I FAILED At Fixing My CHEAP Hummer H3... It Still Sounds Like A Tornado

I bought this 2007 Hummer H3 that was listed for $3,000. With all the other H3's out there listed for $7,000 or more I jumped right on this deal and somehow it drove home with no issues! Now it's time to find out where the massive transmission leak is coming from...
MERCH: shopWatchJRGo.com
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Common Questions:
What motorcycle do I ride? A few. Ducati 1198, Honda Goldwing, Honda Grom, Honda Ruckus
What do I do for a living? Make KZbin videos.
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Where can I keep up with you off the bike?
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Do you go to school? College, for 2 classes.
Why do you ride so dangerously? What do mean? I was doing 25.
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Do you play video games? No, but I might stream N64 Goldeneye at some point. Twitch: WatchJRGo
Are you afraid the police will watch your videos and arrest you? Something something evidence something something warrants and due process of law
#Hummer #HummerH3 #Offroad

[@2strokesimdone833]

2787 is a "Severe Duty" clutch. You can get a Standard duty clutch on rock auto.

[@Cartier_specialist]

Rock Auto is a MUST if you can wait a few days. They literally have everything.

[@2strokesimdone833]

@ghogue61 yep. Cheap motor mount for my 5.3 trailblazer is $120 at advance. Same brand $30 on RA

[@tylerbrown7110]

I had this same issue a few years back and the only remedy was switching to an aftermarket e-fan. Freed up a lot of power and was super quiet, no overheating issues.

[@RealRickCox]

You didn’t fail. You just learned what didn’t work. :)

[@mikemontgomery7337]

Luckily your dad has started teaching you how to fix ice cream makers if this car game fails . All the fast food joints are hiring right now !!!

[@bmh67wa]

I wonder if both the stock and aftermarket fan clutches are severe duty rated? They would work all the time and increase speed with temperature. In off-road conditions it would be a benefit. They do suck for regular everyday driving though unless you live in the Mohave Desert.

[@_RiseAgainst]

It is, the size and shape of the clutch fins are a giveaway.

[@auzmo]

This is a Hummer. You are only supposed to drive it in extreme conditions 😀

[@_RiseAgainst]

@@auzmo extreme trips to soccer practice!

[@auzmo]

It has to be pretty bad normally if they had to put a disclaimer in there about the fan noise.

[@ericeaklor6702]

The Ford F350s not dissing them buddy was having trouble shifting gears because of the fan

[@adampopour8491]

Electric fans could be a go to replacement

[@CamCanCars]

Planning to buy a '12 Colorado and preliminary research suggests EFK is the way to go on these lil GM motors. PCMofNC makes a nice kit with harness and PCM flash included.

[@ryanhooker1]

@watchjrgo The friction clutch is always engaged. It is to what extent. The hotter the engine, the more resistance on the shaft and the less slip of the fan. The clutch is performing as it should. To not have a fan noise, you have to have the hydraulic or electrical clutch fan. When they are disengaged, the fan can free spool on the shaft. Besides being a mechanic, I have had plenty of Jeep Wranglers, and up until the JK, they all had fan friction clutches. On the JK, they use an electronic fan on the radiator. If you really want to hear some fan noise. Check out a HMMWV. They use a hydraulic fan clutch. It will make you think you are taking off. Also on early HMMWV losses a lot of power due to the drain of spinning the fan.

[@LeatherandLuxuryCarsd]

Older Blazers, trailblazers, GM work vans, the Sabb version of the Trailblazer and Envoy (4.2L I-6 version), the Envoy all make that sound at low speeds especially if it's hot I actually enjoy it lol I'm a HUGE truck guy.

[@kraig7777]

I'm driving an old Trailblazer (in the desert ofc) and all this time I thought that noise (only in the summer when the average temp here is close to 110f) was my transmission failing.

[@LeatherandLuxuryCarsd]

@@kraig7777 Nope 100% normal

[@auzmo]

You think the engineers were like it has got this super annoying fan..we better make it easy to change because everyone is going to think it is broken.

