Fan clutch need replacing?

116k miles. 1. Engine warm, the blade turns about one blade distance and stops, hard to turn 2. Upon cold startup there’s this loud racing sound that lasts for about 8 seconds then quiets down. It’s faster sounding than the normal faster rpm cold engine startup and I never heard it before. No other noises, temps are fine, belts seem normal tension. That racing sound sounds like it’s coming from towards the back, but I suspect it’s sound being acoustically “thrown” to the back, making it sound like that’s the sound’s location. Sorry, but I didn’t check if it spins easier when cold.

 

Newspaper test is what we used to do.

 

Take a newspaper and stick it in the fan

I’m pretty sure most fan clutches or thermal couplers fail locked so they stay spinning, and you will constantly hear a “racing” fan and have poor fuel economy and low power.

 

Old school trick I learned from my dad, that I later heard again from older guys that wrench (I'm on LS/Corvette forums).

Works well though might not work anymore if you don't get the newspaper sent to your house.

 

Hey, if you're like some sort of 10-ply kind of guy, more power to you.

I'm more of a Charmin Ultra kinda guy

 

That racing sound dies down after about 8 seconds. Not sure if that was always the case. The blades don’t spin freely and no rise in temps, so I assume I’m OK for the time being.