I was an idiot- HD Cooling Package

So, I had gotten the idea in my head that adding the HD cooling package would be a relatively simple upgrade which would help my car tow more and possibly also improve my AC. I went to a junkyard and got the appropriate parts. I removed my old fan shroud, installed my junkyard fan clutch, and then bolted up my HD fan shroud. Only then did I realize that the plug for the HD shroud was different than my wiring harness! I never bothered to look at the plug before going all in and making the swap. Even better is that I couldn't figure out how to use Autozone's fan clutch toolset to remove the one I just put on, so I had to drive the car to a shop (while keeping a close eye on the temp gauge) and pay to have it removed.

My vehicle was a 2003 Liberty Sport 3.7L with a five speed manual transmission. That last part is probably why I was having issues. I honestly dont even know for sure how much benefit I would have gotten regarding transmission cooling with this package since it was a manual. So, I'm just posting this for future idiots to see 10 years from now when they try to make the same mistake I did.

Its nice to have a HD cooling system for your engine & AC Unit!

would you have benefited directly in the form of added transmission cooling? no, but the other benefits do add up and are not insignificant.

I live in Las Vegas, so my opinion is based on the temperatures and weather here (3 months a year above 95f pretty much 24/7, daytime highs regularly 110-115). For me, the primary benefit I noticed frequently is the HD cooling keeps the AC from getting warm at stop lights and when traffic is backed up. The AC condenser is in front of the radiator. If that condenser is not able to shed enough heat to keep the refrigeration cycle going, then there is heat build up other places under the hood as well.

For me it is also peace of mind. If the electric fan dies in the summer, and the engine overheats, I would be in serious trouble. The mechanical fan is a backup to the electric, so even if the electric were to crap out, there is still SOMETHING pulling air through the radiator when not traveling at freeway speeds (because on the freeway you drive fast enough the fans don't really matter anyways).

You might look for a replacement fan with the correct pin count to fit your HD shroud before throwing in the towel.

I would also checkout some youtube videos on how to remove the mechanical fan clutch (if you haven't already). Personally, I get really bothered when I cant figure something out, so I will seek that information until I do.

How many pins does your jeep have (2 or 3)?
Looking around all I see for your year (2003) is 2 pin fan motors, both for HD and regular.

mrlavalamp said:

would you have benefited directly in the form of added transmission cooling? no, but the other benefits do add up and are not insignificant.

I live in Las Vegas, so my opinion is based on the temperatures and weather here (3 months a year above 95f pretty much 24/7, daytime highs regularly 110-115). For me, the primary benefit I noticed frequently is the HD cooling keeps the AC from getting warm at stop lights and when traffic is backed up. The AC condenser is in front of the radiator. If that condenser is not able to shed enough heat to keep the refrigeration cycle going, then there is heat build up other places under the hood as well.

For me it is also peace of mind. If the electric fan dies in the summer, and the engine overheats, I would be in serious trouble. The mechanical fan is a backup to the electric, so even if the electric were to crap out, there is still SOMETHING pulling air through the radiator when not traveling at freeway speeds (because on the freeway you drive fast enough the fans don't really matter anyways).

You might look for a replacement fan with the correct pin count to fit your HD shroud before throwing in the towel.

I would also checkout some youtube videos on how to remove the mechanical fan clutch (if you haven't already). Personally, I get really bothered when I cant figure something out, so I will seek that information until I do.

How many pins does your jeep have (2 or 3)?
Looking around all I see for your year (2003) is 2 pin fan motors, both for HD and regular.

Click to expand...

My jeep had 2 pins, and my HD shroud had 3

You can get a new fan on rockauto for $60 or so (plus shipping and whatever).

You might even be able to find one for almost that (about $100) at your local parts places.

Of course, another trip to the junkyard (now that you know) would be the cheapest.

The early models (02 and 03) had the 2 pin fans and the later models 3 pin...