[@WatchJRGo]

That’s exactly what happened 💯

[@Pierson116]

Toyota Tacomas sounds the same way. Mine is always ridiculously loud.

[@dustinbennett6474]

My 03 Trailblazer when I had it had the same problem it eventually ended up fixing itself

[@dustinbennett6474]

​@@WatchJRGo they are pretty similar engine and transmission wise

[@Pierson116]

@Dustin Bennett Yeah the trailblazers are super similar just has an inline-6 instead of inline-5 but very similar layout.

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

My big truck's fan didn't stay locked in! The fan clutch appeared to be full of dirt. You need to clean the fins in the radiator. I used to fill a lawn sprayer with Dawn liquid and spray the fins ever so often. I had to clean between the trans cooler, the A/C condenser, the air to air, and the radiator and then the engine ran way cooler. I turned on the fan when approaching a large hill so that the engine didn't get a chance to get hot. I put a cap on a piece of copper tubing and drilled several holes in the cap perpendicular to the length of copper tubing or just hook it up to a pressure washer. Lots and lots of Dawn liquid is your friend!

[@andreichichak5242]

Viscous clutch fans fail engaged (safe). If they were designed to fail disengaged, you'd overheat the engine. When first starting up, they need to pump out to release, so that makes sense. But after about 15 seconds, it should pump out and disengage. I'd say that since the box is covered in oil, it has failed and will stay engaged. Return it.

[@aftonline]

Yet another proof of the need to buy OEM parts. I'd be taking that fan clutch back to O'Reilly's.

[@jthomas7631]

I can without a doubt tell you the noise is from the aftermarket severe duty fan clutch. I rode my aftermarket for 100k until my water pump went out and replaced it with an OEM from amazon. I believe the price was less than $100. The throttle response from aftermarket to oem was very noticeable and significantly quieter. If you do plan on going the efan route and intend on keeping the vehicle , I suggest getting an aluminum radiator because the plastic ones become brittle from all the heat cycles over time. Other than the 3 radiators and 3 water pumps I've gone through over 250k miles the vehicle overall has been reliable and fun to drive. Good Luck !

[@joshperillo8845]

These aftermarket fan clutches have been known to be bad right out of the box and have different temp activation points as a result. Best way to ensure it's working is the use a temp gun and a heat source to verify it's working before install. Either that or go OEM. I have a low limit thermostat and a new fan clutch. So mine runs super cool compared to stock. Good luck with the fix.

[@thedirtroadlesstraveled703]

As a professional mechanic, I must point out the one flaw with your fan torque sequence. You forgot the "click" at the end. But seriously, that is exactly how I install them, and also how I remove them most of the time. 60% of the time, it works every time. 😆

[@hellogoodbye8844]

I know what’s wrong with it. It ain’t got no gas in it 😂😂😂

[@dmann1209]

Solid content! I have come across the same issue on my older Explorers and my 88 Bronco II, just out of the blue the fan clutch locks and stays on. The replacement would stay locked for a little while and then work normally. I noticed a huge loss in fuel economy as well.

[@31dknight]

Another great video from JR. Keep it going

[@davidmhuitt86]

It could be cool project as long as JR has it. I love watching him work and his commentary!

[@K0Kaz]

The fan in my Frontier is stupid loud too, but the engine comes up to temp instantly even in the cold (for SoCal) weather lately so I think some are just loud.

[@benjaminhopkins3896]

You have to go OEM fan cluth on all inline vortec motors. I'm talking from experience, all of the aftermarket fan clutches lock in instantly and release late. Vs the oem will free spin till hot then lock.

[@MrWarneet]

In the day we used to pull that spiral spring end out from it's seat... Fan is silent yet still locks up when hot.

[@frankez1975]

Man…..you learn something new every day, I never knew fan clutches had fluids in them!

