Clutch fan...can i scrap it?

[philo_beddoe]

Referring to a 06 Pathfinder- it doesnt matter if the engine is cold or hot, winter or summer, running a/c or not. It ALWAYS sounds like there is an industrial air conditioner running under the hood. Can i remove the clutch fan and go with a standard plain fan and be fine? Anyone ever done this?

[MIKE S]

If your fan sounds like an industrial a/c unit the clutch is locked up. Replacing it with a conventional fan will be just as noisy since it does not declutch. If your wanting it to be less noisy you will need to replace the defective clutch.

[philo_beddoe]

Ok, are you certain of this? Even the dealer guy said thats how those vehicles are. But i beg to differ...

[MIKE S]

Generally speaking yes. A fan with a clutch should declutch when the temp of the air coming off the radiator is not hot then the bimetallic spring on the clutch should turn an internal valve in the clutch to free wheel the fan. Some applications have wiring going to the clutch that is controlled by the engine computer. I don't know what type you have. I would find another like vehicle and see what it does. I can tell you if you put a solid fan on it will be loud.

[philo_beddoe]

Why would it be loud? My 77 chevy does not have a clutch fan, and it is not loud. Many older vehicles dont have them. Do all or most newer vehicles have them?

[MIKE S]

If you could find a four blade fan like your 77 probably has on it it would probably be be quite. Unlikely the bolt pattern would fit. Most aftermarket fans are universal bolt pattern 5-7 blade which would produce more noise. All I can say is try one and see if it is satisfactory for you. Most newer vehicles use an electric on demand fan.

[Irish_Alley]

if you think its the clutch try spinning the fan by hand when the engine is cold and engine not running and see how much resistance it has, it shouldnt have much with a cold engine as stated and will get harder to turn with a warm engine

[VileZambonie]

You can't properly check the fan clutch when it has been at rest. If it stays engaged from cold through the warm up cycle and never disengages, then the clutch has failed.

[philo_beddoe]

You can't properly check the fan clutch when it has been at rest. If it stays engaged from cold through the warm up cycle and never disengages, then the clutch has failed.

Ok, will check it cold and when fully warm. So...when fully warm it should spin freely?

[Irish_Alley]

not really.

[VileZambonie]

If you are hearing the fan abnormally loud, unless someone put the fan on backwards, the clutch is probably shot.

[philo_beddoe]

If you are hearing the fan abnormally loud, unless someone put the fan on backwards, the clutch is probably shot.

No, just the typical loud "air cond." sound you get usually in the summer. Nothing abnormal at all. Will anything happen if i convert to a regular standard fan only?

[VileZambonie]

Not sure why you would want to if it's nothing abnormal. The only logical upgrade would be to go to the E-Fan setup which did come one those vehicles. Go junkyard picking.

[75gmck25]

My HD clutch fan is loud on startup, but then quiets down as the fluid distributes and it disengages when cold.  It does not get loud again until the engine is hot and it engages the clutch again.  I assume this is how it supposed to work on your truck.  If you just replace the clutch with a spaer it will be loud all the time.

If you want quieter I would switch to electric fans.  If Nissan ever offered them on this or a similar vehicle, just find one in the junkyard.  If not, then look at the Taurus or Windstar fans in the junkyard and measure the shrouds to see if one those assemblies would fit.  Make sure you look for the OEM fan relays also, since it will be easier and cheaper than using an aftermarket high-amperage relay.  There are a lot of hot-rod articles about how to use these fans on other vehicles.

Brucd

[philo_beddoe]

Well, my c-10 has a straight fan, no clutch and of course its quiet. So why would the pathfinder be noisy all the time if i removed it?

I dont believe anything is wrong, i thinks its just how they were designed.  Runs great and the temp is fine.