Fans
The Duramax clutch fan assembly is a weak point in your cooling system as it has several components that can break or malfunction. It is also exposed to high heat in your engine bay, deteriorating the plastic fins that rotate at high speeds. Merchant Automotive has direct replacement plastic and metal cooling fan blades and clutch assemblies to operate your truck as it should. You can also choose from various electric fans to upgrade your truck’s cooling system and free up some extra horsepower.
The radiator clutch fan on your Duramax diesel engine is designed to help your radiator extract heat from your coolant by pulling the heat from the fins of your radiator. Your accessory drive powers the clutch fan and is usually made from plastic or metal fins. The clutch fan usually kicks on once your engine reaches a specific temperature to help keep your engine as cool as it needs to be to maintain operating temperatures. Over time, these clutch fans can malfunction or wear out, causing overheating issues, engine compartment noises, and squealing from the clutch assembly. You can choose to replace them with a direct replacement clutch fan or go with an electric fan upgrade for your Duramax engine.
What Are The Benefits Of An Electric Fan Upgrade?
If you are looking to upgrade your factory clutch fan assembly for an electric fan, you can get quite a few benefits from it:
- You will get more room in your engine bay as this upgrade replaces your clutch fan assembly with a slim-fit electric fan setup that mounts up against your radiator. This allows for more working room when maintaining your engine and eliminates the danger of working near a clutch fan.
- You get a more reliable setup. The factory clutch fan can be damaged easily as it is exposed to damage when working on other parts of your engine.
- You have less draw on your accessory drive, freeing up a little horsepower by eliminating the clutch fan assembly.
- You will get more efficient cooling as the electric fans perform better and are mounted directly onto the radiator.
How Do I Know If My Duramax Clutch Fan Is Bad?
If you suspect your Duramax clutch fan is bad or failing, there are a few things to look for to help determine if it is your clutch fan.
Truck Is Overheating
One of the most common signs of a bad Duramax clutch fan is your truck overheating. The clutch fan’s job is to keep your truck from overheating, so if your truck is overheating, this is one place to start looking at.
Cooling Fans Making Excessive Noise
If you notice that your cooling fans are starting to be louder than usual, it is a good time to check to see if there is any damage. You can do this by popping the hood and listening to your cooling fans for any noise that is not normal.
Power, Acceleration, and Fuel Efficiency Decreasing
If your clutch fan is permanently engaged, it can decrease power and performance. This causes excessive drag on your engine, which will affect power, acceleration, and fuel efficiency.
