Hi everyone, i'm having issues with running hot, ne experience with this??  replaced thermostat, rad hoses, rad cap, and my head is good, water pump is working too, seems like the fan is turning, but how do i tell if the clutch fan is bad? this is a stock 87 sammy. ne help plzzz thnx

run it till its good and hot.shut her down and feel around the fins on the rad.if you feel a cool spot it means your rad is plugged.

If running without the thermostat didn't help, then it is either a clogged radiator or the water pump is not working right.

Since you are the proud owner of an '87, you are in luck!  The radiator is all metal!  This means you can take it to a reputable radiator shop and have it rodded out! 

In this process, they take the top and bopttom off the radiator and, after immersing it in a bath of weak acid, "rod out" the passageways with long brush similar to what one would use to clean the barrel of a rifle. 

The buildup is caused by someone using tap water (containing calcium in suspension) instead of premixed coolant or coolant mixed with distilled water (no suspended calcium!) when topping off the radiator.

When the "rodding" is complete, the top and bottom are soldered back on and Viola! A like-new radiator for under 100 bucks!

I had this process done to my Samurai radiator when I was installing a 1.6 8-valve.  In nearly 6 years I have had no overheating problems!

Naturally, if it does not help (it certainly will not hurt!), you probably have a water pump problem.  When replacing the water pump, you have an opportunity to check and replace the timing belt. If it looks old and/or worn, this would be an excellent time to slap a new one on!

Hope that this helps!

Hi everyone, i'm having issues with running hot, ne experience with this??  replaced thermostat, rad hoses, rad cap, and my head is good, water pump is working too, seems like the fan is turning, but how do i tell if the clutch fan is bad? this is a stock 87 sammy. ne help plzzz thnx

When the engine is hot, or running too hot, shut it off, and then go try and spin the fan on the engine.  If it spins easily, then the fan clutch is bad.

If it only overheats at slower (non-freeway) speeds, then it's most likely the fan clutch since you've replaced most of the other things.

Eliminate the clutch fan and put an electric in. I would suggest a SPAL fan as they are the shizna for this mod and work well. Wire it up with a relay and a ground switch so you can turn it off for deep water crossing. Here is a link to show a proper way of wiring in an electric fan... Hope this helps.
http://personal.linkline.com/dbarton/FanDiagram/
Kelly

You will have to create your own wiring harness as the SPAL Fans are only fans and thats all... No wiring or relays come with the fan... Here is the link to the SPAL Site...
http://www.spal-usa.com/
Hope this helps.
Kelly

Petroworks sell a clutch eliminater flex fan . Been running it 5 years now , no problems. I have been told that the 86, 87, 88 Sam fan clutches are impossible to test when they go bad...can't remember who said that...maybe Gary Monk ? ....so I would buy his flex fan....