When your fan clutch won’t engage, this usually means that your GoldTop is out of friction. To test this, shut off your truck and try to spin your fan blade. If you can spin your fan blade, then you have no friction left and your fan clutch assembly needs to be rebuilt or replaced. If your fan blade does not spin, your fan clutch is properly engaged. GoldTop fan clutches engage when there is no air reaching the fan clutch.
The air cartridge is not mating correctly against the bottom of the GoldTop. Inspect the carbon on the air cartridge. Replace your air cartridge if needed.
When you installed your pulley bearings, you most likely did not install your inner race bearing spacer, which should always be installed along with the outside race bearing spacer. If you do not install the inner race bearing spacer, when the 2” bearing nut is torqued down on the shaft, it pre-loads the inner race of the bearings causing them to prematurely fail.
If you have more than 90 psi, right at the entry point of your fan clutch, and your fan clutch still won’t disengage, the Auto Lock feature on your fan clutch has kicked in. When your friction material nears the end of its life, the Auto Lock feature fully engages your fan clutch to help you get to a service shop to get your fan clutch maintained, instead of leaving you stranded on the side of the road. Your fan clutch needs to be rebuilt or replaced.
First, check your air pressure right at the entry point of your fan clutch. You need a minimum of 90 psi, right at the entry point of your fan clutch, in order for it to operate correctly.
If you have more than 90 psi, right at the entry point of your fan clutch, and your fan clutch still won’t disengage, the Auto Lock feature on your fan clutch has kicked in.
Before deciding if you will be able to rebuild your fan clutch, you will need to assess it. There are several points to inspect:
« Make sure the pulley is not chipped or damaged. If it is damaged enough to cause damage to the belt, the fan clutch will not be rebuildable.
« Make sure the bracket is not broken or cracked. If it is, the fan clutch will not be rebuildable.
« Check to see if the shaft is worn. A shaft that has been damaged or worn from the pulley bearings will result in repeat bearing failure.
« Check the inside of the pulley. Inspect to see if it is worn or damaged from the pulley bearings.
If the bracket, shaft and pulley are all in acceptable condition, you will be able to rebuild your fan clutch.
There are several different bearing configurations that you will find when rebuilding Horton® DriveMaster® fan clutches. To ensure that you install the proper replacement bearings and spacers, refer to this chart.
If your GoldTop fan clutch assembly bottoms out, or doesn’t fit into the pulley, there are a couple of things to check:
1. Did you re-install the air chamber cap? If you re-install the air chamber cap (the coaster-shaped disc that was in front of the air cartridge) that you took out during disassembly, your GoldTop will not fit properly. The air chamber cap should be discarded during disassembly.
2. Are you installing the GoldTop on an International truck? Some Internationals have a modular fan clutch system that requires it to be installed on the truck one piece at a time. If you have one of these fan clutches, you will need an adapter, part number 24-4700.
Quite often, the T-55 torx bolt, also known as the “jack bolt”, on the front of a DriveMaster® fan clutch will become stuck and you will not be able to loosen it. To solve this problem, first try applying heat to the bolt. If that does not work, use a 2 1/4” hole saw to cut the fan plate around the jack bolt. This will allow you to remove the fan plate and then access the friction screws. To see a demonstration, click here.
There are several different pulley bearing configurations that you will find when rebuilding Horton® DriveMaster® fan clutches. Regardless of the number of bearings or the configuration of them, you will ALWAYS save and re-use any bearing spacers that come out of your original fan clutch. When installing bearing spacers, always place them between the bearings.
NOTE: Bearing spacers always come in pairs – one for the inner race and one for the outer race. You should never install only one spacer.
The difference between GoldTop part numbers 14-256 and 14-256-1 is the bearings. Part number 14-256 contains two 6209 bearings, while part number 14-256-1 contains one 3209 bearing. These bearings are not interchangeable.
In order for a GoldTop fan clutch to operate properly, there must be between 90 – 120 psi of air pressure going into the fan clutch. This means the air pressure must be tested at the end of the air line, where it connects to the fan clutch. The compressor\’s pressure gauge does not accurately show how much air pressure is actually entering the fan clutch.
No. A 2-Speed GoldTop has an exclusive interchangeable pilot, meaning that it can handle both 2.56” AND 5” fan pilots. There is no need to change your engine fan.
Yes. Horton® DriveMaster® fan clutches can be rebuilt using either a single-speed GoldTop or a 2-Speed GoldTop fan clutch rebuild kit. The installation process is identical.
Although a GoldTop 2-Speed fan clutch will provide the greatest benefit to vocational vehicles that have a high percentage of idle time, it also provides benefits to over-the-road trucks. These benefits include improved fuel economy, less noise and longer fan clutch life.
The difference between GoldTop part numbers 24-256 and 24-256-1 is the bearings. Part number 24-256 contains two 6209 bearings, while part number 24-256-1 contains one 3209 bearing. These bearings are not interchangeable.
In October of 2019, Kit Masters upgraded the carbon piece in the center of the 2-Speed GoldTop air cartridge for increased durability. The green air cartridge body simply helps to identify these specific air cartridges.
