MUD & Cooling Fan

KJ-BOL · **Posted:** Mon Mar 27, 2006 2:55 pm

Just a note for everybody....
Wheelin yesterday, I hit a mud/water hole a bit fast and of course a lot of it went in the engine. Then suddenly I started overheating big time - after a lot of playing with cleaners, air, blowing things clean, etc.... somebody sugested what would happen if I just washed the KJ
Badlands has a pressure washer so I took it there cleaned the cooling fan housing really good and VOILA..... no more problems.
I thought I already did some damage to the fan & its parts but a simple wash was all it needed.
So, my final thought on this one..... if it happens to anyone:
If you are overheating due to mud on cooling system, pressure wash it and make sure you have not lost any fluid due to boiling - add plenty of water if you did - then go back & wheel some more. :wink:

jason thompson · **Posted:** Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:33 pm

KJ-BOL wrote:

Just a note for everybody....
Wheelin yesterday, I hit a mud/water hole a bit fast and of course a lot of it went in the engine. Then suddenly I started overheating big time - after a lot of playing with cleaners, air, blowing things clean, etc.... somebody sugested what would happen if I just washed the KJ
Badlands has a pressure washer so I took it there cleaned the cooling fan housing really good and VOILA..... no more problems.
I thought I already did some damage to the fan & its parts but a simple wash was all it needed.
So, my final thought on this one..... if it happens to anyone:
If you are overheating due to mud on cooling system, pressure wash it and make sure you have not lost any fluid due to boiling - add plenty of water if you did - then go back & wheel some more. :wink:

yeh i have seen that plenty down here in south LA
tha mud plugs the radiator and it cant do its job thats why i stay away from the deep thick stuff when ever possable

4wdParakeet · **Posted:** Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:52 pm

I had that happen to me too. Ended the day early to go home and find out the fan has started working again. I didn't wash it or nothing yet. I'm going to have to take it apart and do the grease thing.

Parakeet

KJ-BOL · **Posted:** Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:27 pm

I did not need to take it apart - try the easy fix first - power wash it from the inside out - then see if that gets the fan going on its own - if not, then proceed to take the fan out and clean up.
After I washed it, even check engine light has dissapeared - I just need to refil my coolant - I added water yesterday

MULE · **Posted:** Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:29 pm

WITH THE FAN RUNNING TO COOL THE ENGINE, IT PULLS AIR INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE RADIATOR. IT WILL PULL MUD AND SAND FILLED WATER INTO THE RADIATOR JUST AS QUICK AS THE NOSE DIVE. AN ON/OFF SWITCH CONNECTED TO THE ELECTRIC FAN CKT. WILL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MUCK YOU PULL INTO THE FINS. A POST SOMEWHERE PAST HAD A CKT. DIAGRAM. JUST REMEMBER TO FLICK THE FAN BACK ON AFTER THE WATER HOLE.

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:53 am

Notice how the '05 and newer KJs do not have the large open area for the grill/radiatior as the previous years? This lower "blinded" area is where all my mud and debris collects. I had to hose it off last night because the bottom 3-5 inches of the radiator/intercooler/whatever else is in there/ was plugged shut from road debris and dust/mud. It was clearly more than just stuff from this past Sunday's trip out to The Badlands.

The CRD has a belt driven main fan, with an electric overdrive fan. So I'm always pulling debris in. I'm just going to check and rinse every oil change to keep things cleaned out.

uvalax236 · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:10 am

Well I have done quite a bit of mudding in my KJ. Last night I tried to take the Radiatior fan off. I got the first 2 bolts off and disconnected the power to the fan. Now it seems like Im missing something because the fan keeps fighting me to come out. I removed the top 2 bolts. Are there more? Does anyone have a wright-up on how to clean the fan? Thanks for the help!

chefdab · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:49 pm

There are two clips towards the bottom of the shroud, one on either side. you have to lift the shroud straight up to get them to disengage.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:34 pm

Mule, thanks for the tips. Can you please turn off CAPS? It makes it funky to read and is the online version of yelling. Thanks.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:11 pm

Just adding to what mule said. When the A/C is not needed, I think its cool unplug the compressor and when you turn the A/C on the fan is still turned on. I usually do this when I go 4wheeling since I do not have the belt driven fan that I will get this summer when I get a job. It helps to keep the tranny cooler since your going so slow and the fan usually never kicks on.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:40 am

Just a reminder to some and new info to others. If you all are doing enough to get mud in the radiator than you might want to go ahead and buy another idler pully (if you go to an autozone or advance make sure it is the smooth one) and a serp. belt. I went 60,000miles and a lot of hard wheeling in mud but the pully finnaly failed at the end of last week on the highway. If you carry these two parts and a 15mm wrench it is a 10min repair that anyone can do.

Liberator84 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:09 am

same thing if you go through a mud hole and the liberty starts to shake and then stop. There is probably mud on the fan. That happened to me last summer. I just washed it off and it was good to go!

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Mar 31, 2006 10:59 am

Ive never been in mud deep enough to get the motor in, but I have gotten the fan blades in water and it threw mud all over that pad under the hood. Ive been needing to clean that.

LimitedLurker · **Joined:** Fri Jul 08, 2005 7:18 pm **Posts:** 114

I was at a jamboree and the trail guide had a sprayer. 3 or 5 gallon like would be used in lawn care to spray weed killer or insecticides.

If someone was overheating he'd pull it out and give the radiator a quick rinse and they'd be good to go. I carry one now too.

MUD & Cooling Fan

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