Cheep Jerokee

Bought my `96 4x4 XJ 4.0 auto w/NP231 in February of this year. Replaced the following after flushing the block and heater core within the first two weeks of ownership: Radiator (OEM replacement aluminum core), 195 t-stat, All water hoses and heater valve and Fan clutch. Temps ok (205-210) for normal street and highway driving but tries to run hot 220+ if sitting for very long traffic or when out 4x crawling when outside temps are 95+. It takes longer but still tries to run hot even with the aux fan running full time with or without the A/C on. I have not let it get into the red, it does not boil or lose coolant. I have added a relay override switch for the aux fan and plan to replace the e-fan as it's making bad bearing noises and may not be turning full speed. What I noticed while under it replacing the engine mounts and oil pan gasket was that the front/leading edge of the mechanical fan has quite a gap away from the opening edge of the fan shroud. It also only clears things behind it by less than 1/4". I dug the old fan clutch out of the scrap metal pile and it was 1/4" longer than the currently installed fan clutch. The picture hopefully gives a decent idea of what I'm talking about. I'm thinking the fan should be at least 3/4" to 1" closer to the shroud for it to efficiently pull air through the radiator. Any thoughts? or does anyone else have any pictures of where the fan blade should be positioned in relation to the shroud?

EZEARL

3/4"-1" could make some difference but you didn't mention the water pump. HOPE it's not like the one below. djb383 said it never leaked but didn't pump either.

Cheep Jerokee

Yes, I hope it's not like that either! From the outside it looked like it had been replaced fairly recently before I got it so I had been hoping it was ok. But I may have to pull the pump and look to be sure.

Bobolink

Not 100% sure, but methinks your fan is mounted upside down (inside out?) (backwards?). I think the fat part of the blade is the leading edge and should be in the front.


Edit...... It's dark right now, else I'd go out and look at mine. In any case it is definitely not right with the shroud, and it really looks like it has only four or five blades in the picture, and my '90 has a seven blade fan.

md21722

yeah i'm thinking the same. flip the fan around. the small side of the rivets on the blades should face the engine.

Cheep Jerokee

Pulled the water pump and verified the impeller blades are in good condition but there was just enough sign of a leak starting at the weep hole that I went ahead and put a new pump on.


This does have a factory 7 blade fan and is still marked "FRONT" and is installed the correct direction with the inside of the blade curve cupping and moving the air.


I grabbed a ZJ fan clutch while picking up the new water pump and discovered a couple of things.
The by application HD fan clutch from Autozone #922625 that I installed about a week after purchasing the jeep has a mounting distance of 1.25". The one I took off was 1.5". The Napa #272314 ZJ fan clutch has 1.63" which would make the leading edge of the fan blade just about even with the outlet edge of the shroud. The problem came with it having way too big of clutch and fins on the front side of the fan blade and wouldn't fit between the end of the studs and the vertical brace on radiator frame to be able to install it. I will be taking it back tomorrow. After some MORE research I found a reference to a Napa #272310 that I hope will fit and have at least the same mounting distance as the other one without the extra bulk in front of the blade.

Cheep Jerokee

Well the research I did apparently came up with incorrect info. The Napa #272310 is NOT a ZJ fan clutch, it is regular one for an XJ Cherokee. So at this point I would have to call the use of a ZJ fan clutch in an XJ not doable.

EZEARL

It's a regular one for a 1994-2000 XJ w/4cyl. It's a heavy duty one for the 6cyl ones.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Re...004/Ne-2000000

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Bu...tNumber=272310

Cheep Jerokee

EZEARL thanks for the reply. You confirmed what I found out today about the part number my research said was the ZJ fan clutch that was an upgrade and would fit an XJ. It fits but it's not the upgrade that there seams to be lots of references to.


I guess there is actually no fan clutch upgrade from the stock ones.

DFlintstone

On my 90 the fan fit's about 1/4 inch into the shroud. Get this, the space between the end of the mount studs and the bolt's that hold the fan is about 11/16". In your photo it looks like you have less space there. Agreed on the E-Fan, if you know it's bad change it. Just some % improvement might "tip the scales".

EZEARL

When you compare the sound difference and the air being moved between the HD (272310) and the std (272318) the 272310 is definitely an upgrade. Is it needed? If the rest of the system is up to snuff. I doubt it.

Cheep Jerokee

This afternoon when the Napa salesman put in the 272310 part number it did not show ZJ or Grand Cherokee as an application, only XJ Cherokee W/2.5L and certain Wrangler's and such.


http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Bu...tNumber=272310


http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...310_0366614983


So I don't get the "ZJ fan clutch upgrade" label.


I already have the Autozone equivelant to the 272310 as far as application, I just don't like that it's mounting distance is shorter.

Cheep Jerokee

I picked up the Napa #272310 fan clutch after work today and installed it this evening. It moved the fan blade closer to the shroud to just about where I was thinking it should be. Leading edges are almost even with the opening of the shroud. The sound and feeling of the air movement is definitely an improvement over the Autozone clutch that by application should have been the same mounting distance and performance but is not the same. So now for some hot weather crawling to see if the temps behave any better.

EZEARL

[QUOTE=DFlintstone;2880300]On my 90 the fan fit's about 1/4 inch into the shroud. Get this, the space between the end of the mount studs and the bolt's that hold the fan is about 11/16". In your photo it looks like you have less space there.

Same as my '96. CJ,where did you get your water pump and what's the part number?

Cheep Jerokee

Same as my '96. CJ,where did you get your water pump and what's the part number?



I got my water pump from Napa, it was part #42004