While trying to teach my sister-in-law how to drive a 5 speed this afternoon, my fan clutch managed to hit the radiator. There were a few rough starts, but nothing that I would have ever imagined to have caused the fan clutch to hit the radiator. Jeep is a 98 4x4 with the 4.0 with 140K on the odometer. I shook the engine and radiator supports and nothing moved. Motor mounts have felt solid while driving. Fan has no play and is secured to the water pump. Is there something that I am missing that could cause the fan to hit the radiator? Thank you for any help that you have.

Also what year radiators will fit as a replacement? Will most likely hit a pull a part this weekend.

 

Fan clutch secures to an idler pulley, not the water pump. I'd check again on the motor mounts.

 

I say check mounts real good .

 

I had this happen but I was towing around 5000lb's lol. I know mine was just from chaise flex. I just took the mechanical fan out and put in a 12" e-fan from the part store. Bet it wont happen agean.

 

Weird, I too have a 98 XJ 4x4 but mines an automatic and my fan clutch actually broke while driving and snapped off the top of my fan shroud. The shaft connecting to the fan itself was destroyed inside the clutch and started wreaking havoc. My radiators fine, but Ill need a new clutch for the fan, and some duct tape for the shroud.

 

Motor mounts. Use a jack and a nice piece of wood and put under oil pan, jack slightly and look for cracks in the rubber, mine did the exact same thing, drove around for about 2 years before I stumbled across the bad mounts.

 

While you have the jack and wood under there, check your transmission mount, too. Unfortunately you'll need to loosen the bolts and pull down because you won't be able to tell if the transmission mount has split while it's sandwiched up tight. Your two motor mounts and the transmission mount are the only three mounts holding the drive train in place. Sounds like all three are shot.

 

Thank you all for your replies. I will give the wood block and a floor jack a try this weekend after I find another radiator for her. What motor mounts do you all suggest or recommend? Thanks again

 

I agree on the motor mounts. But check the mounting to the block as well. I had my bolts break off in the block after I hit a pothole and the fan hit..... Yes after beating the ever living out of it off road a pothole takes it out lol

 

I had a similar issue, but mine problem was some of the rubber in the dampener was loose and hitting the radiator. i cut it off and have had no problems since.

 

i had my fan eat the radiator once but that cause i hit a car "oops". does switching the mecahnical fan for an electrical fan free up any horsepower. cause i was thinking of doing it just to make the motor quieter lol

 

yes, it frees up a marginal amount of horsepower, however, as I pointed out to someone else recently, you cant just grab another air con electric fan from another jeep, it wont move enough air to keep it cool, you'll have to find an electric fan that fits in the hole and moves enough air (read as more than stock) to keep it cool.

Removing the mechanical fan will always free up some horsepower and weight, however, the added drain on the electrical system when it is running will also use horsepower, so its really a toss up.

In the racing world, on the circle track, I know alot of guys will kill the alternator and other electronics in the closing laps (not nascar) for the marginal gain of hp.

In the drag racing world most people kill everything for the pass, then turn it all on at the end of the track. There is no perfect fix as far as replacing one vs the other.