fan clutch test

[brutus87]

Hey there.
I searched and searched for a fan clutch test and several threads had different information, sometimes opposite.

I saw that one can do the newspaper test. how does that go again? My fan is super easy to stop when the car is fully warmed up, but slightly harder when dead cold. Is that a sign that it is good or bad?

Replaced the fan clutch just a year ago with one from Blunttech.

Car: 1988 325is 5 speed


Thanks!

[limp mode]

i think that means its bad.. im also interested in this answer

[dnguyen1963]

It's dead...only a year old? Blunttech normally sells decent stuff.

[TurboJake]

They normally are harder when cold. That's good.

They should be even harder to stop when hot. That's what yours should be.

Being able to stop it easier when warm means it's bad.

[sayed ali]

^ +1

[bmwguy325is]

As for the newspaper test. You roll up some news paper and stuff it in the fan while its going. If it chews up the paper its good. If it stops the fan its bad. Mind you you have to do this hot. And Im not a fan of shoving things in a fan. Well unless its a huge fan and its a sack of kittens LOL

[brutus87]

Thanks everyone for the help!
Its so weak when the engine is warm that I can stop it with my finger(I did the newspaper test first and it stopped instantly).

New radiator, thermostat, hoses, and clutch fan tomorrow, yay.

[cabriodster87]

After sitting in traffic, i can hear mine move air pretty loudly, especially going through the gears.

[jeffnhiscars]

All the ones Ive bought (maybe 8 or so) have been either Sachs or Behr and I'm quite sure thats what Blunt sells. They also ALL are labeled "this side up" so they should not be laid on their side. I suspect this has to do with it being a fluid clutch and since its guaranteed that they traveled upside down and sideways I try to stand them up from the moment they arrive til I install them.

I'm not sure what the significance of all this is, but it could be a factor in life expectancy...and the only time they serve ANY purpose in a healthy cooling system is at idle when there is no natural air flow.

[brutus87]

Replaced the thermostat with an 80 degree one, new radiator, hoses, and fan clutch, bled properly,car runs AWESOME now.

The fan clutch is much stronger and I can hear it when I take off now. The "new" one from a year ago was bad.

I let it idle in the heat for 40 minutes, didn't move at all from 1/2 mark.

Did the same test with the AC on, same thing.

Car is golden.


Very happy E30, means I'm happy too.


Thank you everyone for your help, you make this community great!

[Mr. Tasty]

Well unless its a huge fan and its a sack of kittens LOL

F3AR, is that you?