Dustin Williams <dustinewilliams@gmail.com> wrote:
> If the sensor that tells the fan to engage goes out it would cause it
> to not work. That can be tested with a paperclip to by pass the
> sensor. That's what it was when my Corsica was overheating in 95
> degree N Idaho weather and was only noticable in city traffic or
> driving up the side of a long steep hill at 15 mph to get to where I
> was staying.
That would be true with an electrical fan, but most (all?) Dakotas
use a mechanical ("clutch") fan. There's a heat sensitive spring on
it and as it heats up it opens a valve that allows a special
(silicone?) fluid to flow through, which causes the clutch to engage.
Its kinda like a non-lockup torque converter though, there is no
direct mechanical connection so the blades always slip a bit in
comparison to the speed of the water pump.
--
-Jon-
.- Jon Steiger -- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com -.
| '96 Kolb Firefly, '96 Suzuki Intruder, Miscellaneous Mopars |
`-------------------------------- http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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