retmil46
Full Access Member
For those of you with a 2005 or later 2.8 L, especially in the U.S., replacing the thermostatic clutch on the mechanical fan may not be as expensive or difficult as you may think.
While Chrysler is currently wanting $220 for a OEM replacement, Hayden now makes a severe duty aftermarket replacement, P/N 2905, $55 USD at OReillys. Ordered mine at 8:30 last Friday night, they had it in the store early Saturday morning.
Instead of ordering the Miller special tool and pins for holding the clutch pulley - Miller wanted a total of $130 for the tool and pins which are sold separately - NAPA sells a universal fan clutch pulley holding tool, which includes the screw in pins for holding a late model Chrysler face pin pulley, for $25.
Instead of buying one of the flat thin fan clutch tools, which have a tendency to spread apart and round off the nut on the clutch, which is 36 MM, you can go to a place such as Northern Tool and buy a big combination wrench in 36 MM or 1 - 7/16 (which is 36.5 MM). I picked up the latter at Northern Tool for $15. Not only will these wrenches not spread out, they're stout enough and long enough that an adult of nominal strength should have no problem breaking loose and retorquing the new clutch to 75 to 100 ft/lbs.
I'd recommend breaking loose the nut on the old clutch before you begin pulling other stuff loose, just in case you run into difficulties or decide you need a second body to help.
You'll need to detach the one A/C line that's attached to the fan shroud and flop it back out of the way - just a matter of cutting the tystraps holding them and putting new ones in later. You'll also need to pull up some slack in the small hose that runs from the radiator across the shroud, pull it out of it's mounts, and flop it back over the engine out of the way as well.
There's two 10 mm bolts holding the fan shroud in place, one on each side just below the intercooler hoses.
Once you have the old clutch broken loose, and have the above interference out of the way, then go ahead and unscrew the old clutch off the pulley and let it drop down gently inside the fan shroud. You can then carefully manuever the fan/clutch and shroud upward, working the shroud around hoses and such, until you get it high enough that you can slip the old fan and clutch out from under the shroud and out of the vehicle - you don't need to completely pull the shroud out of the vehicle.
Once on the ground, a 13 mm socket or wrench will remove the 4 bolts holding the fan blades to the clutch - they're only torqued to 12 ft/lbs and not that difficult. Just make sure you note which way the fan blades go on and don't install them backwards on the new clutch!!!
After that, it's simply a matter of going in reverse to reintall everything. I'd recommend getting the fan shroud back in place and bolted in before you try screwing the new clutch onto the pulley - makes it easier to hold that heavy clutch and fan while you're trying to get the threads started.
So far, I just started it up and idled in the parking lot, but even then I noticed a definite difference in air flow.
A friend in Charlotte NC, Ranger1, said he noticed a definite difference in the coldness of the A/C and EGT's dropping much quicker, plus you can hear that fan roar when it's hot and intially taking off in stop and go traffic.
On my old clutch, I noticed a thick accumulation of gummed up dirt in one spot where the fluid had been leaking out.
While Chrysler is currently wanting $220 for a OEM replacement, Hayden now makes a severe duty aftermarket replacement, P/N 2905, $55 USD at OReillys. Ordered mine at 8:30 last Friday night, they had it in the store early Saturday morning.
Instead of ordering the Miller special tool and pins for holding the clutch pulley - Miller wanted a total of $130 for the tool and pins which are sold separately - NAPA sells a universal fan clutch pulley holding tool, which includes the screw in pins for holding a late model Chrysler face pin pulley, for $25.
Instead of buying one of the flat thin fan clutch tools, which have a tendency to spread apart and round off the nut on the clutch, which is 36 MM, you can go to a place such as Northern Tool and buy a big combination wrench in 36 MM or 1 - 7/16 (which is 36.5 MM). I picked up the latter at Northern Tool for $15. Not only will these wrenches not spread out, they're stout enough and long enough that an adult of nominal strength should have no problem breaking loose and retorquing the new clutch to 75 to 100 ft/lbs.
I'd recommend breaking loose the nut on the old clutch before you begin pulling other stuff loose, just in case you run into difficulties or decide you need a second body to help.
You'll need to detach the one A/C line that's attached to the fan shroud and flop it back out of the way - just a matter of cutting the tystraps holding them and putting new ones in later. You'll also need to pull up some slack in the small hose that runs from the radiator across the shroud, pull it out of it's mounts, and flop it back over the engine out of the way as well.
There's two 10 mm bolts holding the fan shroud in place, one on each side just below the intercooler hoses.
Once you have the old clutch broken loose, and have the above interference out of the way, then go ahead and unscrew the old clutch off the pulley and let it drop down gently inside the fan shroud. You can then carefully manuever the fan/clutch and shroud upward, working the shroud around hoses and such, until you get it high enough that you can slip the old fan and clutch out from under the shroud and out of the vehicle - you don't need to completely pull the shroud out of the vehicle.
Once on the ground, a 13 mm socket or wrench will remove the 4 bolts holding the fan blades to the clutch - they're only torqued to 12 ft/lbs and not that difficult. Just make sure you note which way the fan blades go on and don't install them backwards on the new clutch!!!
After that, it's simply a matter of going in reverse to reintall everything. I'd recommend getting the fan shroud back in place and bolted in before you try screwing the new clutch onto the pulley - makes it easier to hold that heavy clutch and fan while you're trying to get the threads started.
So far, I just started it up and idled in the parking lot, but even then I noticed a definite difference in air flow.
A friend in Charlotte NC, Ranger1, said he noticed a definite difference in the coldness of the A/C and EGT's dropping much quicker, plus you can hear that fan roar when it's hot and intially taking off in stop and go traffic.
On my old clutch, I noticed a thick accumulation of gummed up dirt in one spot where the fluid had been leaking out.
P.S. I should have joined in 05' but followed along anyway
