***SOLVED*** '86 P30 Overzealous Thermal Fan Clutch
***SOLVED***
Within the thread it was determined that the clutch is leaking fluid which indicates a failure. Researching a replacement, I discovered that it appears highly likely that the pricey Delco replacement is manufactured by Hayden, who also makes the other versions sold by Napa, Autozone, O'Reilly's and perhaps others. Some may be made in China. The Murray (Hayden) I found at O'Reilly's is clearly the same mold as the Delco unit. Both say "MADE IN USA." Delco/Murray(Hayden) comparison here with an immediate followup post with more thoughts and details.
Original Post begins here...
On return from our last outing, the fan clutch would engage as usual, but remain engaged much longer than usual and eventually disengage at lower than usual temp gauge readings. This appears to be an atypical type of fan clutch failure.
I removed it today and noticed some grease and gunk in the bi-metal spring.
In researching the subject I came across some interesting thoughts in this thread.
1. The thing could be the 30-year-old original with 105,000 miles. I figured it was due anyway. However, some GM and fan clutch folk appear to believe that these things very rarely fail and are often replaced needlessly.
2. Is the gunk around the spring acting as a blanket to heat the spring prematurely and keep it warm well after it should have cooled?
3. Where did the gunk come from? Is it a leak of silicone from inside the clutch that's trying to tell me she's not long for this world?
4. If it needs replacing, is there a preferred replacement unit?
EDIT: On pg 2 I pointed out that the story is 8 months old and my recollection may not be perfect. So I removed the part in the first paragraph of this OP where I had said I thought the clutch engaged at lower temp gauge readings than usual. However, I am very certain that it took much longer to disengage and at lower than usual temp gauge readings.
I also posted a photo on pg. 2, so I'll post that here too. Note that there is grime on the clutch, but only the spring is "wet."
Within the thread it was determined that the clutch is leaking fluid which indicates a failure. Researching a replacement, I discovered that it appears highly likely that the pricey Delco replacement is manufactured by Hayden, who also makes the other versions sold by Napa, Autozone, O'Reilly's and perhaps others. Some may be made in China. The Murray (Hayden) I found at O'Reilly's is clearly the same mold as the Delco unit. Both say "MADE IN USA." Delco/Murray(Hayden) comparison here with an immediate followup post with more thoughts and details.
Original Post begins here...
On return from our last outing, the fan clutch would engage as usual, but remain engaged much longer than usual and eventually disengage at lower than usual temp gauge readings. This appears to be an atypical type of fan clutch failure.
I removed it today and noticed some grease and gunk in the bi-metal spring.
In researching the subject I came across some interesting thoughts in this thread.
1. The thing could be the 30-year-old original with 105,000 miles. I figured it was due anyway. However, some GM and fan clutch folk appear to believe that these things very rarely fail and are often replaced needlessly.
2. Is the gunk around the spring acting as a blanket to heat the spring prematurely and keep it warm well after it should have cooled?
3. Where did the gunk come from? Is it a leak of silicone from inside the clutch that's trying to tell me she's not long for this world?
4. If it needs replacing, is there a preferred replacement unit?
EDIT: On pg 2 I pointed out that the story is 8 months old and my recollection may not be perfect. So I removed the part in the first paragraph of this OP where I had said I thought the clutch engaged at lower temp gauge readings than usual. However, I am very certain that it took much longer to disengage and at lower than usual temp gauge readings.
I also posted a photo on pg. 2, so I'll post that here too. Note that there is grime on the clutch, but only the spring is "wet."
