ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: keith on April 24, 2010, 08:39:49 PM
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Normally my Trackers temp guage stays about 1/3 of the way up from the cold mark. Today when wheeling in 60 degree weather it was going to nearly the hot mark. We had been driving a slow trail for about 2 hours with a lot of start and stopping to wait for others that were stuck or for the group to regroup. On the drive home it went back to normal going no higher than 1/3 of the way up the scale. Is this normal when wheeling? Anything I can do to keep it out of the red zone? It didn't actually go into the red zone, just got very close. The radiator was NOT caked with mud.
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You need a fan clutch
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The fan was turning while this was happening? What happens with a worn fan cluch? Does it allow too much slippage so the fan doesn't turn at full speed?
EDIT. I found this description on another Suzuki site.
Before you start the engine for the first time for the day, try to turn the fan - it should turn, but with some resistance - start the engine, let it run for five minutes or so, and then switch it off - now try to turn the fan, it should turn freely.
Re-start the engine and leave it to idle but keep an eye on the temperature gauge, it the fan is NOT working the gauge will climb into the red as the engine warms and then overheats due to the lack of airflow - if it does not climb into the red within 15~20 minutes or so, your fan clutch is good.
Before start up, the fan will not spin freely because of the uneven distribution of the silicone fluid, which settles whilst the engine is off.
After the engine starts, the fluid will redistribute due to centrifugal force, disengaging the clutch - this is why the fan is audible when the engine is first started, and also why if the engine is stopped after the fluid has redistributed, the fan can be turned easily.
With the vehicle stationary and no "movement induced air flow" through the radiator, as the engine warms, the engine temps will gradually rise and if the fan clutch does not engage, and increase the air flow through the radiator, the engine temps will continue to rise above normal, and eventually you'll have an overheat condition.
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I think wild is right, fan clutch. You could always go electric too. The fans are not hard to find though, many for sale in classifieds, just put a " wanted " post in the forum.
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Would I want a used one if mine is going bad? Today the gauge started to creep up after 5 minutes of sitting. The fan was turning while this was happening. Was it just not turning fast enough because the clutching mechanism was slipping?
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Ya, you could stop the fan if you put something in there, it just
spins from the rotating shaft and minor amounts of friction, but
it will not drive the fan hard for cooling
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Nothing wrong with a GOOD used one. I took one out of my Tracker that was in great condition when I did my turbo. Needed the extra space. Want it? $45 shipped.
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I believe the post you quoted earlier is one of mine - it was written with the second generation Tracker/Grand Vitara in mind, but I guess it's applicable to the earlier model also. What you're describing is the exact scenario I described in the second paragraph - and I'll bet that if you perform the first (pre-start) test in the first paragraph, you'll find the fan turns freely.
Would I want a used one if mine is going bad? Today the gauge started to creep up after 5 minutes of sitting. The fan was turning while this was happening. Was it just not turning fast enough because the clutching mechanism was slipping?
The fan is turning, but it is unable to move enough air because the fan clutch is slipping.
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Tonight I started it and let it run. After 20 minutes the temp gauge was only at 1/3 way up the scale.
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I assume that is without changing the fan clutch - I'd say keep an eye on it, it's going to go completely at some point.
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Yes, that was without changing anything.
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Tonight I tested it again. After 20 minutes of idling it was about 1/2 way up the heat scale. I was then able to stop the fan blade with a piece of wood (paint stir stick) with moderate effort. With a good fan clutch should I be able to stop the fan by hand at all?
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I'm not the expert here, but I would think a good fan clutch would keep the fan spinning and be launching any object used in an attempt to halt it. Though I've not ever attempted to stop a fan from rotating, I'm against hospital visits for things being launched into my body by the fan.
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Yea, it should be a bit harder to stop then that. I would recommend swapping it out or picking up an electric fan instead.
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I'm not the expert here, but I would think a good fan clutch would keep the fan spinning and be launching any object used in an attempt to halt it. Though I've not ever attempted to stop a fan from rotating, I'm against hospital visits for things being launched into my body by the fan.
The viscous coupling is designed to let the fan slip, thats what reduces the load on the engine. If I remember rightly the fan should slip at around 4000rpm so even if the engine is doing 6000rpm, the fan only turns at 4000rpm. It should be possible to stop the fan with a rolled up newspaper or similar until the engine temperature starts to increase above normal operating temperature. At higher temps there is a bi-metallic spring in the centre of the fan clutch which expands and locks the fan up harder, increasing the throughput of air.
It took a good many years and a lot of wading to kill my fan clutch, I would suggest removing the radiator and ensuring that the fins are clear, my only overheating problems were caused by a clogged radiator and an airlock after replacing it. If you do a lot of mudding then ditch the fan shroud as it makes it impossible to clean the radiator sufficiently in-situ.
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I got Bentpart's 60k miles fan and clutch and installed it today. After a 20 mile highway drive I let it idle for 25 minutes. The temp gauge went to just shy of half way up at the max. This weekend I have a wheeling outing at the Badlands ORP in Indiana. That should be a real test.
The new fan clutch doesn't feel any different in the way it turns when cold than the old one did.
Thanks to Mike for shipping it to get to me in 2 days!
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Got back from a weekend at the Badlands ORP. The Tracker did great. The only difficulty it had was in ruts that where much deeper than my ground clearance. I got stuck once in a big puddle in a big rut. The temp gauge never went above half way.