P38A Replacing viscous fan blades

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EntropyUK

Well-Known Member
Posts
467
Location
Hemel Hempsted
I have removed my viscous coupling due to missing fan blades. However the blades are not attached the same as the donor unit or RAVE. It looks like there are 4 (possible fixed) nuts which are attached by what looks like grub screws.

Has anyone come across this fitting? If so what is the best way to remove them as they are solidly fixed in place at the moment and currently being left overnight after a squirt of plus gas.
 
Its diesel, Rave says that they can be separated. The viscous coupling is fine and Grrrrr has given me a duff unit. I have stripped the duff unit from the blades as it was fitted with hex key bolts, tap with a hammer loosened them off.

Could do with some advice on how to do the same for the good coupling without damaging it.
 
EntropyUK said:
Its diesel, Rave says that they can be separated. The viscous coupling is fine and Grrrrr has given me a duff unit. I have stripped the duff unit from the blades as it was fitted with hex key bolts, tap with a hammer loosened them off.

Could do with some advice on how to do the same for the good coupling without damaging it.
Click to expand...
Drill/grinder?
 
EntropyUK said:
Its diesel, Rave says that they can be separated. The viscous coupling is fine and Grrrrr has given me a duff unit. I have stripped the duff unit from the blades as it was fitted with hex key bolts, tap with a hammer loosened them off.

Could do with some advice on how to do the same for the good coupling without damaging it.
Click to expand...

Viscous fan for diesel M51 P38 comes complete. They are only available as a complete unit. Separate viscous unit and fan blades are not available for the P38 BMW engine. If it was fitted with hex bolts it was not from a P38 more likely from a 200 or 300Tdi. P38 fans are fitted with torque snap type security bolts. It is possible to remove them but may prove difficult without damaging the fan unless extreme care is used .
 
wammers said:
Viscous fan for diesel M51 P38 comes complete. They are only available as a complete unit. Separate viscous unit and fan blades are not available for the P38 BMW engine. If it was fitted with hex bolts it was not from a P38 more likely from a 200 or 300Tdi. P38 fans are fitted with torque snap type security bolts. It is possible to remove them but may prove difficult without damaging the fan unless extreme care is used .
Click to expand...

Bugger I though it was too good to be true when I had the unit out in under 10 mins. Is choosing a replacement a case of best you can afford?
 
wammers said:
Viscous fan for diesel M51 P38 comes complete. They are only available as a complete unit. Separate viscous unit and fan blades are not available for the P38 BMW engine. If it was fitted with hex bolts it was not from a P38 more likely from a 200 or 300Tdi. P38 fans are fitted with torque snap type security bolts. It is possible to remove them but may prove difficult without damaging the fan unless extreme care is used .
Click to expand...

Disco one is riveted.

My old seems to match RAVE. Maybe the first ones did separate?
 
Yep as I said Grrrrr Rave para 10 for the coupling removal says the fan unbolts. really annoyed that I have a functioning coupling that I cannot refurb.

Also annoyed that the car is off the road longer than necessary as I now need to order and wait for a replacement.
 
Grrrrrr said:
Disco one is riveted.

My old seems to match RAVE. Maybe the first ones did separate?
Click to expand...

Disco 200 and 300 Tdi fans are not riveted they are bolted. 200 Tdi Fan ERR3380, VC ERR7238 both available separately. 300 Tdi Fan ERR2789, VC ERR2266. Both available separately. After market maybe but genuine are not. I have never seen a P38 with detachable blades unless it had been fitted with a Disco fan.They are not rivets but torque snap security bolts. I have just looked at my brand new genuine PGG101290 i assure you that is correct.. ;)
 
Grrrrrr said:
Got an oem Disco one from Island 4x4 and that is riveted. It was the P38 on their site but box says Disco.

Old one had bolts and different number of blades.
Click to expand...

200 and 300 Tdi Disco fans have separate blades and viscous couplings. Maybe someone had fitted a very early 200 Tdi fan to your car if it had less blades. 300 TDI fans have the same number of blades as the M51 fan. But separate fan and coupling. These viscous fans can be fitted to the M51. Whether they are designed to operate in the same thermal and RPM range i have no idea. Look at Island for their 200 and 300 Tdi fans and couplings if you don't believe me. Then look at the M51 fans. Also look at Microcat.
 
M51 Fans were bolted with hex screws up to 1998, then they switched to complete fan assembly.
 
N2O said:
M51 Fans were bolted with hex screws up to 1998, then they switched to complete fan assembly.
Click to expand...

Point is you cannot buy the earlier version coupling or blades if that is so. And you cannot change just the blades or the coupling unless you use Disco parts.
 
N2O said:
Earlier version is probably discontinued.
Genuine 300 TDI set works fine.
Click to expand...

This is true but back to Grrrrs query reference less fan blades. Only the very early Disco 1 200 Tdi had less blades on the fan. From 1989 to 1994. After that Discos have the same number of blades as the M51 but separate blades and couplings. Rave still has instructions for removing fan blades from viscous coupling in the MY2000 version this is obviously an error without designating a particular year of application. The shear bolts can be removed from the later units and replaced with bolts if fitting Disco blades, but it is far from a simple task. I have a knackered viscous here removed from a 1997 manual P38 where a 300 Tdi viscous was fitted with the old bolt on blades. But there is no part number on it so no help there.
 
Last edited:
wammers said:
This is true but back to Grrrrs query reference less fan blades. Only the very early Disco 1 200 Tdi had less blades on the fan. From 1989 to 1994. After that Discos have the same number of blades as the M51 but separate blades and couplings. Rave still has instructions for removing fan blades from viscous coupling in the MY2000 version this is obviously an error without designating a particular year of application. The shear bolts can be removed from the later units and replaced with bolts if fitting Disco blades, but it is far from a simple task. I have a knackered viscous here removed from a 1997 manual P38 where a 300 Tdi viscous was fitted with the old bolt on blades. But there is no part number on it so no help there.
Click to expand...

Cannot remember if there were less or more blades but the count was different. No pictures of the old one but here's the new one before it was fitted.
 

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