retmil46
Full Access Member
I've got a friend with a 2011 Wrangler Unlimited. He mentioned where he'd seen on another Wrangler forum that outside of the U.S. they sold JK's with the standard electric fan AND a mechanical fan with a viscous clutch. He was interested in this given the complaints with the U.S. JK's - ****** overheat light, electrical fan failing if going thru water, etc.
I've done some research recently on the KJ's fan setup, the CRD versus the V6's - it turned out that the 11 bladed nylon fan on a V6 would fit on a CRD and replace the 5 bladed metal fan - straight swapout. Matter of fact, that's what I recently did to my KJ CRD - installed a severe duty Hayden fan clutch and an 11 bladed nylon V6 fan - greatly improved air flow, A/C performance, and of importance to my friend, ****** fluid temps out of the aux cooler are down to 120 F on a 100 F plus Texas day.
Doing a little research over the past few days, it looks as if you can easily rig up a mechanical fan on a JK, all with OEM parts.
Hayden lists a thermal fan clutch for 07/08 Wranglers, same type as on the KJ V6's and CRD's, P/N 2738, $47 from OReillys. My friend checked his 2011, and the water pump still has the threaded shaft for screwing on the fan clutch. Takes a fan clutch holding tool you can get from NAPA and a long 36 mm wrench to tighten it on, around 100 ft/lbs.
You can get the 11 bladed nylon fan blade for an 02 to 07 V6 KJ from one of the online Chrysler parts suppliers for $60, bolts up to the fan clutch with four 5/16" - 18 bolts, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long.
Looks as if you can also order the fan shroud from Chrysler as well - even the one for the diesel version sold overseas. 55057123AB for auto ******, 68039594AA for manual ******, 55057127AB for the diesel.
Hayden only lists a fan clutch for 07/08's, nothing for 09 and later. Might be because they list one air filter housing and intake hose for 07/08, and a different combination for 09 and later - could be they rerouted the air intake hose such that it would interfere with the fan and shroud - in that case you could try getting the air filter housing and intake hose for an 07/08 - housing lists for $35 or so, hose for around $12 - and see if that provides the clearance for the mechanical fan and shroud.
Miht be the same deal with the lower radiator hose - one P/N listed for 07/08, another for 09 and later - 07/08 lower radiator hose lists for about $15 to $20.
One thing that's working for us - the Chrysler bean counters have done their best to make the same parts work on as many different vehicles as possible - never thought their penny-pinching would actually work to our advantage one day!
I've done some research recently on the KJ's fan setup, the CRD versus the V6's - it turned out that the 11 bladed nylon fan on a V6 would fit on a CRD and replace the 5 bladed metal fan - straight swapout. Matter of fact, that's what I recently did to my KJ CRD - installed a severe duty Hayden fan clutch and an 11 bladed nylon V6 fan - greatly improved air flow, A/C performance, and of importance to my friend, ****** fluid temps out of the aux cooler are down to 120 F on a 100 F plus Texas day.
Doing a little research over the past few days, it looks as if you can easily rig up a mechanical fan on a JK, all with OEM parts.
Hayden lists a thermal fan clutch for 07/08 Wranglers, same type as on the KJ V6's and CRD's, P/N 2738, $47 from OReillys. My friend checked his 2011, and the water pump still has the threaded shaft for screwing on the fan clutch. Takes a fan clutch holding tool you can get from NAPA and a long 36 mm wrench to tighten it on, around 100 ft/lbs.
You can get the 11 bladed nylon fan blade for an 02 to 07 V6 KJ from one of the online Chrysler parts suppliers for $60, bolts up to the fan clutch with four 5/16" - 18 bolts, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long.
Looks as if you can also order the fan shroud from Chrysler as well - even the one for the diesel version sold overseas. 55057123AB for auto ******, 68039594AA for manual ******, 55057127AB for the diesel.
Hayden only lists a fan clutch for 07/08's, nothing for 09 and later. Might be because they list one air filter housing and intake hose for 07/08, and a different combination for 09 and later - could be they rerouted the air intake hose such that it would interfere with the fan and shroud - in that case you could try getting the air filter housing and intake hose for an 07/08 - housing lists for $35 or so, hose for around $12 - and see if that provides the clearance for the mechanical fan and shroud.
Miht be the same deal with the lower radiator hose - one P/N listed for 07/08, another for 09 and later - 07/08 lower radiator hose lists for about $15 to $20.
One thing that's working for us - the Chrysler bean counters have done their best to make the same parts work on as many different vehicles as possible - never thought their penny-pinching would actually work to our advantage one day!
