I have a 5.4 crew 2001 and sometimes i hear a noise(The only way i can describe it for lack of a better description is a roaring type noise) my dealer said it was the clutch fan. Has anyone else had theis problem?

 

You need to be more descriptive like what your doing when you hear it and about where the sound is coming from.

For example is it when accelerating, slowing down, starting up, turning the engin on/off?

The fan clutch is activated by the heat of the engine, but normally it wouldn't roar. Now when my truck is cold and I start driving my engine will be louder (like a roar).

 

I have noticed the same thing dcovell mentioned. On cold mornings, the engine area will emit a louder than normal "roar", but only through the first shift or two, then it's back to normal. I haven't used it enough in the mornings to see if warming it up before driving off has any effect on the noise level.

 

It's your clutch fan. If you hear it at first start in the a.m., it will roar for just a short while. As soon as the oil in the fan gets distributed, the clutch will disengage.

I've heard the clutch fan activate on my trucks while underway is when towing at highway speeds, coming to a stop, then starting again. The other time I've heard a clutch fan activate was when spending some time in the high dessert in the summer or in most any place where the temperature hits 3 digits.

 

Thanks for all the help guys!! My vehicle only has 27,500 on the odometer and it kinda concerned me.Is the clutch fan supposed to engage while driving after warm up ? Sometimes i hear that noise then it stops then it kicks in again.I really notice it during the summer months here in atlanta.The noise is in the front of the vehicle.

 

Your clutch fan is designed so that if the temperature under your hood exceeds a certain level, the fan kicks in which makes a lot of noise. So on hot summer days it will kick in quite often. Especially when you are doing a lot of stop and gos.

 

Your clutch fan is doing exactly what it was designed to do. It will engage for brief periods of time and you'll probably only hear it at low speeds. You should never hear it at highway speeds. If you do, you may want to stop and see if someting is blocking the airflow through the radiator.

 

It's proper name is a fan clutch. Sorry-- that was bothering me

 

Actually the clutch fan clutch would be what you are doing as you present it at the parts counter for a new or reconditioned fan clutch.

 

Thanks.. me too.. "What the devil kinda clutch you got in that thing that it needs a fan?"


I would agree with "a clutch for the clutch fan".

 

So, what do you call the assembly? A Fan? Not all fans have clutches. Hence my use of clutch fan.

 

Does the Fan need a clutch or does the clutch need a Fan.
"Fan Clutch"

 

The fan doesn't need a clutch to cool the engine. A fan alone that's run off the engine's crank is called an engine fan. A fan that runs off the engine's electrical system is called an electric fan. Therefore a fan that runs off the engine's crank and has a clutch is called a clutch fan.

A fan clutch is a thermal clutch that regulates the fan's rotation.

 

You guys make me laugh...

 

Actually all of the fans that you stated are called cooling fans. It doesnt matter how a fan is powered it will always be called a cooling fan. The clutch just controls when the fan works the best. Kinda like how an electric cooling fan is turned on by a coolant fan relay. But you would probably call that a relay fan!? Oh well doesnt really matter, does it?