Sometimes my Volvo 240 1990 DL temp gauge will slowly start to climb up if I am stuck in traffic not moving. The needle will go half way past the middle point and slowly keep climbing untill I rev up the engine which will start bringing the needle down. I already did a raditor flush and put a new thermostat 3 months ago. This year Volvo was not made with auxilary fan on the raditor. I was going to replace the radiator but I want to make sure first it wasn't my fan clutch. How can I tell if it's my fan clutch?

Also, do I have to remove the fan belt to replace the fan clutch?

 

No you don't have to remove the belt.
Follow this link:

https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-240-740-940-12/fan-clutch-replacement-33267/

Good Luck

 

Since I live in Texas, I went ahead an ordered the "Tropical Clutch Fan" which comes on sooner than a normal fan clutch. Will this hurt my gas mileage?

 

Actually, I never thought about mileage. It didn't seem to make a difference.

Good Luck

 

+1. I've run the HD tropical fan clutch for 3 years on 2 different cars. I don't think the mileage was affected at all. Makes a tiny bit more noise but the cooling is well worth it.

 

how much is the Tropical Fan Clutch.....? where do you order it from?

with the engine off....does your fan clutch spin very easy? few months back I remembered that I tried to spin the fan clutch(engine off) and was not able to...the temp was always normal....now it spins easy and my freaking temp is almost red line.

 

See my first post, follow the link, source for fan clutch is there.

Good Luck

 

davebarton.com is the source I've used. Dave is the guy that created all the moose stickers you see. He also has a bored and stroked B23FT motor in his 245. Sells wiring harnesses, remote adjustable voltage regulators, windo scraper material, white face gauge overlays...lots of cool stuff! He's a super nice guy and extremely quick to ship items. He's a few dollars more than FCP but I like supporting the guys that locate these parts for our cars. He was selling the clutch for years before FCP got on the band wagon. Likewise, IPD now carries the remote, adjustable voltage regulator....only after Dave did the research and hunted down sources. Dale at avalancheperformance.com designed and created a one piece adjustable cam gear for people running hotter cams. It allows one to regain some of the low end torque. He sells his gear for $60. IPD stole the design and sells their fancy one for well over $100. I much prefer to support the folks that roll up their sleeves and do the ground work rather than bigger companies that try to squeeze 'em out.

 

Swiftjustice, thanks for the info on Dave Barton, I will now become a davebarton.com convert.
Now for the rant part:
I really mourn the passing of the "Mom and Pop" enterprises that once were the backbone of our retail economy. Gone is the local color, every corner has the same "corporate face". It does sadden me.

 

I hear ya. Here in Dallas, the big problem is all the really tiny 1 and 2 man shops with no training, no certifications and no bond. They operate out of hole in the wall locations and undercut the guys who have been in business for decades. Another big issue is manufacturers have increasingly proprietorial scanners. They aren't interchangeable between makes. We've had to stop working on Volvos newer than S70's simply because we're unwilling to spend the tens of thousands of dollars for scanners.

 

Hello all,

I just replaced my fan clutch withouth removing the shroud. It can be done but be ready for some nicks due to the tight squeeze.

I had the same issue as you. I would be driving along and I would watch the temps slowly climb up due to the slow moving trafic. I just replaced it tonight and so far so good. Cant complain thanks to all the guys on here and this post gave me the idea instead of replacing a raditor.

Though I have to say replacing two bad motor mounts was fun...

 

The idea of a thermal fan clutch came about as a result of manufacturers wanting to lower fuel consumption at highway speeds. At 60 mph, there is no need for a fan. Enter...the thermal fan clutch. It has a bi-metal coil on one side that adjusts the turning resistance of the clutch. When working properly, the clutch will "free wheel" at highway speeds and take an aggressive bite of air when hot.
When the thermal clutch dies, it tends to go towards one extreme or the other; fully locked in which it always takes a huge bite of air. This is indicated by roaring fan noise at all speeds. Your car won't overheat but gas mileage will suffer and occasionally the clutch will eventually disintegrate. The other sure fire symptom of imminent fan clutch is the fan itself being easily turned when motor is off. It never locks up when needed. The engine typically will creep up in temperature at low and moderate speeds. At highway speeds it should be fine. Gradually rising temps at highway speed are circulatory in nature (unless head gasket is blown and heating the coolant) and typically point to the radiator failing to dissipate heat efficiently. A partially obstructed radiator can be diagnosed with a non-contact infra red thermometer. There will be cold and hot spots where there are clogs. I've driven several hundred miles with a locked up water pump as a kid...at highway speeds the coolant "percolates" through the system. Granted, I don't recommend it...just saying.

So how do you know for sure? Well, if it has gone to one extreme or the other it's pretty apparent. The real issue is the ones that are in the middle; it takes practice to spin one and tell if it's good...and, even if it has the proper resistance in your hand that's no guarantee it will work properly at speed. I'm pretty sure there is a way to put them in a pan of hot water w/ a thermometer and test the range the same way you can a thermostat. At the shop that's not really practical; at home, my wife really frowns on me using the kitchen for experiments. So...there is that gray area where you watch the symptoms and come to your own conclusions.

 

I installed my Dave Barton fan clutch two days ago to see if it would improve my AC cooldown. My car was not running hot and I have no reason to think there was anything wrong with the old clutch; this was mainly an experiment. Unlike way too many of my experiments, this one was a rousing success! First off, Dave Barton shipped almost immediately, and he shipped priority mail, not UPS, so I got it really quickly. In the magic world of car repair, installing a fan clutch is just a card trick, so no problems there. The difference was immediately apparent. More of a subtle "whoom" sound when I accelerate, most noticeable at around 4000 rpm, not particularly annoying. But most importantly, the car cools down a lot faster and is about 5 degrees cooler out of the vent under the worst conditions like idling in rush hour traffic. It seems like the automatic tranny even shifts a little smoother, which I guess would make sense, since it's cooled through the radiator. $111.00 w/ shipping, and I consider it to be money well spent. I've certainly spent more, many times, with worse results.

 

Dave always ships that fast! If there is ever a hold up, he will email you pronto. I think his main business is some sort of graphic arts; that's how he got into the moose sticker thing. He really loves Volvos and it shows. Check his electrical harness page sometime. He has the original part numbers as well as the replacement part numbers for all the 240's and 740's. He is a really cool guy.