Fixed My 93 Ranger 4.0 OHV Overheating issue.

[Angry Possum]

I had to share this.
I bought my 93 Ranger XLT last summer in PA, I live in NY. So the guy tells me it runs hot at standstill with AC on especially in the summer before I leave to go home with the truck after I paid him. So when I got it home, I flushed out the radiator about 7 times with water, ran it 20 min or so each time and then did the Prestone flush on the 8th time. I also took a garden hose to the heater core and flushed that out pretty dam good too. But it still ran hotter than normal. So, one of the members on another forum told me that the radiator clutch fan could be bad, I truly had no idea there was a clutch on the radiator fan. So just last week I replaced the radiator and the clutch fan. It fixed my overheating issue. The clutch fan was bad, without any doubt. It spun pretty freely when it was cold. That's how u can tell it's bad. It shouldn't spin freely on a cold engine. Your thoughts.....

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Hmmm, I thought it gets stiffer as the radiator gets warmer. Meaning it would spin fairly free when cold. I'm not sure now. Going to research....

And I spent several months taking down an overheating problem. Finally the ex asked if I had looked at the water pump... Hmmm, no I hadn't. When I pulled it off the impeller fell off the shaft! I felt so stupid....lol.

 

[gaz]

Angry,
Had a buddy who's son bought a 93 Navajo with a cooling issue. Because the history of the vehicle was unknown, I suggested removing the crank driven fan/clutch but not to replace it; instead, install an electronic fan, a new water pump, new T-stat, hoses with double clamps and radiator cap. Then flush it until it is clean.

The fan/clutch was bad, the water pump was dying, the hoses we're on their last legs and the T-stat wasn't fully opening...even the radiator cap leaked

 

[Angry Possum]

Angry,
Had a buddy who's son bought a 93 Navajo with a cooling issue. Because the history of the vehicle was unknown, I suggested removing the crank driven fan/clutch but not to replace it; instead, install an electronic fan, a new water pump, new T-stat, hoses with double clamps and radiator cap. Then flush it until it is clean.

The fan/clutch was bad, the water pump was dying, the hoses we're on their last legs and the T-stat wasn't fully opening...even the radiator cap leaked

In what I heard from a friend, is that you get 10 more horse power if you switch to an electronic radiator fan and do away with the mechanical fan. Is that true?

 

[Eddo Rogue]

In what I heard from a friend, is that you get 10 more horse power if you switch to an electronic radiator fan and do away with the mechanical fan. Is that true?

The horsepower is already there, it just gets added to your vehicle moving power instead of being used to turn the fan. Your gas mileage will also improve. The only downside is they are not as bulletproof as the traditional engine driven fan. Also some argue that engine driven fans move more air.

 

[Angry Possum]

The horsepower is already there, it just gets added to your vehicle moving power instead of being used to turn the fan. Your gas mileage will also improve. The only downside is they are not as bulletproof as the traditional engine driven fan. Also some argue that engine driven fans move more air.

After replacing the radiator fan clutch, now I can see why it would move more air...it's like nite and day with respect to air movement with this replacement

 

[gaz]

Angry,
Removing the crank driven fan/clutch ALWAYS frees up some power that was used to drive the aforementioned components. While still the easiest power to reclaim.

Another caveat to the changing an electric fan is to replace the water pump when switching to the electric fan; best I can hypothesis, the water pump's bearings seem don't hold up well when that load is removed. It's sort of like how a wheel behaves when it is knocked out of balance .

With your 4.0L, I also recommend adding an engine oil cooler with a remote oil filter. This setup can be made to add a quart or more to your oil capacity and really makes a difference in the engine's temperature stability.

In regards to the amount of air "an" electric fan can move, there are many fans on the market; the first fan I bought was rated at 2,850 cuft/min of air while many fans now for sale are rated at 950, 1,250 or 1,550 cuft/min. So don't be cheap when you buy a fan that has such an important duty.

 

[Angry Possum]

Thanks for the input to the thread.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I didn't think about the waterpump bearing. Is there a fix for that?

 

[gaz]

@Eddo Rogue ,
My solution is to install a new water pump when changing from crankshaft driven fan/clutch to electric fan.

 

[rhekman]

@Eddo Rogue ,
My solution is to install a new water pump when changing from crankshaft driven fan/clutch to electric fan.

Nothing wrong with replacing the water pump, but I'd argue the serpentine belt should apply enough force to a healthy bearing to keep it running true and cool.
Ultimately what kills water pump bearings is coolant leaking past the pump shaft seal and washing it out. Seals are kept healthy by regular coolant changes, since additives break down over time, and the coolant picks up contaminants.