Roaring clutch fan when cold?

[ParadiseComputer]

Just had clutch fan replaced in my 97 expedition 2 days ago. Very loud on startup, and 1st gear as well. Did you have any issues with high rpm and trouble with tranny shifting out of first gear? My truck seems like it's losing power and has no acceleration from dead stop until it finally gets out of first around 3500-4000 rpm. Also had radiator replaced at same time clutch fan was installed.

 

[ExplorerTom]

While the clutch fan is engaged, yes. Mine is sluggish. But as soon as I speed up past 30-35, it goes away until it heats up enough to re-engage. Only an issue on that initial cold start and up to 30-35 (get out on the main road).

 

[ParadiseComputer]

I finally found what was causing my fan clutch to ROAR, and trouble with high RPM and shifting.

I should have checked this first instead of messing with TPS, Tranny Module, and testing every other control module. Anyway, I just had my radiator replaced on 5/8/17, and they put in a new fan clutch at the same time. I got it back from the shop, and the damn thing sounded like a 747 aircraft ready for takeoff. I ASS-U-MEd that the shop knew what they were doing, and the guy told me it was just loud because it was a new fan clutch, and that's how it's supposed to sound.....but, no dude..I don't buy that for a second. After checking everything else I could think of I just said why not, (5/14/17 @ midnight...) took everything apart again, and pulled back the fan housing.....sure enough spiral thingymajigg freeballin' just hangin' out. They didn't insert the end of the temperature sensitive spiral into the slot on the front of the new clutch, so it was just running fan wide open with no clutch action at all. I pulled it over and into position, put everything back together, started her up...problem solved. Then drove it back to shop on 5/16/17 and made them put a new fan clutch in.

 

[ParadiseComputer]

Pictures...ahh on my phone...will update shortly.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

I finally found what was causing my fan clutch to ROAR, and trouble with high RPM and shifting.

I should have checked this first instead of messing with TPS, Tranny Module, and testing every other control module. Anyway, I just had my radiator replaced on 5/8/17, and they put in a new fan clutch at the same time. I got it back from the shop, and the damn thing sounded like a 747 aircraft ready for takeoff. I ASS-U-MEd that the shop knew what they were doing, and the guy told me it was just loud because it was a new fan clutch, and that's how it's supposed to sound.....but, no dude..I don't buy that for a second. After checking everything else I could think of I just said why not, (5/14/17 @ midnight...) took everything apart again, and pulled back the fan housing.....sure enough spiral thingymajigg freeballin' just hangin' out. They didn't insert the end of the temperature sensitive spiral into the slot on the front of the new clutch, so it was just running fan wide open with no clutch action at all. I pulled it over and into position, put everything back together, started her up...problem solved. Then drove it back to shop on 5/16/17 and made them put a new fan clutch in.

Glad you solved the problem. Did they give you any trouble about installing the new fan clutch?

 

[ParadiseComputer]

Glad you solved the problem. Did they give you any trouble about installing the new fan clutch?

At first, they didn't want to warranty the work since I worked on it instead of taking it straight back. I took lots of pictures, and video though so they decided it would be better for them to just do it rather than get a bad rep online...not that I would go out of my way to discredit their business, but better safe than sorry.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

At first, they didn't want to warranty the work since I worked on it instead of taking it straight back. I took lots of pictures, and video though so they decided it would be better for them to just do it rather than get a bad rep online...not that I would go out of my way to discredit their business, but better safe than sorry.

I don't mind paying professionals to do the work but I do insist they do it correctly. I could screw it up on my own so why pay them? As I have gotten older, there is less and less work that I want to do on my vehicles, but I have done enough work over the years to know what the hell I'm talking about so it really ****** me off when someone tries to act like I don't know what I'm talking about. In your case you clearly had enough evidence to prove what you were saying. Glad it worked out!

 

[ParadiseComputer]

I don't mind paying professionals to do the work but I do insist they do it correctly.

Exactly! ...and here we go again. To make long story short...installed HID ballasts, and bulbs for projector housing (low beams), but then high beams quit working...was tracing down wires tonight to run new circuit with relay to get high beams functional to pass inspection tomorrow. Anyway, in the process of doing this I noticed some white repair tape on my lower end coolant hose where it connects to the radiator.

Remember, this whole ordeal started with getting the radiator replaced in the first place. On my bill for the work done, I was charged for new upper and lower coolant lines. Apparently what that really means is "We put a new line up top, and then Eff'd up your lower line when we cut it off the old radiator because we didn't take the time to read the tag that says pull tab and twist. However, we wrapped some tape around it, and cleaned it with windex." I would actually be ok with this if they had really wrapped it, but nah, they just had enough tape on hand to patch it a bit. Now I have a coolant leak on the lower end.

From top looking down.


From below looking up.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Exactly! ...and here we go again. To make long story short...installed HID ballasts, and bulbs for projector housing (low beams), but then high beams quit working...was tracing down wires tonight to run new circuit with relay to get high beams functional to pass inspection tomorrow. Anyway, in the process of doing this I noticed some white repair tape on my lower end coolant hose where it connects to the radiator.

Remember, this whole ordeal started with getting the radiator replaced in the first place. On my bill for the work done, I was charged for new upper and lower coolant lines. Apparently what that really means is "We put a new line up top, and then Eff'd up your lower line when we cut it off the old radiator because we didn't take the time to read the tag that says pull tab and twist. However, we wrapped some tape around it, and cleaned it with windex." I would actually be ok with this if they had really wrapped it, but nah, they just had enough tape on hand to patch it a bit. Now I have a coolant leak on the lower end.

From below looking up.
View attachment 20497

I think what you are looking at is a new hose with a loose clamp. The white that you see on the hose are the tags that the manufacturer puts on the hoses so they can be identified. Normally when the hose clamp is good and tight you see a little rubber sticking up through the drive slots in the clamp.