The Big Deal About Viscous Fan Clutches

What Do Fan Clutches Even Do?

One of the under-celebrated heroes of your truck's power generation system is the fan clutch. Going back to Engine 101 for a minute, you know that an engine gets hot from all the pressure put on it. You also know that letting that engine overheat is not only dangerous to driver safety but can also cause serious damage to the vehicle. The cooling fan is what helps cool the engine down when things are heating up under the hood, but the fan clutch plays a key role in supplying the power behind that cooling fan.

Just as engine cooling needs are different depending on your application, no two fun clutches are created equally. Fan/vehicle combination is crucial for the engine cooling system to work properly,

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and there are currently three types of fan clutches that are most commonly used on modern vehicles — non-thermal, thermal, and electronic fan clutches.

While each type of fan clutch has its pros and cons, innovations in thermal fan clutch technology are doing some pretty amazing things for the commercial vehicle industry.

Thermal Fan Clutches: Engine Cooling for the 21^st Century

Unlike non-thermal clutches that operate off of the shaft speed of the water pump and are always engaged, thermal fan clutches engage in response to temperatures under the hood. As hot air blows across your radiator, a temperature-sensing bi-metal spring heats up. As the spring heats, it opens up the fluid valve, releasing silicone gel into the clutch's chamber.

The magic of the thermal fan clutch is that the bi-metal spring and silicone gel engage the cooling fan and produce the exact amount of cool air needed to bring the temperature back down. As the temperature under the hood decreases, the bi-metal spring retracts, closing the fluid valve. Thermal clutches are widely considered to be more efficient than non-thermal clutches and are not always engaged, meaning reduced fuel costs for you.

The Benefits of BorgWarner Bi-Metal Viscous Fan Clutches

If you're thinking about investing in thermal fan clutches for your truck or fleet, it's a good idea to choose a brand that knows the business. BorgWarner has over a century of experience in developing and innovating clean, energy-efficient solutions for the trucking industry, including bi-metal viscous fan clutches.

Offering the 750, 795, and 805 series viscous fan clutches depending on your truck's vehicle/fan specs and weight, cost, performance, and durability parameters, BorgWarner bi-metal viscous fan clutches offer several benefits:

• Self-contained, maintenance-free build and design
• Smoother and softer engagement than other fan clutches for extended service life of belts and accessories
• Fuel efficiency and horsepower savings of up to 6-10% depending on your cycle
• Extended engine life due to improved temperature control
• Both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation options
• Crankshaft and remote pulley mounting possibilities
• BorgWarner viscous fan clutches cover a broad scope of applications, including heavy-duty trucks and commercial vehicles

If design features are important to your clutch needs, BorgWarner clutches feature:

• Hex input shaft with internal thread or flange shaft options
• Flexibility in torque capacity and temperature calibrations to suit the unique needs of each make and model

Where to Buy BorgWarner Fan Clutches

If you're ready to get the best for your truck's engine cooling system, shop our online store today to find the right BorgWarner bi-metal viscous fan clutch. In addition to our selection of BorgWarner Kysor On/Off and DuroSpeed 2-speed fan clutches, we have multiple sizes and torque capacities of viscous fan clutches to make sure your fuel efficiency and fan clutch service life stay up and your downtime and fuel costs stay low.

To learn more about the Benefits of BorgWarner for your truck or fleet, shop our online catalog or call our experienced parts team with any questions you have along the way.

Key Points: The Big Deal about Viscous Fan Clutches

• Fan clutches work in tandem with your engine's cooling fan to manage underhood temperatures and keep your engine from overheating
• There are three types of fan clutches: non-thermal, thermal, and electric. Thermal fan clutches are widely considered to be the most efficient as they are not always engaged
• Thermal fan clutches operate using a heat-sending bi-metal spring, which expands as engine temperature increases. This, in turn, opens the fluid valve and releases silicone gel into the chamber. The gel activates the fan based on cooling demands and the valve closes once optimal cooling has been reached
• BorgWarner bi-metal viscous clutch fans offer better torque capacity and fan/vehicle combinations than the competition, ensuring the perfect fit for your make, model, and application
• BorgWarner viscous fan clutches offer multiple benefits in efficiency, economy, and design
• With a full online catalog and inventory at multiple strategic distribution locations, we can help you find the best BorgWarner viscous fan clutch for your trucking needs