Tips on unsticking a fan clutch?

[Shaun387]

Any tips on unsticking this fan clutch? I've put 90# of air directly to it and beat on it pretty good with a long 1/2" extension and a mallet. I am hitting on the pulley area. Tried hitting on the edge of the clutch, but it looked like it would damage the housing. You can see the marks where I've been hitting.

 

[springer1981]

One, you're pounding on the pulley and it has nothing to due with the fan clutch. STOP beating your pulley.

Here are the posts from my stuck fan clutch. If yours is anything like mine.... well, no amount of beating will help.

My new 1992 M998 Avenger

I put a set of mud flaps on today. I've also been trying to figure where and how to mount a license plate and light. I bought a Signal-stat 9365 combination light and bracket from a humvee parts place and paid way too much for it. I thought it was for a Hummer but it's just a generic mount...

steelsoldiers.com

In this post is shows the pulley is bolted on separate from the fan clutch (the reason you need to stop beating it).

My new 1992 M998 Avenger

I put a set of mud flaps on today. I've also been trying to figure where and how to mount a license plate and light. I bought a Signal-stat 9365 combination light and bracket from a humvee parts place and paid way too much for it. I thought it was for a Hummer but it's just a generic mount...

steelsoldiers.com

Once I removed my fan clutch and took it apart, this is what it looked like...

My new 1992 M998 Avenger

Moving on, as I mentioned in a previous post I was having a difficult time getting the fan clutch to line up the bolts holes to remove the clutch from the water pump pulley. I applied 150 PSI and the clutch wouldn't release. I made a puller of sorts to release the clutch and that didn't work...

steelsoldiers.com

This is after I rebuilt it and reinstalled. there may be some reading between the first link and the last regarding the fan clutch.

If it is anything like mine, you'll probably need to pull the radiator stack at a minimum.

 

[Shaun387]

I took your advice and pulled the stack. Beat directly on the clutch, got it to move, but still super tight. Not exactly how "free" these are supposed to be.

 

[springer1981]

I took your advice and pulled the stack. Beat directly on the clutch, got it to move, but still super tight. Not exactly how "free" these are supposed to be.

View attachment 884860

I sent you a pm

 

[Thumper580]

I went through all that with my 998.... Finally had to get a new one.... It was just jacked up.....

 

[papakb]

They really aren't that hard to take apart and clean and lube inside but if the roller bearing is nasty or the shaft that goes thru it is scored it's time for a new clutch. The friction material gets ugly but will clean up nicely and after you have a chance to look at it it's really only the shaft and that small front clyinder that do any moving. There are a couple of good You Tube videos on how to do it.

 

[Shaun387]

I'm going to go ahead and tell on myself. Got the stack pulled and fan clutch pulled. Decided it was a great time to clean up the engine bay. Put my air nozzle on the air hose, squeezed it and NO AIR! Turns out I had the wrong hose plugged in and never was putting 90# to the clutch! Hooked the air to the clutch on the ground, still wouldn't free spin, three small hits with some channel locks and it easily spins.....lol.

At least I have a spare fan clutch coming now....lol

 

[springer1981]

I'm going to go ahead and tell on myself. Got the stack pulled and fan clutch pulled. Decided it was a great time to clean up the engine bay. Put my air nozzle on the air hose, squeezed it and NO AIR! Turns out I had the wrong hose plugged in and never was putting 90# to the clutch! Hooked the air to the clutch on the ground, still wouldn't free spin, three small hits with some channel locks and it easily spins.....lol.

At least I have a spare fan clutch coming now....lol

A simple mistake is a small price to pay versus $350-500 for a new fan clutch. Glad you figured it out!

 

[Thumper580]

I'm going to go ahead and tell on myself. Got the stack pulled and fan clutch pulled. Decided it was a great time to clean up the engine bay. Put my air nozzle on the air hose, squeezed it and NO AIR! Turns out I had the wrong hose plugged in and never was putting 90# to the clutch! Hooked the air to the clutch on the ground, still wouldn't free spin, three small hits with some channel locks and it easily spins.....lol.

At least I have a spare fan clutch coming now....lol

OMG.... Sounds familiar. On my first truck (M99 the previous owner wasn't very handy..... My fan clutch wasn't working either.... Went through all the normal stuff to get it to work. Ordered a new fan clutch.... Pulled all the coolers and radiator stack.... The hose was sitting on the nipple, but not snapped in place . Looking at it through the blades it looked OK, but NO.... Anyway, I put the new fan clutch on and all was well. Geez.