[@mikeluscher159]

I've learned that aftermarket fan clutches don't work right OE only Part# 15-40508 - ACDelco Part# 25948772 - GM

[@chris323]

Have you tried raising the volume on the stereo?, you wont hear it anymore

[@Spillmansgarage]

Go with the OEM. I just went through the same issue on an 03 Dodge Ram that came in. Original fan clutch leaked out and wouldn’t engage. Customer supplied Auto Zone fan clutch, tornado. Tried an O’Reilly Fan Clutch, tornado. Went to the dealer and bought the OEM, normal. I don’t know what the issue is with these after market clutches.

[@carlashton9331]

Electric fan conversion?

[@robschaben5607]

Light duty fan clutch I think would be a good thing to check...I had a similar issue with a F150...thing sounded like a dump truck replaced the clutch with some part number twice...very irritating...so hopped on the net and found that the a crown Vic use a light duty clutch with the same rotation and bolt pattern...so I tried it and everything was happy after that 😊

[@Torchi0]

Sometimes you have to rev it a lot for it to disengage. Happens with Chinese fan clutches a lot

[@llloyd4]

JR , suggestion, electric fan conversion. Ditch the mechanical fan and zip tie on a pair of electric fans onto the radiator, problem solved.

[@dalemihocik4732]

Get a used OEM fan clutch, all the aftermarket ones are much nosier. When I replaced the one in my Colorado it took more than a mile for it to quiet down versus 2 tenths of a mile for the OEM to quiet down. Or go electric.

[@Maxzillian]

I'm surprised it doesn't use the electric fan clutch that the Trailblazer had.

[@Maxzillian]

On another note, I'm guessing you bought a standard duty clutch and not a heavy or severe duty? The latter two will definitely have more initial drag to aid cooling. It's been a few years, but at least at one time you could search Haynes and get clutch dimensions to find alternate units, but it'd be a big gamble. Edit: Ah, so you did buy a severe duty clutch. Do some shopping, getting a standard duty clutch may actually pay off.

[@WatchJRGo]

Apparently some did, but everyone rips those out and switches to this one when those fail 😬

[@cppctek]

@@WatchJRGo there are tons of electric fan conversion guides that are essentially bulletproof. I have converted so many ford and chevys. Most of the time i just run down to advanced auto and find an electric fan that will fit my rad and ill wire it up with a relay and an auto temp controller

[@Maxzillian]

@@WatchJRGo Can't say I'm too surprised.

[@_RiseAgainst]

​@@Maxzillian I did this by accident years ago. Gas milage tanked, especially when running the AC, on my s10. I had to switch back to a normal clutch. The problem is they only last a year or two.

[@mired914]

Dad had a lot of stuff replaced on this 2009 dodge ram 1500, fan clutch because it "wasn't working". Now it's loud all the time. It stays cooler now but it never got too hot before either. Loud though, all the time.

[@tombittikoffer412]

Can't believe that hose did't fail from that clamping

[@crazydevil9000]

I had a hummer h3. One of the thing I learned was another of times when you go to the parts stores like oreilys there computers will cross reference the part for the hummer to other gm parts. On the Hummer though you can use Hummer parts on other vehicles but not those cross referenced parts on the Hummer so I would try to get the actual gm part for the h3. I had this problem with ball joints. My local part stores sold me lower ball joints for the h3 and they didn't work. After 3 different part stores the shop that was doing the work on it ordered a ballpoint from the local gm dealership and it worked perfectly. That is where I got the info about part compatibility for the h3 from

[@dna59]

Some aftermarket clutches are just naturally loud like that. On my truck I had to go back to OEM after trying 2 aftermarkets that were loud.

[@jameskuhlman9835]

That fan shroud feature was present on the Colorado as well. Not unique to the H3, but not the noisy fan.

[@niallsmith2823]

Replace it with a couple of electric fans, easy up grade guaranteed fix the noise.

[@CoachKepler]

Check the oil pressure and oil pickup tube. My trailblazer sounded like this for a little while until it blew the engine. I think there's an issue with the oil pump or pickup tube getting clogged.

[@rustybacon54]

When I had my 07 H3 it usually quieted down after a minute or less after a cold start, and it enganged when it sshould have for the most part. Weird that youre strugglin with this. My alpha that i currently have rarely makes a sound, but i plan on swapping it soon to a severe duty clutch for summer time off roading. good luck! Fun fact: Theres the letter H hidden all over these things, in front marker lights, taillights, rear window shape, etc.

