What tool to take apart the fan clutch actuator on 923a2?

My fan clutch won't come on, even when the engine gets above 210. Reading on here, I see where some people have taken the back of their fan clutch actuator off and lubricated it to good success. I'd like to try that but I'm not sure what tool to use.

Looks like some kind of pin spanner tool is needed? I don't want to just go buying tools though without having some idea of what others have used for this task.

Thanks

This is what I used. Be gentle, drill bits are brittle and shatter if you get carried away.

Ah thanks. I was hesitant to try gripping it with pliers or something like that but will give it a shot

Jbulach said:

View attachment 763256This is what I used. Be gentle, drill bits are brittle and shatter if you get carried away.

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Hah, that's a great idea. Will try that.

Think they where 13 or 14 wire gauge bits.

Dumb question, but what did you use to lubricate it? I know some people have said WD40 but I'm leery of using that to lubricate anything since it evaporates relatively fast.

I've got a little bottle of paintball gun oil... would that work?

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?143231-92-shutterstat-fan-clutch-actuator/page5 I had a problem with my fan not coming on I was about to replace the shutterstat, see page 5 of this thread, Mine turned out to be a simple plugged up elbow near the shutterstat. Start with the easiest first.

1 Patriot-of-many said:

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?143231-92-shutterstat-fan-clutch-actuator/page5 I had a problem with my fan not coming on I was about to replace the shutterstat, see page 5 of this thread, Mine turned out to be a simple plugged up elbow near the shutterstat. Start with the easiest first.

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Good point.

Mine acts like it's ever so slightly trying to come on and then stops. Jiggles a little, then stops again. Could be air blockage? Will check, thanks.

So I took my shutterstat off and... yeah, the output elbow on it has what looks like the exact same clog as 1 Patriot of many's.

Thing is, it looks like a bundle of copper wires. What am I looking at? Are those supposed to be there? Surely that is causing the problem, blocking air from getting from the shutterstat to the clutch. But how would those have gotten in there?

Any thoughts? I'm hesitant to pull the elbow off the shutterstat if it turns out those are normal.

gunk, rust, crap from the wet tank got into the secondary and to the air line to the shutterstat. Just poke it out. Shutterstat should have a screen behind that fitting on the body to protect itself.

Pulled the fitting off. Yep, same wire looking things on the other side. So looks like it's probably some kind of final filter? Either way, I can't blow air through that elbow so it's definitely obstructing air. If it's copper corrosion, do you think soaking it in lemishine solution would fix it? I don't know where I'd find a fitting like that with whatever that copper looking wire inside it.

Took the inlet elbow off and no such obstruction. There is a rough wire mesh behind it built into the shutterstat. I guess that's to catch big chunks before they get into the mechanism.

simp5782 said:

gunk, rust, crap from the wet tank got into the secondary and to the air line to the shutterstat. Just poke it out. Shutterstat should have a screen behind that fitting on the body to protect itself.

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So that outlet elbow is for sure not supposed to have anything inside it? I'm just double checking because I swear this looks like copper wire. And it looks exactly like the other guy's did when he pulled it off.

TexAndy said:

So that outlet elbow is for sure not supposed to have anything inside it? I'm just double checking because I swear this looks like copper wire. And it looks exactly like the other guy's did when he pulled it off.

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should be just a standard 1/8 pipe to #4 or #6 jic. may even be a #5 sometimes they got goofy with that.... Shouldn't be anything in it.

The material in that elbow looks like a sintered metal filter, basically a bunch of metallic balls fused together with air passing through the interstitial spaces. You might try soaking it in various solvents.

If it is a filter, IMHO it's a poor design, designed for low volume. There is not enough filtering area to avoid plugging, just as it has.

The proper tool is an adjustable pin spanner. I always used pliers after breaking several spanners or stripping the holes due to stuck caps. Knipex Cobras never failed me here. Channellocks are terrible for this. The cap is billet aluminum and the holes aren't very stong. A little scarring on the outside of the cap won't hurt a thing. Every one I rebuilt has teeth marks on the cap.

Verify that the fan clutch is not the problem first. Supply shop air at 120 psi to the line going to the clutch after the shutterstat. The fan should come on until pressure is removed. The 2 most common failure modes of the shutterstats are leaking seals and the fan staying engaged. The problem you have is more common to a stuck piston in the clutch. Just giving you the reason I'm suggesting you check the clutch first.

Some trucks had filters in the elbow and some did not. Some were removed and some were not. That elbow doesn't come with replacement shutterstats so it was part of the truck, not the shutterstat.

Most of those filters were, at best, a wadded up ball of steel wool type material. It was like a primitive sintered material....sort of. Honestly though I would be more worried about water than debris. The fan clutch is a dead end for water. Air can flow freely in and out of the fan clutch. Water can't, and gets trapped behind the piston in the clutch. I only found debris in one clutch. The rest failed because of heavy corrosion due to trapped water or worn out seals. The best thing you can do for your shutterstat and fan clutch is to keep the air dryer in good shape. The little elbow filter can be removed in my opinion.

The shutterstat was designed to work dry, as in not using a lubricant. You can lube them but that's just a temporary fix. Any lubricant you use will just go into the fan clutch and sit there. That is bad if you are using a petroleum based lubricant. If you want to add lube then use the Super Lube silicone grease. Only use just enough to make the seals shiny and then wipe off any excess. The silicone will not harm the rubber seals in the shutterstat and clutch. Fixing the problem with lube doesn't have a very long term success rate.

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

This was as far as I got taking it apart. At this point, I wasn't sure what to push, pull, or torque so I called it quits. I've seen in other threads here where people had them further taken apart but I don't know what magic incantation they used.



Not sure how to take it apart further so... it's good that it's supposed to work dry, I guess!

I did rebuild my air dryer last year. So, theoretically, clean dry air is being supplied.

I'll try and see if I can get the clutch to engage just with shop air.

But I'm reasonably sure this elbow and it's "filter" are at least part of the problem. I cannot get air to pass through it. When I submerged it in gasoline, I saw no appreciable bubbles. Which leads me to believe it is practically airtight or nearly so.

Or you can get rid of the shutterstat all together for around $150 and has a lifetime warranty

simp5782 said:

Or you can get rid of the shutterstat all together for around $150 and has a lifetime warranty

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You mean replace the shutterstat with a new shutterstat or with some other doo-hickey?

TexAndy said:

You mean replace the shutterstat with a new shutterstat or with some other doo-hickey?

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Horton thermal switch costs around $60. Solenoids are on Ebay for around 50 to $75. Requires a single power wire under the hood thru the thermal switch to the solenoid and that's it.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/misc.php?do=showattachments&t=169313