The stock viscous fan uses a center viscous coupling that is supposed to
stiffen as the engine temperature goes up. The viscous fluid is supposed
to solidify when temperatures attain over 230°F. Spinning the fan
by hand when the engine is cold will cause it to spin freely with slight
friction. If the fan spins freely with no friction, the viscous coupling
is bad. Sometimes, the fan can past this quick test but still fail
under operating conditions - the engine will overheat, especially at idle or
low vehicle speeds. Remember, the fan is supposed to get stiffer (the
viscous coupling gets stiffer) as engine temperatures get close to 230°F.
Questions? Comments? Send mail to:
reted@fc3spro.com
02/02/2004