Tips on How to remove the Viscous fan

jt_armstrong · Dec 5, 2010

After all the testing I have done over the past week, I have now come to the conclusion that my water pump is shot. There is no circulation in the system and since I am pretty confident that I have bled her properly the only thing left that could be the cause is the water pump.

Going by RAVE you need to remove 4 screws which hold on the fan. These require a special tool but I assume they are just Hex or torx however I dont want to try with the wrong thing and only add to my troubles.

I have also read on the forum that you can get away with just removing the large nut which secures the fan to the water pump pully but this is bigger than my biggest spanner (30mm). I did manage to get an adjustable spanner on it but then I couldn't work out how to lock the pully to prevent it from spinning.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks or can help me with the actual sizes of the bolts in question.

the hooded claw · Dec 5, 2010

A. LEFT HANDED THREAD

B. Spray Thread with PLUS_GAS ....

C.Secure Adjustable to nut ...

D. HIT WITH EVER SO LARGE HAMMER

E. Go into house for Plasters (Coz by now you'll have "Skinned yer Knuckles"!!!!!)

dove · Dec 5, 2010

same as what i did ,but i never used any type of gas just hit the spanner with a block of wood,came off no problem

odyssey · Dec 5, 2010

Jam a rag in between the pulley and the belt, then hit with V large hammer/swear/go for plasters as previously advised.

NB nut undoes in direction of fan rotation!

A

Irishrover · Dec 5, 2010

If it's petrol the nut is a standard r.h. thread and 36mm A/F.

Diesel is l.h. thread...not sure of the nut size.

As posted, give the spanner a sharp clout.

P38_Ireland · Dec 5, 2010

can i recommend the following? this is what i did for my diesel P38. leave the pullys on and put the spanner on the rear of the fan hit in the direction the arrow shows to OPEN and then wind it off.

hope that helps! took me AGES to figure it out what the lads were telling me!

jt_armstrong · Dec 5, 2010

Thanks guys, I will have another crack at it tomoorow. I have this awful picture of broken fan blades, skint knuckles and an adjustable whrench sticking out of a radiator

P38_Ireland · Dec 5, 2010

you wont get an ajustable wrench in there, your gonna have to get a 30mm open faced spanner.

mgmayo · Dec 5, 2010

you need a 32mm spanner, I took mine off to replace water pump also but have left it off. I also fittted a/c fan with fan switch. This rarely comes on, even when towing 3t trailer, unless in a long traffic queue. So there's no need for fan & you may get better mpg

Hamster97 · Dec 6, 2010

I managed to get an adjustable on mine.
Remember. Petrol is RH (normal) thread so thats opposite to the direction P38 Ireland has posted (His looks like an oil burner lol)
Put the spanner on the nut and smack it. If it doesn't go 1st time (it won't) keep at it.

p76rangie · Dec 6, 2010

Hamster97 said:
I managed to get an adjustable on mine.
Remember. Petrol is RH (normal) thread so thats opposite to the direction P38 Ireland has posted (His looks like an oil burner lol)
Put the spanner on the nut and smack it. If it doesn't go 1st time (it won't) keep at it.

Not all petrols have the same thread. Serpentine ones go one way, V belt ones the other.

P38_Ireland · Dec 6, 2010

P38_Ireland said:
can i recommend the following? this is what i did for my diesel P38. leave the pullys on and put the spanner on the rear of the fan hit in the direction the arrow shows to OPEN and then wind it off.

Hamster97 said:
Petrol is RH (normal) thread so thats opposite to the direction P38 Ireland has posted (His looks like an oil burner lol

well spotted there captain obvious!!! :doh: lol

Hamster97 · Dec 6, 2010

P38_Ireland said:
well spotted there captain obvious!!! :doh: lol

Hehe. Stating the obvious is clearly a result of looking at the pretty pictures rather than actually reading posts properly but I'm gonna stay with it and assume he's talking about a 1997 4.6 GEMS Range Rover (Sig lol)

classic kev · Dec 6, 2010

I don't know how much room you've got on a P38 but you might want to think about maybe slipping a piece of cardboard in front of the fan while you're taking it off. This helps to protect the radiator from being damaged by the fan when you drop it!

P38_Ireland · Dec 6, 2010

Hamster97 said:
Hehe. Stating the obvious is clearly a result of looking at the pretty pictures rather than actually reading posts properly but I'm gonna stay with it and assume he's talking about a 1997 4.6 GEMS Range Rover (Sig lol)

Im gonna take a compliment there on my wonderful pic taking ability and also the use of photo shop to add an arrow????

so good infact that you cant ever bring yourself to read the txt only look at the pic??? would this be right??? lol

kernowdragon · Dec 6, 2010

mgmayo said:
I took mine off to replace water pump also but have left it off.......... So there's no need for fan & you may get better mpg

That must make you the bravest P38 owner going!

Datatek · Dec 6, 2010

kernowdragon said:
That must make you the bravest P38 owner going!

Not if you put a stat on the condensor fans

P38_Ireland · Dec 6, 2010

thats probably about as good as having an asthmatic pensioner blow through a straw at the engine block when its getting hot....! lol

Hamster97 · Dec 6, 2010

P38_Ireland said:
Im gonna take a compliment there on my wonderful pic taking ability and also the use of photo shop to add an arrow???? so good infact that you cant ever bring yourself to read the txt only look at the pic??? would this be right??? lol

Bang on mate.

jt_armstrong · Dec 7, 2010

I'm getting nowhere with this. Tried the rag between the pully and the belt to try and jam the pully but no matter what I do or how hard I clout the wrench I just can't get the nut to budge. I have even managed to get a 10mm ring onto one of the pully studs so I could get some more purchase but still to no avail. Is it worth applying a bit of heat to the nut?

Tips on How to remove the Viscous fan

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