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Cathleen Valentine

Expertise

Proprietary, MX Engine

Parts Professional Authors

Get the Most Out of Your Fan Clutch With Horton’s DM Advantage®

Every part in your truck should work to increase your bottom line and make your job easier. Your fan clutch is no exception. Using a fan clutch with fewer engagements will not only help you avoid premature wear, it will increase your fuel economy and improve your engine performance.

A fan clutch is just like any other mechanical part: the more it's used, the shorter its life span. In order to help cool today’s hotter running engines, fan clutches are working harder than ever before. This is especially true in heavy-haul or vocational applications, where the engine control module (ECM) can command the fan clutch to engage as many as 50-60 times per hour. That's a lot of wear and tear.

Most of these engagements are for air conditioning pressure, not coolant temperatures. These rapid, high speed engagements aren’t good for the fan clutch and can cause the liner to prematurely wear out.

Does Your Fan Clutch Cycle Too Much?

Most do. In addition to premature wear, a constantly engaging fan also hits the gas tank, lowering fuel efficiency while draining available horsepower. Reducing fan clutch engagements can help solve these issues. In fact, a reduction in engagements has many benefits, including:

Better fuel economy
Increased fan clutch reliability and liner life
Longer belt and tensioner life
Reduced noise
Reduced dust and debris generated from fan engagements
Better engine performance

So how do you accomplish this? Horton has developed a solution.

Fewer Engagements, Better Performance

The Horton DM Advantage® two-speed fan clutch reduces fan clutch engagements up to 80 percent depending on the application. The two-speed operates similarly to a standard on/off drive when “on,” but when in the “off” position the fan still spins between 400-600 rpm. This low “off” speed provides enough cooling without engaging the fan drive. The engineers at Horton do this by leveraging the rotation of the fan pulley along with the use of magnets.

The DM Advantage® two-speed connects two sets of high-strength, rare earth magnets to the fan pulley, which is constantly spinning. The fan itself is mounted to a friction disc with an embedded steel ring. While the clutch is in the “off” position, the magnets pull the fan mounting surface, spinning the fan at 400-600 rpm and reducing fan clutch engagements. Horsepower and fuel are conserved, and fan clutch life is extended.

You can get the benefits of the Horton two-speed system even if you don’t want to replace your clutch. With the PolarForce® kit, you can convert your current Horton on/off fan clutch into a two-speed fan clutch in a matter of minutes. Remanufactured Horton DM Advantage® two-speed clutches are also available, as are Horton fan clutches for a full range of applications, including buses. Ask your preferred Kenworth dealer for the best Horton solution for your application.