GQ clutch fan

G'day Tony,
Mate, AFAIK, there is no way of checking whether a fan clutch is cactus or not. They don't feel any different to turn by hand when they are cold. The one on my 93 GQ used to roar when it came on going up Clyde Mountain when I lived at Batemans Bay. Now I have a GU and I have NEVER heard it come on. I have had some heating issues with the GU and have replaced the old fan with a genuine Nissan fan (over $300-). The new one has never been heard either.
I'm tempted to whack a couple of tech screws in the old one and refit it to see if that makes a roar. Too much hassle to muck around with though, and my new radiator seems to keep the temp down okay.
Cya

Seen it done with a light gun rev counter.
Put a reflective square on one of the blades and point the gun at it measures revs, the difference between a stuffed viscious hub and a good one isn't very much. AFAIK If the fan starts to lose rev's as the engine climbs it's buggered. Might be more to it though

Tony Harding

Gday Tony, I went thru this myself not long ago, and was told that you would hear a "roar" when the clutch fan came on, this is partly true, but the roar, to me was just a subtle change in noise, and you really have to be listening for it. Altho now I do even hear the change when i am driving and it comes on.

Anyway, what I was told, and what works fairly easily is...
First thing in the morning when you start your GQ, or when its cold is go and try to turn the fan, it should turn but be slightly heavy. Then start her up, and rev it at about 1100 for a minute or 2, this is when you should hear a difference in the noise, remember its just air noise around the fan, not a real roar from the motor or anything, after the 2 minutres or when you have heard the change in noise turn the car OFF....and try turning the fan, it should be moving freely now.

I did my clutch fan about 6 months ago and havent had a heating problem since, it was a very simple job and you get the fluid from Toyota,....just dont do what i did the first time and think if 2 bottles works...3 should work great!...it doesnt, any more questions feel free to ask

Yeh,
the roar when your engine is hot is the only way to know if it's really working.... but in some vehicles that roar is pretty subtle- you might even have to pull over, and stick your head out the window and rev the engine.
But! If your engine is very hot and the fan is just "idling " when you rev then the fan is NOT doing it's job.
PS adding new fluid is a bit tricky, as you can add too much in which case the fan will just run continuously- obviously not a problem re overheating- but noise and fuel economy will then be an issue as a fan which runs continuously wastes a surprising amount of fuel.
I also had to bend the bi-metallic strip on mine a little to get it to cut in at the right temp.(It's actually the metal strip which decides when the fan cuts in- the silicone fluid just acts like a torque converter in an automatic and "transmits" the power.)
Also if the fan hub leaks or wobbles on the shaft then it is stuffed.

It now works a treat.
Cheers