[@nicolashendershot833]

Do some heat psycholink on that fan clutch. Put in salty ice water then fit with the heat gun

[@Flies2FLL]

-The early Porsche 928 had a belt driven fan. After a while, the goop inside the fan that transmitted the torque from the engine to the blades would start to fail, and/or leak out. [DON'T EVER LAY ONE OF THESE FANS FLAT ON THE GROUND! That goes for all of these, no matter the make or model] Porsche 928 people are very creative and of course very DIFFERENT from typical Porsche owners, and one guy figured out how to change out the goop! Apparently, Toyota sells the silicon fluid used on these, and it is very simple to open the fill port, pour out the old stuff, and refill with Toyota goop. The result? Very happy 928 screaming down the road happily cool! Great video!

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

It literally sounds like the old HWMVVs we rode around in when I was in the military. Maybe it's just rediscovering its roots?

[@juanliceaga2947]

I had the same issue switch to a heavy duty instead of severe duty, truck ran a lot quieter and temperature stayed normal.

[@rockieandblue]

The same thing happened on my Chevy Avalanche,The clutch and water pump went out so I replaced it from a parts store, but got the same loud noise like you.I went to the junk yard and got a factory stock fan clutch from a motor with low miles and the problem went away.I didn’t want to go to the dealership 1st and still have the same problem at a higher price.

[@frh-freerangehuman]

I seem to remember gmc safaris sounding the same way. I thought my friend’s had something wrong with it when I borrowed it but it was just the super loud fan.

[@jaretferraro4124]

Growing up I had 3 family members with new Canyons and Colorados with this motor. I learned to drive on my father's Canyon with the 3.5 and I remember the fan ALWAYS being on

[@robertm2172]

Oem fan clutches are the only way. I had the same issue on my old Titan when I installed a autozone one a week later I replaced it with oem. Mind you the original one started to fail at 100k in 116 degrees f in lake Havasu while at idle. I still drove it home back to Redondo Beach with it failing as long as there was airflow it was fine.

[@ColJonSquall1]

I figured the first of the H3 repairs would have been diving into that hemorrhaging transmission, lol. I think at this point, to eliminate the tornado would be aftermarket electric fans with some sort of speed controller.

[@TonyElam]

I have an 88 Chevy 1500 that feels the same way. I changed the fan clutch and it didn’t change anything.

[@garycavanaugh1877]

Had to have been a heavy duty fan clutch I put one on my old avalanche just because I pull a trailer with it it definitely helps with the cooling and ac

[@kevinwisler4547]

I had a similar issue with my 81 corvette (although different beast). The fan on my car would be loud until the engine warmed up a little. It held the temperature range just fine. I have since changed to electric fans. I rarely hear them now.

[@mcdadcoleman]

There are heavy duty and severe duty fan clutches and both rotations available. Also different fans. Maybe someone swapped in a severe duty clutch and fan. Rock Auto has all of the options.

[@_RiseAgainst]

Hey JR, my old GMC sonoma did this when i put a that HD clutch you bought on. That clutch kills HP and gas milage That clutch looks identical to the gmc sonoma fan clutch. They sell smaller clutches that spin more, or you can go electric which I did.

[@elsadventures6950]

I gave up on my Dakota. Replaced the fan clutch and it did the same, the original didn't do anything. But the Dakota has a electric fan also and seems to ok with just that one. The fan clutch in our Express is perfect though.

[@SilentServiceCode]

When I did this on my Colorado it was the same issue, the fan clutch will eventually disengage just takes a while

[@tedstriker754]

I've got that same fan clutch in my Blazer, and it makes that same noise. So I replaced it, same noise. It makes that noise until it warms up, then it gets quiet. The old one and new one did the same thing. After I drive around a while it will get quiet. It seems to work backwards, it sounds fully engaged when the engine is cold, and after warming up you don't hear it. Not sure what's going on with those fans.