A possible issue is that you do not have enough air pressure to the clutch, which causes the clutch to not fully engage. This heats the clutch up due to the friction of the plates (just like a clutch in a car) and the heat takes out the bearings.
There has been excessive heat from the friction plate wearing on the friction, causing the fuse to melt, creating an air leak. This is a preventative measure telling the truck owner that the truck needs to be serviced. Check your air supply pressure to make sure that there is a minimum of 90 psi, right at the entry point of the fan clutch. You can rebuild your fan clutch with a seal kit to replace the damaged seals and fuse once the air supply issue is fixed. You may choose to completely rebuild your fan clutch as well.
The carbon material on your air cartridge is not mating correctly against the face seal that is threaded into the air chamber cap. Inspect the face seal and the carbon on the air cartridge. Look for any cracks or chips. Replace the air cartridge if needed.
Part number 9505SP is a complete rebuild kit, while part number 9505 is friction material only.
When you were rebuilding your fan clutch, you most likely did not use the red spacer, which is included in the journal spacer packet. Disassemble your fan clutch until you get down to the journal spacer. Place the red spacer on top of the journal spacer and re-assemble the rest of the fan clutch again. When correctly rebuilt, and with no air line connected, the friction plate should not be in contact with the friction material.
A 7500HP is a complete rebuild kit to rebuild a Horton® HT/S style fan clutch that has a 7.5” outside diameter friction material. A 7500H rebuild kit is a 7500HP rebuild kit minus the 7.5” friction plate.
A 9500HP is a complete rebuild kit to rebuild a Horton® HT/S style fan clutch that has a 9.5” outside diameter friction material. A 9500H rebuild kit is a 9500HP rebuild kit minus the 9.5” friction plate.
A 7500HP is a complete rebuild kit to rebuild a Horton® HT/S style fan clutch that has a 7.5” outside diameter friction material. A 9500HP is a complete rebuild kit to rebuild a Horton® HT/S style fan clutch that has a 9.5” outside diameter friction material.
No, GoldTop kits only rebuild Horton® DriveMaster® style fan clutch assemblies. There may, however, be a newer style remanufactured fan clutch available that can replace your HT/S style fan clutch. Contact Kit Masters customer service to see if this is an option. You would also need to change out your solenoid valve with this conversion because the Horton® HT/S style fan clutches are –air-to-engage” and GoldTop fan clutches are –air-to-disengage.”
This part number is a casting number that is on the 9.5” friction plate of an HT/S style fan clutch. The rebuild kit would be part number 9500HP (on rare occasions, it may be part number 9505SP). In order to identify the part number for your full fan clutch assembly, we would need more information.
The entire fan clutch assembly part number is usually on a sticker on the mounting bracket or on the pulley. If the sticker is missing, we may be able to identify which fan hub assembly you have based on the casting number on the mounting bracket. For more information regarding Kysor-style fan clutch identification, click here.
This is caused by pulley bearing failure. Replace the pulley bearings. You may need to replace the seals in your fan clutch as well. A new black coupler will come in both the fan clutch seal kit and the bearing kit.
Simply click here to identify which Kysor-style fan clutch you have.
Simply click here to identify which rebuild kit to use for your Kysor-style fan clutch.
These aluminum body Kysor-style fan clutches are not rebuildable and should be replaced with Kit Masters’ 8905N fan clutch.
The 8801X is a remanufactured fan clutch and has a core charge associated with it. The 8801N is a new fan clutch and does not have a core charge. The 8801N also has the added benefit of dual fan pilots, meaning that it can handle both 2.56” AND 5” fan pilots. The 8801X has only a 2.56” fan pilot.
Yes. To maintain your product warranty, whenever you replace a Kysor-style fan clutch you must also replace the pulley bearings. Quite often, the pulley bearings are what caused the old fan clutch to fail in the first place. Replacing the fan clutch without replacing the pulley bearings will most likely cause the new fan clutch to fail as well.
For years, front air Kysor-style fan clutches had teardrop shaped 'noses' (the front cap of the fan clutch). Kit Masters has now engineered their front air Kysor-style fan clutches to have a standard, round nose. Therefore, these fan clutches no longer require a special fan with a non-standard pilot hole shape.
Kit Masters does build certain Bendix fan clutches that can house a GoldTop. These are called our Bendix GTN models. There is not a conversion kit to upgrade these fan clutches on your own. Call Kit Masters at 800-810-9110 to check availability.
No, FD-1 fan clutches are replacement only fan clutches. Once they have been replaced with a newer model, the new model can then be rebuilt in the future.
A viscous fan clutch will never fully disengage while the vehicle is running. However, if you feel that your fan clutch is fully engaged too often, one reason for excessive engagement could be that you have a plugged radiator.
The viscous fluid may have leaked out from your fan clutch. Once this happens your fan clutch will no longer be able to engage and you will need to replace your fan clutch.
You will only need to replace your fan blade if your current fan clutch has a fan pilot other than 5” or 7”. These are the only two fan pilots offered on Spectrum fan clutch assemblies.
