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[Brynjaminjones]

My XJ is being daily driven now and the new Crown viscous fan clutch is permanently 100% locked, which is getting quite irritating.

I thought it would die down after breaking in, but it's been 1000 miles now since I replaced most of the cooling system.
Is there anything I can do about it or do I simply need to replace the clutch?

It's getting pretty annoying sounding like a hurricane everywhere I go - it's so loud it's blocking out the already slightly obnoxious exhaust!

[LairdScooby]

As far as i know, viscous fan clutches aren't serviceable. I did give mine a squirt of WD40 on the input shaft and that seems to have freed it up a bit. Mine was new-looking (ie not filthy like the rest of the engine bay!) and looked to be a recent fit when i bought it as well as the radiator.

Having said all that, i'm seriously considering removing it altogether and relying on the electric fan for now and fitting an electric main fan come the summer. If yours is new though, surely it's under guarantee? Perhaps a word with the supplier/seller might be useful.

[bgbazz]

Damn!!!...timing is out by a couple of days. I was cleaning up my email contacts list and I deleted the most helpful Crown management person I ever had dealings with. I had an issue with a part from them some years ago...fired off an email and three days later a replacement appeared on my doorstep...totally FOC!! His name is Herb, but that's all I remember..sorry! 


I'll have a try and see if I can recover the deleted email address..but don't hold your breath.

[Brynjaminjones]

Thanks for the replies guys. Bazz, that's a shame that you lost the contact! I can't quite remember where I bought it from, but I stored it a while before installing and have heard the fluid can move around if the orientation is incorrect or something like that.


I might try a bit of WD40 on it as I've got nothing to lose I guess. As for removing yours altogether Scooby, I can't imagine that the electric one alone would be sufficient, as mine always used to struggle to keep the temperature in check. Lots of people seem to do the electric replacement though

[Delk]

The fluid settles when stopped. Once you drive a bit it should loosen up but it sounds if yours is not doing that. The fan never stops but the clutch does reduce the drive substantially.

Can you turn yours while the engine is stopped?

I wonder if there isn't a heavy duty unit? Is the fan smaller on an XJ the a TJ?

I had to put my electric fan back on because the clutch wore out. The bearings were dead and the fan was wobbling about. Electric works but i prefer the mechanical simplicity.

[bgbazz]

I can't seem to recover the lost contact Bryn, but have a go at this....


http://www.crownautomotive.net/




Feel free to tell them that they  have helped a member of the forum in the past...mention the name Herb and it may help.

[LairdScooby]

I might try a bit of WD40 on it as I've got nothing to lose I guess. As for removing yours altogether Scooby, I can't imagine that the electric one alone would be sufficient, as mine always used to struggle to keep the temperature in check. Lots of people seem to do the electric replacement though

Given how cold it is at the moment i think the electric fan probably will cope - for now at least and give me a faster warm up. That aside if i do remove the "vicious" fan, i will replace it with an electric one come the warmer weather. There are all sorts of temperature switches, relays, controllers etc out there although i do have access to a few used bits and piece from other cars including some electric fans so might do a bit of a "mix'n'match" effort on it.

Besides - i like to be warm inside so the heater going full bore will cool the engine quite a bit anyway lol!

[Brynjaminjones]

Thanks for all of the help guys.

Scooby - I'll be interested to hear how the fan removal goes - I guess if the electric one is wired to be on permanently it could do the trick. I miss having a heater that warms up quickly too!

Bazz - Thank you, I might try to get in touch with them. Maybe some pictures sent to them can help identify if I have the right part.

Delk - I'm pretty sure I can turn mine while stopped, which seemed strange to me considering the way it's behaving. This is making me wonder if I have a heavy duty unit as you say. As TJs and ZJs only have a viscous fan, I think you might be right that they have a more heavy duty clutch. If it does turn out that that's what I've got, you'd be more than welcome to mine for nothing once I get a new one if you'd like one for your TJ!

[LairdScooby]

Bryn - i've got a few things to do before i get round to changing the viscous fan to electric but hoping to remove the viscous coupling soon. As far as i've been able to work out the existing electric fan works from the PCM and/or when the A/C is running. My plan is to fit a sensor in the top hose for the "new" electric fan and power it via a relay as the OE electric fan cuts in about 105C as far as i can tell.

[Delk]

I would be interested in making a deal with you if yours goes spare.

Looking at the Rockauto site they list an HD version that is the same for the TJ and XJ. The standard ones are different. There is also a paper about Std and HD.

My electric one has a sensor on the upper hose that I made years ago. My only complaint is the extra wiring and relays since I try to keep my Jeep simple and the fact the fan runs quite a bit. The outlet temp after the thermostat is enough to keep it operating for a very long time once it starts. It may help if I change the sensor for a higher rated one. I used to run a cooler thermostat and didn't have the issue then.

[Brynjaminjones]

Cheers for that, I'll have to do some digging/measuring to find what I should have. It definitely seems like this one is over rated for this fan.
I tried this morning and it does turn by hand with resistance, so I think it's working correctly, just for an incorrect application.
WD40 also didn't help.

I'll order a correct one when I find the right part and you can then this one is yours if you want it!

Scooby, hopefully that'll work. 105 degrees seems to be about when mine kicks in, although it has never turned on with my (non functional) AC.

Sent from my HTC One M8s using Tapatalk

[LairdScooby]

Del - i'd suggest increasing the temperature of the sensor rather than decreasing the 'stat temperature - a hotter running (within reason of course!) engine is more efficient in almost every way possible and since replacing the 'stats in my Rover 827s with higher temp units both of those have been more economical - my Jeep has as well since going to a 95C 'stat and smoother when hot, especially on gas.

Bryn - it does sound as if you have a heavy duty viscous clutch there. Might be great for the Arizona desert or the freeways of Florida where extra cooling is needed but probably not for the relatively cool UK, especially this time of year!
As for your air-con, i didn't realise non-functioning A/C was standard issue, i won't bother fixing mine then! 

[Delk]

I had a lower thermostat in the past when the Jeep lived in the Caribbean where the heat and humidity were a bit higher. Since then just about everything has been changed except the engine.

Thermostat started playing up so I changed it.
Changed the water pump at the same time because I had a new Flowkool one laying around.
Fan clutch fell apart so the fan was wobbling around. this is why the elec one I used years ago came back.
The elec fan was on a different radiator and I found the brackets were different.
Changed the radiator because my stupidity after all the water fell out.

The switch for the fan comes on around 200f and off at 190f or somewhere about. The thermostat is around 190f so the outlet temp quite often is above the level to stop the fan.

I agree I need to change the switch but at the moment I have plenty of other things to do.

[LairdScooby]

I agree I need to change the switch but at the moment I have plenty of other things to do.

I know that feeling! Got a broken exhaust on one car, the MoT (over) due on another car, a few minor jobs on the Jeep (rear springs for a start!) plus umpteen other things going on!

[bgbazz]

So much fun...so little time! 

[LairdScooby]

You're not wrong there either! Lol! 

[bgbazz]

Story of my life!!