[@anmous69]

I had to buy a gm one for my trailblazer. Tried the Murray and it did the same thing. Had much better results from the o.e. mine was the electric one though.

[@codymays9971]

Maybe you could try a fan clutch from like a 00-02 Tahoe. They look pretty similar and don’t stay engaged all the time.

[@Roogs209]

My 07 Colorado 3.7 was always bad w fan noise at start up but once warmed up it would stop. Hope to see you find a solution.

[@Pislui]

I had same issue with that kind of fan clutch, is probably just bad or poor quality. I got a better quality and worked right away, when you startup at cold the fan starts for the first 3/4 second and then quite down.

[@TheDG510]

I had the same thing happen with my 01 jimmy. I needed to replace the water pump and said might as well do the clutch too. The noise appeared with the new clutch. So I popped another new one on and the same noise.

[@ronaldobertoni7721]

You might have problem with the belt that is not giving the right fan rpm. These hydraulics clutch’s has a strong effect to move the inner fluid from one chambre to the other, and it is done only by the speed (rpm).

[@tim1299]

Go to Salvage yard and find an early 2000''s Subaru outback electric fan assembly. They have a narrow profile. Fan motors are inexpensive if they need replaced

[@garage779]

I'm not sure what you're doing to this H3. The transmission sieve is a feature that ensures a continuous allotment of new fluid, especially for all its heavy off-road use. The fan was a select option for rural customers who needed to scare deer, antelope, and little children off the roadway. I'm concerned that you're going to a lot of work and expense to redress these features. Anyway, it's great entertainment; well done, and keep up the good work!

[@ericherman2732]

It’s supposed to be engaged when at idle. I have the 3.5 in a Colorado and it disengages after driving down the road a bit

[@KeithZim]

They make all this noise as a Public Service to warn pedestrians that an idiot is near.🤣😅🤣 The person who bought this would have been far more worried about looking good and being on time then your grandma walking her dog.... And with that visibility the public needs all the help it can get.

[@spuwho]

One approach is to take a hose and wash out the exterior of the radiator. There is probably dried mud up inside the cooling fins and it is restricting the cooling effect of it. Seeing all that dust you have picked up in this truck I wouldn't be surprised if the condensation on the radiator has caused the dirt to cake on. This same issue tends to cause water pumps to get replaced (and you said it looked like it had been replaced recently). Good luck.

[@ritchierobertson4370]

Had a 96 chevy 1500 where the fan clutch was replaced with an aftermarket part. Replacement always sounded like that. Got tired of the sound so went to a scrap yard and picked up an original GM OEM fan clutch and it sounded normal after that.

[@mphilleo]

Just throw in a bottle or two of of ATP AT-205 Re-Seal and let it idle awhile to let the pump circulate it. Project Farm recently did some tests that shows it works, but not excessively (seal swelling, etc). If it works, I'd call it a win, if not, then you put on your big boy britches and start tearing things apart.

[@iduimovic]

That happened to me on my 2006 Nissan Pathfinder. Got an aftermarket and the same problem, locked up full blast like a garbage truck. Decided to get the OEM Nissan and the problem fixed.

[@bbishoppcm]

The clutch you pulled was indeed an aftermarket replacement - the mold markings indicate at least the mold itself was made in 2016

[@matthewwilson2221]

Just thinking here, can you put the old clutch in the freezer to see if it releases and gets looser. That might show that the ambient temperature is affecting it. Just my thinking.

[@dreamteamluxuryautomotive4326]

My 2006 envoy xl denali does the same thing I've cleaned the grounds put a new gm solid state relay in there and everything

[@stewkeene]

That’s weird about the fan clutch. Most all that I’ve ever spun when cold freewheel with slight resistance. I would just cough up an electric fan conversion OR perhaps a Chevy truck fan clutch like you’re already familiar with?

[@MrLulzbot]

I think they might have engineered that way, the sound is almost identical to the fan noise on the military HMMWV, which might have been what they were going for.

[@othompson93]

That is what I was thinking, “grr Hummer, super offroad capable, muscle!” You get the picture.

