets.

The pair of $5 fans I put on my F600 work as good as the $50 one I had on my van. I ran them with a thermostat switch but for what you want a simple toggle switch would work fine. Use a 30 amp fuse.

 

[jbsaxman]

If you have a good pull it yourself junkyard near you, pull the electric fan off a Mercedes. It's the easiest electric fan adaptation I've ever found. OEM there are 2 rods forming a triangle in front of the radiator. The fan mounts inbetween these with a strap that goes around each (looks like that one you use to hold wires or pipe) and another strap to the body. Undo the bolts holding those straps. Replace with 1" 90deg brackets. Pick up an electric fan mounting kit and run the anchors through the brackets.

The pair of $5 fans I put on my F600 work as good as the $50 one I had on my van. I ran them with a thermostat switch but for what you want a simple toggle switch would work fine. Use a 30 amp fuse.

And put it on a relay. But that goes without saying, I think.