TeufelHei

My car is down for now.

It would seem that the fan is basically worthless, as the car overheated on the way into school about half an hour ago (it's cooliong right now). Luckily the system is full of fresh water right now, so the EPA won't cry about the boilover, but it really bugs me.

My question is, what can I do to refurbish the clutch? What sort of troubleshooting should I do before I give up and buy one?

To answer questions preemptively:

1. There is a new thermostat in the car (75 Degree)
2. There is a new fan temp switch (75 Degree) but the fan seems inoperative.
3. The system is (was) full of fresh water only.
4. Nothing's leaking that's not supposed to.
5. Under operating conditions, there is a gentle breeze blowing through the engine. In contrast, there is a force 3 tornado going on in the 81 at idle.

From searching the forums, there is apparently a way to replace lost fluid in the clutch...anyone know how? Wally P's link is not working anymore.

HELP! I can't afford to park all day.

Oh, and please offer good vibes for my baby, I hope the heads don't crack.

Red UFO

Is it a air flow problem?

Its not to hot today so I don't see why your shark overheats. I have an airflow problem with mine. When its 100+ outside and I sit in dead traffic it gets hot, and really fast with the AC on. If I leave the AC off it will manage but run real hot in bumper to bumper.

If I get on the freeway it cools down pretty good. That tells me the fan clutch needs to be replaced. You might have the same problem, there is the Wally P. method, buy a new one, or get an electric fan.

If it overheats on cooler days like today you'll have problem when it cooks in about 1 month. I'd try to get on top of it if you have it as a daily driver.

SharkSkin

Have you tried shorting the fan switch, ignition on, to see if the fan comes on? If not check the fuse/relay. If OK, connect power directly to the fan to see if it turns.

As for the fan clutch, there is some info Here and a bit more Here

There is an excellent write-up with Pics Here

TeufelHei

Thanks, now to get crackin'!

pearlpower

Another area to check is the area between the A/C condensor and radiator. Debris get caught in the space and will easily over heat the car at low speeds or idle.

Steven Ko

A little piece of advice after many battles with refilling the fan clutch. Keep a close eye on the fan clutch for leaks in the weeks following the fill up with the recommended Toyota fluid. Mine lasted about a month before the majority of it leaked out causing the same problems again.

Eventually the best method, I believe, is to convert to Electric. I've replaced mine with a shrouded dual fan setup from a 2001 Corvette. I don't even have the old electric fan in front of the A/C condensor hooked up anymore and it still stays nice and cool in Houston traffic so far.

Just an option to maybe avoid further headache down the road.

jpitman2

I rebuilt mine a different way. I filled it once with fluid, but it leaked out quickly. I found a cheaper viscous and fan assembly (Land Rover, but YMMV), got the fitting they use to mount it on their water pump (lh thread piece), cut the shaft out of a spare 928 viscous (not hard), had the shaft machined so I could fit the LR piece and screw the viscous on to it, re-assemble. Works fine - looks like an 85/86 plastic fan (11 blades).
jp 83 Euro S AT 47k

Jim @ EuroWerks

I think the 1st question is how do you test the fan clutch? And the answer is you jump in the car and drive it down the road for about 5 - 10 miles then get out of the car leave it running. Take a rag and carefully try to stop the fan. If you can, the fan clutch is shot. On a real bad one you can stop the fan and spin it backwards with the engine running.

Red UFO

That sounds a bit dangerous, I'll see if I can talk Drewster into doing it for me.!

jpitman2

With the engine fully warmed through (at least 30-40 mins use), idle stationery for 5 mins, then switch off. The fan should stop turning in a couple of revs if the clutch is good.
jp 83 Euro S AT 47k

TeufelHei

Or another way...

1. Fire up the car and put your hand behind the fan to feel if it's blowing.

In this case, it's not hardly moving any air whatsoever, though it appears to be spinning fairly fast.
'
Pearl, I'll check that. The fan looks and acts about like my 81, but there's just no air coming through. Wierd.

TeufelHei

Well, I've finished the Wally P. repair porcedure, it remains to be seen whether or not it worked. A nights sleep to let the RTV cure and we'll see what happened.

Shane

http://www.nichols.nu/cat22.htm

TeufelHei

Well, so far it looks like the problem is solved. Thanks everyone for your input, I've got my own version of the technical manuals going now!