Viscous fan nightmare

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ActionDan

New Member
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57
Location
Warwickshire
I am now officially at war with the big nut for the viscous fan on my 300tdi Defender.

I have the correct viscous fan spanner for it and I've tried everything I could find in previous threads on the topic to budge it but it just will not loosen in the slightest.

I am trying to loosen it clockwise as you look at the front of the engine, in the same direction as the fan turns.

I have managed to get a screwdriver in to stop the pulley turning but even hitting the spanner with a hammer doesn't budge it in the slightest. It just sits there laughing at me smugly.


I am just about at my wits end now - does anyone has any suggestions for other things I can do to get this bugger off?
 
Isn't it CCW? Take a loooong thick screwdriver or similar stout piece of tooling, wedge it across to of the bolt heads and under to stub of the fan on the pulley, get yerself a loooong pipe that fits over the handle of yer wrench. Hold aforementioned stout tool, and break the nut free. Have someone help, or overlap the 2 tools and squeeze them together like in a scissor action, watch your fingers.

The long the pipes the better. Always works for me, I even grabbed one from a classic at the breakers yard, hood was open for who knows how many years, a few minutes and it came out.
 
Another option is to get the engine hot as it will sieze up the viscous couple and allow more torque to be transfered to the fan ;)

It is a CCW bolt so clockwise should undo it
 
took mine off other day...

tried gentle persuasion and pully just turned...

so i moved spanner round by one flat an tapped it wiv my hand, that was enough of a jolt to loosen it.. injun was warm but dunno if that makes a difference.. it is cw to undo..lookin from front.....
 
hmm, my engine is cold as I have just drained the coolant as per the instructions I'm following

Well, I say 'just' - I mean several hours ago before I started on the bloody viscous fan...

Will get coolant back in, warm engine up and have another go.

Cheers.
 
It is usually enough hot or cold to fit spanner and then make sure that nothing will be damaged by handle of moving spanner and hit side of spanner sharply with decent sized hammer towards n/s wing . HTSH
 
As mentioned before if the sharp knock not moving it lengthen your spanner handle and lock up the fan properly using the bolts it will let go.
 
Yeah - checked that. I'm trying to turn it clockwise as you look at the front of the engine - same way the fan rotates (so I'm hitting the top of the spanner towards the passenger side)
 
My wife has suggested I admit defeat, phone a landrover main dealers in the morning and see if I can get them to sort it out.

Is a main dealers likely to have special tools that will make this a lot easier?
 
Doubtful, I'd try the local garage first. They'll probably do it in 5 secs and make you feel a right tit :biggrin1:
 
ActionDan said:
I am trying to loosen it clockwise as you look at the front of the engine, in the same direction as the fan turns.
Click to expand...

err.. I thought they are designed to tighten in the direction they turn.. so y'know they don't fall off. Have you tried whacking it the other way, just incase ;)

Now I see other people saying they always undo in the direction they turn.. I'm useless, I would prolly ignore me :biggrin1:
 
Last edited:
trax said:
err.. I thought they are designed to tighten in the direction they turn.. so y'know they don't fall off. Have you tried whacking it the other way, just incase ;)
Click to expand...

If they tightened the same way they turned, that would make them unscrew with the turning of the crank. By tightening in the opposite direction (and thus loosening in the direction of movement), the rotation of the crank will tend to tighten them if anything.

But yes, at some point this afternoon, I did try the opposite direction just in case, out of desperation...
 
Hi ditch the dodgy spanner get a man fashion chisel sharp is best get a big hammer and thrash the nut undone !! Works great !! Doesn't realy damage the nut that much a quick file up and all is good grease it before refitting !
 
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