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PSA: M119 fan clutch refilling

gsxr

.036 Hoonigan™, E500E Boffin, @DITOG
Staff member
M119 fan clutch refilling: PLEASE DON'T DO IT.

In case anyone finds the video below and thinks it will help their M119, no, it will not, barring some extremely unusual circumstances. The video shows an M117 clutch which is nearly identical to the M119 except for the mounting flange. The OE Sachs/Horton clutch on the M117/M119/M120 is a completely different design vs the "skinny" clutches used on 4/5/6-cylinder engines.

The skinny clutches are like El Guapo, in-famous for leaking fluid, and become useless when the fluid is gone. Refilling those 4/5/6-cylinder clutches will resurrect them, until the fluid leaks again. Lather, rinse, repeat. What the video describes will work for these 4/5/6-cyl clutches, but be warned that there is no way to tell how much fluid was in the clutch already, and if you over-fill the clutch may be engaged almost all the time. Don't ask how I know. OK, ok, fine... I did this on a skinny M103 clutch ~20 years ago and it did work, but then the clutch was roaring a lot more than normal.

Anyway: Adding fluid to an M119 clutch (or, M117 clutch) will most likely do nothing except waste hours of your time. The M119 clutch issue is calibration, not lack of fluid.

YMMV, etc.

:tumble:

 
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@gsxr, Got it! I am very happy w/ my ACM clutch.

When I bought my ACM clutch from AZAutohause for $85.00 You could purchase probably 7 ACM (or other brand) clutches for the price of one original NLA clutch albeit a PITA that you would have to change more often. I think I read somewhere in the forum that ACM clutches are no more. Hopefully, I’m good for a few years.😊

Sooooo what is available now?:banger:

PS: I must say if someone could figure out a way to rebuild/remanufacture the original M119 clutch it could make for a nice business. What would it take equipment wise? Just thinking out loud. :scratchchin:
 
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