Loud noise coming from engine/overheating

The car is a 1996 Oldsmobile 98 with 282,000 original miles. A few months ago I heard a loud buzzing sound coming from near the engine. It sounds like a heavy fan spinning and hitting a metal shroud or something. It's pretty loud and makes a bunch of thuds really quickly. It doesn't happen very often. Just random times when I'm driving but always goes away after about a minute or so. It happens more when I have the A/C on I believe. Also, I don't know if this is related but the car overheats slightly when in traffic. The coolant is full with no leaks. Any ideas? I'm stumped. Water pump maybe? Thank you.

Remove the belt, if the noise goes away, spin the w/p see if it is noisey.

In addition, when the belt is removed, check the harmonic balancer for any back & forth play, by turning the outer hub by hand. This could also be the cooling fan motor! You need to check under the hood while the engine is running with A/C ON. Carefully, put your hand on the fan housing & feel for vibration.

I think it may be the fan clutch. The water pump pulley is tight and really all signs lead to the fan clutch. I'm going to put off fixing it for awhile because NAPA doesn't sell the fan clutch seperate and it's a $208 part w/ exchange.

Fan Clutch?

Fan Clutch?

Google it. I had no idea what it was really before I did. I may be wrong but my research has lead me to believe it is the culprit.

No fan clutch as I know it on this fwd 3.8?

Are we talking about the fan its self?

No, I meant the fan clutch but apparently there's not really a stand alone fan clutch on the car so I would have to buy the whole assembly. That's what NAPA said anyone when I called for one. I still don't know what the cause is.

No fan clutch as I know it on this fwd 3.8?

Yeah its a FWD 3.8. I wish I knew what was going on with it.