You do not need to get a new fan blade when you convert from an HDMS/Cool Logic fan clutch assembly. We designed our conversion kit fan clutches to have the fan blade mounted in the same position as the OE fan clutch/fan blade assembly.
On the Mack/Volvo applications, the correct wire/connector is on the driver’s side, within the wire harness bundle (you may have to cut a couple zip ties to get to it).
On the International application, the correct wire/connector is on the passenger side.
Yes, the ECM needs to be reset when you convert from an HDMS/Cool Logic fan clutch assembly into our conversion kits (ex: 24-462CK)
First, check to see if there is a part number stamped on the mounting plate of the fan. If there is no part number, click here for step-by-step identification instructions.
Lay the fan down on the floor or on a countertop. Now, look at the blade that is in the 12-o’clock position (top of the fan). One side of that blade will be touching the floor/counter and the other side will be raised. If the right side is raised, the fan is Clockwise. If the left side is raised, the fan is CounterClockwise.
Some fans come with a lemon-shaped pilot hole instead of the standard circle-shaped pilot hole. These lemon-shaped pilots are typically intended for use on a front-air fan clutch that has a special tear-drop shaped pilot, but can be used on a standard fan clutch as well. All lemon-shaped pilots are 2.56” in diameter with a 3.5” bolt circle. If you need a lemon-shaped pilot, be sure to specify this when ordering your fan.
No. All Kit Masters engine fans are fiberglass.
Kit Masters does provide fan spacers. Simply call our customer service team at 800-810-9110 to determine the appropriate part number.
To determine which rebuild kit to use, simply enter the part number of your fan clutch into the search bar at the top of the Kit Masters website. This will show you the appropriate replacement options as well as which rebuild kit to use. You can also enter other fan clutch manufacturers’ rebuild kit numbers into this search bar to find the Kit Masters equivalent.
When rebuilding a fan clutch, you will need to replace your pulley bearings. The technique will vary depending on the fan clutch type.
– Horton®: On a Horton® fan clutch you can press all of the bearings and spacers out at the same time. It is best to use a bearing press. Be sure to press from the correct side of the pulley. One side of the pulley has a retaining lip. If you press towards that lip, it can break and your core will no longer be rebuildable. When installing the new bearings, be sure to apply even pressure to the bearings to ensure that they are not damaged. Kit Masters has developed a tool (part number 14-PF) to help you remove and install bearings properly and effectively.
– Kysor-style: When removing the bearings on a Kysor-style pulley, you will have to remove them one at a time. First remove the retaining ring and then pound out the first bearing. If there are two bearings, remove the second retaining ring followed by the second
To reverse a universal solenoid valve, simply interchange the air lines from the –In” and the –Exhaust” ports.
Kit Masters Inc. warrants its products to be free of defects in material and workmanship. This warranty shall not apply to conditions resulting from misuse, negligence, alteration, accident, or improper installation or improper maintenance. Warranty is determined from the date of installation.
Kit Masters fan clutches, rebuild kits, fans and controls carry a 3 year / 300,000 mile warranty
PolyForce belt tensioners carry a 2 year / 200,000 mile warranty.
Bendix & BorgWarner products, including Spectrum fan drives carry a 12 month/100,000 mile warranty.
For full warranty terms, visit our warranty page.
If you are interested in becoming a Kit Masters distributor, call our Customer Service team at 800-810-9110 or email us at sales@kitmasters.com. We will then get you in touch with a representative in your area to determine eligibility.
Kit Masters does not sell direct to the public. To find a Kit Masters distributor in your area, use our online distributor finder.
If you’re a Kit Masters distributor, fill out a warranty claim form on our website. Send this paperwork with the warranty return part, along with any other paperwork regarding this warranty, back to our Minnesota location.
If you’re the end-user, bring your warranty return part to a Kit Masters distributor (preferably the distributor who you purchased it from). They will then send it back to Kit Masters.
You are eligible to return your fan clutch core up until 2 years from the purchase date of the fan clutch. The core that you send back to us must be rebuildable and it also must be the same brand as the fan clutch that you purchased (ex: Horton for Horton, Bendix for Bendix, BorgWarner for BorgWarner). The customer is responsible for the freight charges on core returns unless you have 15 or more cores to return. If you have 15 or more, Kit Masters will pay for the freight charge. We will schedule a pickup with a freight company of our choice and email you the bill of lading. The customer is then responsible for having the pallet of cores ready for pickup.
Kit Masters takes pride in educating people on our products. We offer several types of training for customers, both large and small:
– In Person: Kit Masters representatives can do in-person training sessions, lunch & learns and fleet nights to provide hands-on education for large and small groups.
– Online: Kit Masters has developed a free online training program called Kit Masters University (KMU). KMU gives users access to a comprehensive video training library. Videos are followed by short tests. Once a user has passed all of the tests, they receive a certificate of completion, indicating that they are now a fan clutch expert. Join Kit Masters University today at www.kitmastersuniversity.com.
We accept new product returns which may include up to a 15% restocking fee. Simply ship the new product to our Minnesota location along with an itemized packing slip that clearly states the customer information. Be sure to note that it is a new return. The customer is responsible for the return freight charge. Once we receive your product we will issue credit.
