The engine fan is designed to help keep the motor cool on your vehicle. A fan clutch has a fluid coupling to rotate the fan at a slower speed than the engine, and only when a certain temperature has been reached in the engine compartment. This still allows the fan to do its job more efficiently and quietly. A faulty fan clutch can be replaced in approximately one hour.
Let the engine cool down if the vehicle has been driven in the past hour. Open the hood and locate the plastic fan shroud. Remove the retaining bolts from the shroud with a socket and ratchet and place them aside. Let the shroud lay loose and in place for now, as it will be pulled out simultaneously with the fan assembly.
Loosen the nut that attaches the fan assembly to the water pump pulley with a large wrench in a counterclockwise direction. Hold the fan assembly with one hand while removing the nut with the other hand. Place the nut aside.
Raise the fan assembly and fan shroud from the engine bay together. Place the shroud aside and place the fan assembly face-down on a work bench.
Remove the fan clutch (which is a circular, finned metal housing) retaining bolts from the back of the fan assembly with a socket and ratchet. Pull the fan clutch straight up from the fan blade. Attach a replacement clutch to the blade using the original retaining bolts.
Slide the fan assembly and the shroud together into the front of the engine bay. Tighten the fan retaining nut to the water pump pulley with a large wrench in a clockwise direction. Replace and tighten the shroud retaining bolts and tighten with a socket and ratchet.
