SO when i got to work today, the temp gauge was a bit above half way on the '83 244DL. I opened the hood and spun the fan with the engine off, and it spun unrestricted. I'm pretty sure that means the clutch is toast, but i just want to double check before i get a new one.

Also, any tips replacing these?
Thanks y'all.
--
John '82 242GLT / '83 244DL / '66 122S (crunched front end, looking for a home)

The test I use is to let the engine heat up and then wedge a dime (thin, 10-cent coin for non US & CDN readers) between the throttle stop and cable drum to raise RPM to about 2000. Listen for the fan "roar" to cycle on and off as the clutch works. No roar equals bad clutch. ($63 at FCPGroton). Confirm with the free-spinning-by-hand test.

To R&R the fan clutch (and anything else on the front of the engine) I drain the coolant and remove the rad and shroud. At most, a 10-minute job which vastly eases the rest of the work and reduces the chances of breaking something due to awkward access. I disconnect the hoses at their engine or expansion tank ends to preserve the hose spigots on the rad.

Use a quality 10mm wrench on the fan stud nuts...very easy to round them off.
--
Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F, dtr's 83-244DL B23F, 'my' 94-944 B230FD; plus grocery-getter Dodge minivan, hobbycar MGB, and numerous old motorcycles)

"To R&R the fan clutch (and anything else on the front of the engine) I drain the coolant and remove the rad and shroud."
Removal of the shroud will provide plenty of room to unbolt fan. Draining coolant and removing rad is excessive.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

I'd be curious to know your trick to removing the shroud without first removing the fan.

Though I don't find it at all difficult to remove the nuts from the fan mounting studs with a stubby Craftsman box wrench made much thinner than its longer brothers, it would be a straighter shot without the shroud in the way. Not talking intercooled turbo. And for some stupid reason I always grab the Phillips first to dismount the shroud, then have to put one screw back in until I get the fan off. Then I bend the upper rad hose, to threaten the old Blackstone plastic, in order to withdraw the shroud.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Remove fan shroud?
I'm currently working on my clutch/cooling system (1990 245) and there is no way you can get the shroud out with out first removing the fan/clutch assembly.

"there is no way you can get the shroud out with out first removing the fan/clutch assembly. "
Ooops, my mistake. Fan comes off first, then shroud. (I was more concerned about stopping Volvo Lovin' from draining and removing his rad.)

Sorry if I led you and Art (and others) into believing I had found a magic way of removing the shroud without removing fan first.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans