Do you need a special wrench (and or any special tools) to remove the fan clutch on these vans? I think mine needs replacing.
Do you need a special wrench (and or any special tools) to remove the fan clutch on these vans? I think mine needs replacing.
Ordinary tool sets probably won't reach it, but, the guy across the street is a Honda mechanic and had 2 really old box-end wrenches that were super long and thin... both were 6-point 10mm wrenches with only a one-sided wrench and just a long shaft on the other end ... about 12" long... the "Honda" brand wrench was close but no cigar, and the "Snap-On" brand wrench had more offset and just barely worked. With it I was able to pull the clutch and fan off the water pump without moving anything else at all. It would be worth buying one long wrench if you can't borrow. The 4 nuts were already a bit rounded from some previous butcher, but, you can reuse the fan-attaching nuts for the "clutch-to-water pump" studs and buy new flanged nuts for the "fan-to-clutch" studs. I was able to wiggle the clutch and fan as one piece in and out of the bottom of my 2wd van... which now makes me wonder if my entire shroud is still in place.
Update:
Wow---it's missing... (The bottom piece of my shroud)
Last edited by llamavan; 11-02-2018 at 05:05 PM.
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Originally Posted by Tan Van
Thanks TanVan. Looks like the autoparts store rents fan clutch wrenches. Do people usually replace the water pump when down there?
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HISTORY — Just finished fixing all culprit issues associated with overheat, fan clutch, belts, water pump, radi cap, thermostat, hoses. Runs just fine and behaves normally EXCEPT ...In traffic or other warm-running situations, the gauge creeps. In Los Angeles, this is going to be a double-whammy issue as spring/summer approaches, so I want to figure it out right now. My fan clutch very audibly is engaged after a cold start, so I know it CAN work, the thing is, after the temperature gauge gets past half, I never hear it again and a quick test right after I shut it off gives no resistance. Soooo, is it possible that the clutch in there is just a dud? Could I have done something dumb or wrong? is not enough hot air getting to the bimetal tstat? (radiator clogged up?) It's a brand new (less than 500 miles) Aisin clutch from RockAuto.
HISTORY, PART TWO -- I was sitting in low speed traffic, and the thing did come on right after the temp gauge hit halfway --- hmmm. It's worth noting that it's never overheated, but it's gotten too close for my comfort on several occasions, usually at around 25 mph on a congested freeway. Before I did the work, the temp gauge would live at 1/4 of the way up (presumably from a stuck open thermostat.) Any thoughts? Am I just being scared over nothing? My next step is to blast the front of the clutch with a heat gun and see if the bimetal moves predictably.
RESOLUTION — I did learn a bit about fan clutches and, at least in my case, the Aisin FCT-37 I had (with the red mount) never worked in my 2WD auto application.
I discovered this after being (again) hyper sensitive about the van cooling, and noticed that no matter the situation, the red back clutch never activated unless it was a cold start situation, when the oil viscosity locked it on regardless. While idly online shopping, I saw that there was another AISIN clutch fan listed as fitting the van, the FCT-19, which has a black mount and seemed slightly smaller. I did some research and saw that it was listed as stock for the very early (2.0, likely) motors At the time, it was somehow listed on amazon for $15 (whoa!!) so I grabbed one just to experiment.
After days and days of garbage heat and me relying on the A/C, the new clutch fan works exactly as it should. It comes on post freeway drives, in stop and go, and when heat from the condenser gets to it. The FCT-19 is definitely physically smaller and less heavy duty (see side by sides below) but it works perfectly, so it's a keeper for me.
Has anyone else had this experience, used both, or did I really just end up with a weirdly defective AISIN product? It seems highly unlikely, but I can't explain it otherwise.
Last edited by llamavan; 11-03-2018 at 07:01 PM. Reason: had to stuff three posts into one to allow smooth thread merge
my aisin fan clutch seems to engage more often at a lower temp than needed, i thought at first maybe it was the aluminum radiator dissipating more heat onto it but that doesnt seem to make sense, i thought about trying to tweak the bimetal valve but decided to leave it alone as at least its erring in a safe direction...
the fan clutch in my 85 which doesnt get driven often is always engaged...i believe its an aisin as well, so i guess they fail in different ways...
I bought 2 separate brand new Aisin clutches ,(red), that both ran way too long after startup-- sometimes for 2 miles or more in the dead of winter on every startup even when the engine was already warm...
I opened it up and drained about 5 or 6 cc's of the silicone fluid out of it and tried again. The new (RED) Aisin clutch just had too much fluid in it from the factory. I got lucky with my estimated quantity to drain because, now, the clutch fully engages only at startup -- it stops howling after about 15 or 20 seconds -- and, most importantly, I clearly heard it re-engaging this summer during really hot drives (high 90's and high humidity--freeway + street)!
This saved me from the "crap-shoot" of exchanging it and trying a 3rd new clutch all within 4 months.
(and, for reference, the van cooling system has no negative issues of any kind... and the front and rear heat also both work splendidly ---- the original clutch was always "locked on" which is why it was replaced ... and I expected the new aisin clutch to "fade out" after startup like it's supposed to, and it almost never did...and the replacement they sent was even worse... so, I saw the "silicone fluid tweaking" on a 4-runner site ---- and it worked.).
