'97 K1500 Suburban Fan Clutch Comparison

[L31MaxExpress]

I'd actually read in a few other places that the Hayden severe dutys were really loud. Looks like the 2786 is no exception. Thanks for the heads up.

I used a Hayden severe duty on both the 5 blade and 11 blade fans. The 5 blade metal fan is the one that sounded like a 747 ALL the time. 75 mph on the highway it was still roaring. The 11 blade fan allowed the clutch to actually freewheel some of the time. I then swapped the fan blade to a 9 blade early duramax model. Swapped the clutch to a severe duty for an 07 Trailblazer SS. Only time the clutch ever kicked in fully was in stop and go. Sounded like a school bus for a few seconds taking off in 1st gear.

My a/c would get down to about 40°F at idle on a 105°F day. It would get down around 32°F running down the road. Both figures with both fans on high and recirculate with a cooled down interior. 30 minutes of highway driving would freeze people out and have them looking for spare clothes, blankets or towels to cover up with. Use the Ford 0.057" orifice tube. IIRC it is the Red one.

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[L31MaxExpress]

One other thing I have to say on these dual units. Crank both blower fans to the high speed setting and let the system stabilize out for 5-10 minutes. If the rear unit is noticeably colder than the front the system is low on charge. The rear units use a thermal expansion valve. When the system is low the rear units TXV will open firther allowing more refrigerant to pass through its evaporator. My G20 Van, Express van and Tahoe all would quit cooling well in the front and still have ice cold air in the back with a low charge in the system. My brothers Tahoe and Suburban were also the same way.

 

[df2x4]

One other thing I have to say on these dual units. Crank both blower fans to the high speed setting and let the system stabilize out for 5-10 minutes. If the rear unit is noticeably colder than the front the system is low on charge. The rear units use a thermal expansion valve. When the system is low the rear units TXV will open firther allowing more refrigerant to pass through its evaporator. My G20 Van, Express van and Tahoe all would quit cooling well in the front and still have ice cold air in the back with a low charge in the system. My brothers Tahoe and Suburban were also the same way.

On that note, what would you expect the issue to be if the opposite were happening?

Reason I ask is that I recently had the A/C system completely gone through in my Suburban, and now the rear system has decided it just wants to blow warm air all the time. Taking it back to my mechanic sometime in the next month or two to get it checked, just curious what might be going on. The front system blows ice cold as long as I'm moving.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

The stock fan doesn't make that much noise on my Burb. Stands to reason the severe duty fan clutch would be a little noisier than the regular version because it has more fins. So moving more air....but that's why it does the job better.

 

[df2x4]

Heavy and severe duty clutches spin at a higher percentage of engine RPM than standard duty ones do when they're engaged, therefore some more fan noise is to be expected for sure. The OEM clutch that came on my Suburban was definitely louder than the standard duty I have on it now. I don't mind going back to the level of fan noise the truck made from the factory though, I just don't want it to sound like a jet engine if I can help it.

Thanks for the input so far everyone. I'm still leaning towards the ACDelco.

 

[JavaMan]

One other thing I have to say on these dual units. Crank both blower fans to the high speed setting and let the system stabilize out for 5-10 minutes. If the rear unit is noticeably colder than the front the system is low on charge. The rear units use a thermal expansion valve. When the system is low the rear units TXV will open firther allowing more refrigerant to pass through its evaporator. My G20 Van, Express van and Tahoe all would quit cooling well in the front and still have ice cold air in the back with a low charge in the system. My brothers Tahoe and Suburban were also the same way.

That's helpful to know. I've noticed it being warm upfront while the kids are freezing in back a few times when we travel through the desert the past couple of years.

On a side note. Anyone delt with fan replacements under warranty? I think I got a Hayden spring 2019, it's a severe duty. However, as it warmed up this spring it's been acting a bit weird. In hot weather, (90+) it works great, kicks on when needed then disengages when it should. When it's cold it stays disengaged, as it should. However, in mild temperatures, when it's only 50-85 outside, it gets stuck engaged, even when not running the AC. Reduces my MPG by 1 when driving 75 for miles when there's no need to be engaged. We live at 7200ft elevation, where it's cool, but frequently drive down to Phoenix, where it's been up to 106 already this year.

 

[alpinecrick]

That's helpful to know. I've noticed it being warm upfront while the kids are freezing in back a few times when we travel through the desert the past couple of years.

On a side note. Anyone delt with fan replacements under warranty? I think I got a Hayden spring 2019, it's a severe duty. However, as it warmed up this spring it's been acting a bit weird. In hot weather, (90+) it works great, kicks on when needed then disengages when it should. When it's cold it stays disengaged, as it should. However, in mild temperatures, when it's only 50-85 outside, it gets stuck engaged, even when not running the AC. Reduces my MPG by 1 when driving 75 for miles when there's no need to be engaged. We live at 7200ft elevation, where it's cool, but frequently drive down to Phoenix, where it's been up to 106 already this year.

The Hayden severe duty in my 96 K1500 is engaged, like, 99.9% of the time. It's easy to tell when it's engaged because it sounds like a 747 on takeoff.............

My 96 Express and 02 Savana both roared, I figured it was a van thing. I recently replaced the fan clutch in the 96 with a Hayden heavy duty and ALL fan noise went away. Just as joyously, it picked up performance. I am still surprised a fan clutch could make so much difference.

Needless to say, I immediately ordered one for my 02. Fan noise went away in that van too.