HDS M-001 Thermostat, Fan-shroud mod, & HD fan/clutch insall

TURBO-DIESEL-FREAK · **Joined:** Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:29 pm **Posts:** 1167

Infinite_Karma wrote:

Yep! And I believe that the real reason the temp has been so consistent and responsive is due to the 4J Thermostat & Assembly, not really the fan and fan-clutch. I will keep you posted as well Jeff when I pull the Travel Trailer up the mountain and back in May.

Excellent news... I am looking forward to your review.

Please do not sugar-coat the review... if there is a problem I need to know about it.

It may be prudent during this torture test to carry a 190 degree thermostat just in case things start to get too warm under the hood.

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2016 5:19 pm

I will do my best to be honest and detailed.

Excellent point about having the 190 degree thermostat valve tested first, and I'll make sure to have it with me.

I personally think I'd prefer to try the 203 degree thermostat valve first, and see how we do. And if it's good to go, then I'll know. If not, I can change it out after it cools off and test that then.

Or maybe vice versa!

We'll see.

Ram Man 02 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 19, 2016 4:59 pm

Im interested in buying a CRD so ive been reading many different threads before purchasing so i know what to expect and look out for. When i was reading though the replacement thermostat housing thread i can across your installation and i was curious why you went through the work of replacing your fan and clutch plus cutting the shroud? I get that cutting the shroud makes it easier to work on the fan later but now that everything is new you shouldnt have to think about that for a very long time. Did your jeep run hot while towing or did you have other problems? Just trying to learn all i can. Thanks Jeremiah

bradleyj · **Joined:** Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:41 pm **Posts:** 44

I just put this 11-blade fan on my CRD. There's not much space behind the new fan to get tools in through. Has anyone tried to take the fan and clutch off?

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:26 pm

Ram Man 02 wrote:

Im interested in buying a CRD so ive been reading many different threads before purchasing so i know what to expect and look out for. When i was reading though the replacement thermostat housing thread i can across your installation and i was curious why you went through the work of replacing your fan and clutch plus cutting the shroud? I get that cutting the shroud makes it easier to work on the fan later but now that everything is new you shouldnt have to think about that for a very long time. Did your jeep run hot while towing or did you have other problems? Just trying to learn all i can. Thanks Jeremiah

Hi Jeremiah / Ram Man 02,

In my opinion, the KJ CRD is an amazingly versatile vehicle that can serve so many roles and different types of drivers. I personally use it as my every-day vehicle for work (great mileage), family (perfect compact size and turning radius), weekend adventures (excellent snow / off-road capabilities and towing power), and long-term BOV (Bug Out Vehicle) preparedness. As many lostjeeps members have said before, buying this unique vehicle is not for everyone since it requires some investment on the part of the owner to become familiar with the quirks and modifications. I have learned so much over the last few years, and I have really enjoyed connecting with this group and their amazing knowledge. I have also enjoyed the work I've done on my KJ CRD, and it makes me a little more confident and proud.

As far as the Fan Shroud Mod goes, I remember reading (throughout my research on Lostjeeps.com) that there are good reasons for needing / wanting to get into the front of the engine bay and have a little more room to work. Since I was going to be doing some work in that area anyway, I did the Fan Shroud Mod at the same time to improve the set-up for that work and for future work. If need be, I can go back and find the posts and reasons if you want.

As far as my KJ CRD running hot while towing, it did when pulling my 19' 3500-4000lb travel trailer up the mountain to go camping. From what I learned, my fan clutch (and fan) were the old OEMs, and had never been changed or upgraded. I was also still using the old OEM Thermostat and Assembly, so that contributed. Previously, I had taken my KJ into the stealership for the TSB TCM Update (for CCM Temp Calibration) so I knew that the temp wasn't a misread.

Let's chat more and I'm happy to help in anyway I can!

Sarma

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Tue Mar 22, 2016 3:03 pm

bradleyj wrote:

I just put this 11-blade fan on my CRD. There's not much space behind the new fan to get tools in through. Has anyone tried to take the fan and clutch off?

Yep, I actually had to take it off once before to make sure the bolts were tight enough, and to make sure there wasn't any play. I then re-seated/connected the new fan to the fan-clutch outside the vehicle (since both were new for my vehicle), and then installed both as one back onto the post. I didn't have any trouble tightening the fan-clutch back down after it was in there, of course with the Fan-Shroud-Mod off, it made it very easy for me.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Mar 22, 2016 3:42 pm

bradleyj wrote:

I just put this 11-blade fan on my CRD. There's not much space behind the new fan to get tools in through. Has anyone tried to take the fan and clutch off?

The fan/clutch needs to be removed as an assembly, there is room to R&R them as an assembly. Simply screw the fan clutch off the hub!
I have the 11 blade GM fan and Hyden HD clutch on mine...
Helpful Hint: Drop a piece of cardboard or very heavy paper card stock between the radiator and fan to prevent any damage to the radiator fins while removing or installing the fan/clutch assembly.... :wink:

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2016 1:41 pm

Mother's Day weekend, we spent it camping in the rainy forest and mountains of Little Basin. I pulled my Tavel Trailer up the mountain strong and steady, and all these improvements () made it that much more perfect. The engine temp gauge settled at the 203 degree mark, and didn't move a millimeter throughout the entire drive or back. The 4J/1G Thermo unit is amazing. The New HD Fan clutch and 11 bladed fan insured that there wasn't going to be any overheating, and I actually got 20 Miles to the Gallon over the course of the whole trip.

Now if only I could move & re-wire the batter bank to the back of the Trailer, so that the two 100W solar panels I installed keep the batteries full all year long. That'll be the next project.

thermorex · **Posted:** Wed May 11, 2016 2:21 pm

If you go camping, some Firestone or airlift spring bags could be useful. Installation is couple hours max, this way the rear won't sag.

Infinite_Karma · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2016 4:10 pm

Thanks thermorex,

I looked into the air-lift kits a while back before getting this travel trailer, and I weighed the pros and cons of whether to get them. They aren't cheap with all the parts and pumps, and they are pretty specific to only needed during heavy towing. Since I only tow our Travel Trailer about 300-600 miles a year, and usually I'm pretty conservative when I drive with it attached, I don't know if I'll invest in those yet.

Unless you all see a serious risk of damaging something or a heavy safety risk that I'm missing, I'll leave it as is.

I have many more projects I'd prefer to prioritize on before this, and my bank account is in a drought.

thermorex · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2016 9:36 pm

You don't need to get the pump, the basic kit comes with airbags and plastic line, a valve and Clamps. That's somewhere around 100 bucks. I do have an airlift pump that I won't be using (brand new) since I got an ome lift recently, you may have it for the price of a late plus shipping, if you want.

So basically you just need to inflate the airbags through the valve when needed, if you don't go with Pump.

HDS M-001 Thermostat, Fan-shroud mod, & HD fan/clutch insall

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