Fan clutch woes and other gripes

[pennywise]

My fan clutch was going out and the engine was running pretty cool. I could move the fan about 1/4 inch or so. I got the parts at auto zone and a fan clutch wrench from their loan a tool. Getting the thing broke loose was a pain in the ass. I wound up spreading the end of the wrench out to the point it wasn't even catching on the fan clutch. So I hammered that back into place and borrowed a crescent wrench that fit. It took 2 of us to get it broke loose.

While I had everything out the way I pulled the alternator and the thermostat. I'm glad I looked here first, as I would have pulled the wrong hose. I don't know who in their right mind would have said to themselves "let's put the thermostat behind the alternator where people can't even see the end of the radiator hose."

Getting everything back together went pretty smoothly. I filled the radiator, hooked the battery up and fired it up. After waitng forever (by my watch) for the system to burp, I shut it down and put the old coolant into the jugs to go drop it off. Turns out I put in exactly what I took out. I thought that was kinda odd, as I have never had a vehicle that when you dump antifreeze into it, it's full.

Now it is running only 1 line to the left of 210. I will have to address that in a while from now as the wife is pretty pissed. The fan clutch costs alot more than I thought it would and I spent an entire day working on something that I told her would ony take a hour or two.

 

[Sparky]

FWIW mine has always shown 1 line to the left of 210. The gauge itself isn't that accurate, and if the needle wasn't put on exactly it won't read exact.

Scan tool of some sort is the only way to know exactly what temperature it is running.

What was it running at before the change?

 

[Wooluf1952]

I will have to address that in a while from now as the wife is pretty pissed. The fan clutch costs alot more than I thought it would and I spent an entire day working on something that I told her would ony take a hour or two.

Explain to your wife that you saved about $500 by DIY, and now you can buy her something nice.

 

[pennywise]

It was running between 2-3 lines to the left. It would fluctuate depending on how fast I was driving. The wife isn't buying the saving money thing as I grew up in a family where we built vehicles and I always do my own work. A month ago the SES light came on for the APPS. That was about $100. I always do the fuel filter when I got a vehicle which was about $26. Then the fan clutch and thermostat with dexcool which was around $300. I bought the vehicle to have something reliable that I didn't have to fix every month. So far I have fixed it every month. She's pissed!

 

[Sparky]

If you were running that low then yeah I'd say you've fixed the too cold running issue.

Any time you buy a used vehicle always expect to be buying someone else's problem. Usually there was some reason other than "I just wanted to" for trading in their vehicle. Sometimes you luck out but usually it needs something or other. Mine needed a few things right off the bat too but it hasn't been bad overall.

 

[Menthol]

if that had you PO'ed, imagine having to change it without the fan off. You have to move the wrench for the alt bolts between the fan blades. I'm not sure you can get the alt out of there without the fan off. I tried and gave up, just left it off to one side. Take out out for a nice dinner, blame GM ingenuity for the extra time.

 

[Phantom]

if that had you PO'ed, imagine having to change it without the fan off. You have to move the wrench for the alt bolts between the fan blades. I'm not sure you can get the alt out of there without the fan off. I tried and gave up, just left it off to one side. Take out out for a nice dinner, blame GM ingenuity for the extra time.

I got the alternator out without the fan off. It was a P.I.T.A. then putting it back in I sheared the wires to it as well. So I had to get a new connector as well!

 

[pennywise]

I don't think I would have the patience to get that off without having moved the fan. If I didn't have to change the fan clutch I wouldn't have done the thermostat. It was one of those while I'm at it things.