It really seems, and sadly so, that aftermarket fan clutches just don't measure up to OEM a LOT of the time. This really bites when we need a replacement, are willing to spend on OEM and OEM is discontinued. That happened with the older 460 Fords. I count myself blessed that ours lasted the whole time we had that coach.
We had a fan clutch start to clatter in a Dodge van we used to have. 100 miles or so from home after 700 miles on a trip. Called my mechanic buddy and he told me this:
1. Climb under and take it off. What I did, was remove the assembly, fan and clutch, take the fan off the clutch, and put the clutch back on, to hold the water pump pulley in place.
2. I wouldn't need it at highway speeds. This was true. We could even use the A/C on the rest of the way home. But this was a van, not towing, not hills, not summer-hot out.
3. He warned me a failed clutch can pull the bearing out of the water pump, move forward, and tear the back out of the radiator. That was why he wanted me to remove it.
