Yes, we know Toyota Land Cruisers are Cool! Heck, they are getting too cool as used pricing continues to climb! BUT, we are not talking about the cool cache Land Cruisers retain; it’s the Land Cruisers engine heat we are talking about!
SUMMER’S HEAT IS UPON US – BUT ELEVATION MATTERS TOO – IF NOT MORE!
Here is a good analogy for us all to consider: Both our bodies and our vehicles require air, water, and fuel, with an emphasis on “air.” At elevation, the percentage of oxygen is the same as at sea level, which is roughly 21 percent. However, because air molecules at high altitudes are more dispersed, each human breath delivers less oxygen to the body. A breath at 12,000 feet delivers 40 percent less oxygen to the body than at sea level.
Skip the fluff and cut straight to the chase: Fan Clutches on the product page.
So, we are not stating that oxygen is the key to cooling or that O2 or O3 is “THE” missing element at elevation, but we all know that air is “thinner” at elevation, and air is what passes through our radiators! Thus, less air = less cooling, and we are sticking to it. That is, unless you prove to us otherwise.
We know that elevation wreaks havoc on our Land Cruiser’s cooling systems here in Colorado Springs, especially when we head up the passes into the mountains.
ELEVATION ROLL CALL
Here at Red Line Land Cruisers, we get to see a lot of cooling issues along with all the neglected engine maintenance issues as we service a lot of cool-looking Land Cruisers! While we are in the “coolest” of states – COLORADO, our “air” is ironically lacking.. of AIR! Yes, elevation plays a critical role that we take for granted. Just for some elevation-comparatives;
Spur 118 is officially the highest paved highway in Texas. It leads to the top of Mount Locke, at 6,791 feet, where the observatory provides a starry-night respite for budding and professional astronomers alike.
Wheeler Peak is the highest point (13,161 feet [4,011 meters]) in New Mexico, U.S. It is located in Taos County, 70 miles (113 km) northeast of Santa Fe, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and within Carson National Forest.
You guys have Hart’s Pass in Washington, a high mountain pass at 1.891m (6,204ft) above sea level. The road was built in 1893 into gold and silver mines that once housed over 1,000 permanent residents.
Utah has many epic roads, but the highest drivable point is Mount Brigham, at 3.559m (11,676ft). Located in the Tushar Mountains, the road to the summit is unpaved. It’s called Wedge Road.
For those of you, “Land Cruising” it up in California. Big Bear Lake, California, sits at 6,752’, and if you get up and drive the dirt roads up behind the ski lifts, you can catch 8,805’. Folks traveling across Donner Pass sneak across the 80FWY at 7,057’, and Lake Tahoe sits at a cool 6,225’. If tip-toeing across the Rubicon Trail, you only tipped the elevation meter at 6,600 feet. But California’s Rock Creek Road is a very scenic drive with dramatic views, located on the boundary between Mono and Inyo counties in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California. It is California’s highest paved public road, topping out at 3.121m (10,239ft) above sea level.
For all you California adventurists driving up and down California’s HWY395, you know Mt. Witney is sitting at 14k. You can hike it but can’t drive up to the top. But you can drive to an elevation of 8,374 feet (2,552 m) on the Whitney Portal Road. You can also check off a 9,945-foot crossing over the Tioga Pass.
Our shop in Colorado Springs, Colorado, sits at an elevation of 6,296 feet – IN TOWN! “Right next to us” is Pikes Peak, with its entrance road only 18 miles away from our shop! Yes, we said road! The road to *Pikes Peak will take you to the peak’s parking lot at 14,115 feet (think Mt. Witney, but you can drive to the top!) And if that is not enough drivable elevation for your Land Cruiser, Colorado holds the honor of the highest drivable road in North America, with Mount Evans Road rising to a height of 14,130 feet above sea level!
The POINT OF ALL THIS is that we love driving our Land Cruisers in the mountains! Mountains have “thin air,” and air is what mixes with our fuel to create the combustion in the chamber. AIR is also what passes through the radiator to cool that combustion! We love driving in the mountains, even though driving in the mountains actually works against us! Your cooling system needs to be in tip-top condition!
FAN CLUTCH FUNCTION
When the engine is cool or even at normal operating temperature, the fan clutch partially disengages the engine’s mechanically driven radiator cooling fan, saving power since the engine does not have to drive the fan fully. Once the engine temperature rises above the clutch’s engagement temperature setting, the fan becomes fully engaged, thus drawing a higher volume of ambient air through the vehicle’s radiator, which in turn maintains or lowers the engine coolant temperature to an acceptable level.
TESTING 1, 2, 3, IS YOUR FAN CLUTCH FREE WHEELING OR FULLY ENGAGING?
If we didn’t lose you with all the “high elevation,” then carry on with these procedures:
1] Check Fan Clutch Spin – Resistance is good and Free-spin is bad!
If your clutch is “free-wheeling” or will spin with very little resistance, then it has ran its duty-cycle course and needs replacing. See our options down below.
2] Check the Fan Clutch Bearing / Water Pump Bearing by holding the fan blade and applying pressure front to back and feeling for play in either the fan clutch itself or the water pump.
3] Does the water pump need replacing?
4] Have you replaced the radiator cap within the last 5 years?
5] Radiator Hoses – do these need replacing?
6] Belts—Older than 2 years? REPLACE THEM! Remove the old ones and put them in your onboard tool kit (only if they are “okay” or new ones), just in case your buddy needs one on the trail!
See our radiator caps: radiator-cap-guide
FAN CLUTCHES FOR TOYOTA LAND CRUISERS
We stock and modify Aisin brand fan clutches with what is commonly called the “Blue Fan Clutch Mod” or the 95-degree modification, where we modify OEM Aisin Fan Clutch to engage at 95 degrees. We change the CST Fluid and adjust the temperature springs to achieve a long-term solution with a higher “lock up” rate. This modification is very popular because it correctly matches the fan engagement to the water pump rotation dynamics. (all but the “RED” clutch come with mod). We have been running the same modified 1FZ-FE clutch for 4 years on our #RLLC80 80-Series, in hot temps, with A/C on, driving on oversized wheels (37″) at low RPM at high altitudes (9 -10,000ft average) with no issues here in Colorado Springs (6,000+ ft elevation just in town).
*Pikes Peak has been the “Race To The Clouds” since 1916, making the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb the second oldest motorsport race (for the USA), behind the INDY 500 (1911). OK, before you get all “leaf-springy,” there is the 1903 “The Mile.”