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Fan Clutch disintegrated

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Anyone ever have a catastrophic failure of the fan clutch assembly, where, from what I can tell right now, the assembly is torn off of the engine, fan blades shattered, belts frayed, broken blades pierce the radiator, top radiator hose pulled off of water pump, emptying entire contents of the radiator.  Ironically, this is the second fan clutch I've had go bad.  First time, just overheating, but this time it was instantaneous while climbing mountains through West Virginia.  Nothing like spending my holiday boon docking in a diesel repair facility parking lot until they can start working on it Monday.

2012 Tiffin Phaeton 42 LH

Spartan Chassis

Cummins ISL

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Fan clutches on 18 wheelers are long lived. Have no experience with them on diesel RV s. A member with the name Desert Deals changed his fan from a clutch unit to a solid drive unit. Runs all of the time. Our's is set up that way from the factory. You have lost a bunch of money with your second replacement. When things are being repaired, insist on constant drive.

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Our's is a rear radiator, and the fan runs all of the time. I close the door to the bedroom as we motor down the road. Keeps things quieter and cooler. Never had a fan clutch fail on any of my big rigs. Maybe the RV builders put the cheapest unit they can find on our toys??

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I've had the fan clutch on our front engine gasser go out several times in the last few years.  I've gotten really good at replacing them.  Never had a catastrophic failure like your.  Mine just stopped working, or start squeeling badly. 

I also got mine at oreilies with a lifetime warrenty so just swapped it out last week on a weekend getaway to the mountains at no cost.

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Of course with a front engine gasser,  unless your hearing is like mine,  you can hear problems. With a rear engine diesel, a clutch fan failure would be easy to miss. Desert Deals( Bruce) has the right idea. Eliminate the fan clutch.

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On 9/22/2018 at 2:04 PM, aztec7fan said:

I've had the fan clutch on our front engine gasser go out several times in the last few years.  I've gotten really good at replacing them.  Never had a catastrophic failure like your.  Mine just stopped working, or start squeeling badly. 

I also got mine at oreilies with a lifetime warrenty so just swapped it out last week on a weekend getaway to the mountains at no cost.

You might look at Summit Racing, they have heavy duty fan clutches and hi flow thermostats.

Makes me wonder if there isn't more to the OP's problem. I hear about them not working and basickley be free wheeling but not locking up.

Bill

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2 hours ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

Makes me wonder if there isn't more to the OP's problem. I hear about them not working and basickley be free wheeling but not locking up.

I've seen the clutch assembly fly apart causing almost the same kind of destruction described by the OP. I prefer the flexible fan over a fan clutch, the blades go into a flattened condition making them quieter at higher speeds.

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1 hour ago, kaypsmith said:

I've seen the clutch assembly fly apart causing almost the same kind of destruction described by the OP. I prefer the flexible fan over a fan clutch, the blades go into a flattened condition making them quieter at higher speeds.

Yes but I have never seen or heard of adapting a flex  fan to a rear radiator Cummins like the Op has.

Bill

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