[@skmetal7]

It's how they all sound. My blazer's fan has the same sound.

[@msturge86]

I sold Colorados new in 2009-2012 with this engine and they always sounded like this. It is THE loudest fan in the industry imo. I didn't think this was going to fix it for you. I'm sorry you had to go through that.

[@Spring794]

I went through several aftermarket fan clutches on my Ranger. Sadly the Ford one wasn’t available anymore.

[@ogfail1867]

I saw a comedian once that said "The muffler in my car is bad, so I guess I'm going to have to get louder speakers" maybe that applies here??? Maybe slap some of that sound insulation you put in the tracker in there :D

[@SanchezSam1]

Like mentioned Wash the outside of the radiator though the fins and possibly has the wrong thermostat in it.

[@matthewhaddon599]

Hit the spanner with a big hammer....worked for me on a Land Rover. Think it's possible to use a screwdriver to hold the pulley bolts if necessary.

[@danieljoseph905]

I know they're different, but I had a Trailblazer with a 4.2 and it ALWAYS sounded loud like that. Also had a friend with a Raineer and a buddy with an Envoy- all loud like that. I honestly think it might just be how the car is? Luckily I never had any issues, nor did they.

[@ericherman2732]

Also, put the oem part on it works better then the O’Reilly one

[@jasonpotts3194]

My Envoy did that and it drove me nuts! I got rid of it and got a Tundra.

[@kongchingpow]

Put an electric fan on it! As for the transmission leak...it is very easy for transmissions to hide where they are leaking from. Im thinking you are probably right, though. The front seal is likely the problem.

[@bygsyxx4271]

The On Star was an option on several GM cars and trucks. I have one in my 2006 LaCrosse.

[@digitalrailroader]

Same for my 2006 Lucerne; although now every GM vehicle from 2006-2015 the Onstar no longer works because they have 2G cellular modules; and all they are doing for us is peddling a halfassed smartphone app that doesn’t work with all vehicles or phones. The infuriating part is that they DID make a hardware upgrade solution FOR CANADA and yet they would rather leave US customers that can’t afford a new car or truck out in the cold! And it’s basically the EXACT SAME THING that happened when Analog Onstar was killed in 2008!

[@moklock]

Yes, 2015+ on AT&T LTE are only GMs with working OnStar. my 2014 on Verizon CDMA was shut off end of 2022

[@bigjml]

The only way you will sort that issue is by fitting an aftermarket electric fan. That sounds pretty much like most vehicles fitted with a viscous fan that I have had owned. Maybe at the loud end of the scale

[@lukasmeyer1992]

It sounds like an armored HUMVEE or Mowag Eagle in the summer right before overheating :D

[@johnputney8052]

I had the same issue with a Murray fan clutch. Ended up removing it and ordering a used fan clutch.

[@wdmfan]

Try running it for a while or a long trip. Mechanical part like fan clutch & its expanding metal mechanism, require usage-time to settle in.

[@rogerroger7734]

The Jensen remark is 100000000% accurate hahahah I love it!

[@StealthyWolfDaddyWerewolf]

NAPA auto parts has sold me good gm fan clutches and a precise corvette serpentine belt. I only get fan clutches from NAPA after the bad ones I got many times elsewhere.

[@gwaddles]

I had a 2009 Adventure model. I had to do the fan clutch. It finally worked:

[@elcaminosunlimited]

I wonder if the Colorado had a different fan clutch p/n? I had an 04 with the I5 and it was never loud at all.

[@martinmicheal4595]

It’s a gm just like the blazers and mine does the same thing the fans are loud and yes mine is fine

[@ThriftMachine]

Almost be better to get an aftermarket flex fan since it's on all the time anyway, at least it will be quieter.

[@gadget73]

My old S10 sounded like that on cold start, had to drive it a bit to get it to loosen up. Once it got hot it would make noise again.

[@chrisjames8540]

More than likely it’s just the fan blades themselves. Some fans are just louder. I tried changing one a Jeep and more blades equaled more noise.