Last edited by Tan Van; 09-19-2018 at 10:02 PM. Reason: add
is Aisin OEM Toyota? or is Aisin aftermarket? ordering a few things from rock auto, but am confused on what's aftermarket or not. is toyota OEM only available from toyota?
getting the aisin fan clutch and figured it'd be a good idea to replace some things that haven't been done while I have the chance to. (i have very limited mechanic experience.. which is probably obvious haha) should i replace the coolant hoses or anything else just for good measure or inspect them first? or since the fan clutch is confirmed not working, should i do that first and then see where my temp gauge is at before replacing anything else? i don't really have time to waste as this is already effing up my plans, but I want to be thorough so i'm not having ANY overheating issues since I'm heading to the south.
Toyota buys parts from several outside manufacturers. Denso and Aisin are two of the big ones. Denso and Aisin make parts for other manufacturers as well (not exclusive to Toyota). In many cases, when you purchase parts from Toyota, The only difference is you'll get a red box that says "Toyota" AND you'll likely pay much more $$$. For this reason, whenever I can purchase OE equivalent parts at discount prices that's what I'll do. In the case of this clutch fan, Aisin was the original supplier to Toyota, so Aisin/Toyota are essentially the same.
IMO, if you still have any original hoses they should be replaced. It's your risk though and also your budget, so use your best judgement. Good luck. Tim
If I don't want anything effing up my plans, I make sure to plan around a thirty two years old appliance
LG.
"perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." A. de St Exupery.
Can anyone who has driven both a TV and a Previa confirm for me that the fan on the TV should sound, at startup, like that of a Previa? B/c I have never heard that fan roar from my new-to-me TV. I recognize it from the fan-clutch-related YouTube videos, though.
Due to several variables the sound would be a bit different, but yes, both are clutch fans and should have a roar at start-up that goes away after a few good revs.
decided i wanted to play around with a dead aisin fan clutch and did some research, land cruiser guys are using what called diff fluid for rc cars/trucks, its silicone and comes in many weights, and sold at hobby stores..most of the guys were using 10,000 cst weight oil, this ofna brand was the cheapest ($10 delivered for 4oz), looked of similar vicosity to a video i watched a guy using the actual toyota fluid...anyway i used about 2oz half the bottle, my clutch was pretty dry when i split it. fortunately all my clutches are working well at this time so ill have to get back on a report, but i think this could be a lifesaver if you were over heating out in the baran desert and needed to have the fan do more for you...
Yes, having hope of a spare fan clutch would certainly be on the list for a longer trip.
Wish I had one when I realized the mechanic had been wrong to assure me mine had been 'fine'. <;~l
For anyone that needs to remove/install the fan clutch for whatever reason, the extra long 10mm 12-point box wrench I picked up works wonders. No more worrying about rounding the four fan nuts if they're on tight and then having the fear set in about not being able to get the fan off.Also makes getting the nuts back onto the water pump pulley bolts a snap too. May very well be the best tool I've bought solely for my TV, so thought I'd share. Happy wrenching!
GEARWRENCH 10mm 12 Point XL GearBox Double Box Ratcheting Wrench - 85910 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002V037SY..._3WgZEb1G0JW5Q
Did a first start today, after doing a head gasket job, and it all looks sounds good so far,,, though brand new Aisen fan clutch seems continuously engaged....
I noticed even with engine cool, just starting up, the fan clutch seems to be engaged, and doesn't shut off.
...20 minutes at about 3,000 RPM, temperature gauge is at a quarter and the fan clutch is still engaged.
Median operating temperature usually shows the guage at center.
I don't remember seeing this before, seems odd.
Red base, if that makes a difference.
VIDEO...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wyp8DnQYkyhtyLH29
It's in the nature of fan clutches to be engaged when cold as the silicone inside is too viscous to slip. There are variables as to how long it will engage cold depending on how hard you are revving the engine, but ~ 30 seconds of high revving should warm it sufficiently to slip/quiet down. After that it should stay disengaged until hot air from the radiator rotates the by-metal coil enough to change the internal valving. Many useful posts in this thread. Be sure to see post #19. Tim
I'll give it a try again today, but really seems like mine is waayy off.
Reminds me of the time I did a full rebuild, installed an OEM thermostat... which didn't open!!
It's important to be wary, whether we bought the best, or not.
How 'bout 20+ minutes @3000 rpm. Engine never managed to get above half of operating temperature.
I tested an older one as well. Got up to operating temperature no problem, and kept on going up, up, up. Doesn't function.
Parts Avatar in eastern Canada accepted a warranty return, but they told me they'd ''get back to me within 24-48 business hours'' with details for return... whaaat does that even mean! 4 daze, and tumbleweeds so far. 48 'business hours' over an 8 hour day,not including weekends,, and it could be 9 days before it starts it's 2 week trek across country.. then another 2 weeks for return post of a replacement. Glad I've got another vehicle.
Yeah, sounds like you got a bad one. Usually when they fail they don't engage at all, and the result is overheating. At least you didn't have that issue. Good luck with the next new one. Tim
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