fan removal?

tjdrvr · **Joined:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:15 pm **Posts:** 5

any good tips for removing the fan? I want to do see my rockers and do fan belt replacement but fan removal is kicking my butt! thanks for any info love this site so helpful

flman · **Posted:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 6:36 pm

tjdrvr wrote:

any good tips for removing the fan? I want to do see my rockers and do fan belt replacement but fan removal is kicking my butt! thanks for any info love this site so helpful

I took mine off 2 days ago, a pair of Channel Lock Big azz pliers to hold the pulley where the belt does not ride, and a crescent wrench on the nut with a pipe. The fan had never been off since new.

Another member put a 13MM deepwall socket on one of the bolts in the pulley holes to hold the pulley from spinning too. At least I thought it was 13MM?

minisub · **Posted:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:52 pm

I got off easy with a pipe wrench and dead blow hammer. Came right off.

I did stuff 3 approx. 8" wide pieces of cardboard down between the fan and radiator. It seemed to really help protect the rad during the awkward fan/shroud combo removal once the fan was loose.

geordi · **Posted:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:28 pm

Napa sells a 36mm flat wrench which is the proper tool for fan removal - it is about $27 and they should have it in stock, or at least mine did. Take a 12mm deep-well socket, tie a long string through it (as a keeper) and stick it into one of the pulley holes near the 5 o'clock position. You will know you have it right when it goes in a good bit, you want it to jam against the hidden bolt that is at the 3 o'clock position. Then use the wrench, a 1/2" socket wrench as an extension, and a dead-blow mallet. Two good whacks should be all it needs.

lincmercguy · **Joined:** Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:45 pm **Posts:** 13

I have a long air chisel bit for this with the belt left on. I wouldn't recommend trying it on your own if you're unsure though. A while ago, one of the tool manufacturers made a slick tool that had a wrench for the fan nut (different sizes) and had another piece that fit into an air chisel and turns the wrench. It kind of acts like an impact wrench then, and you don't have a need to hold the fan pulley in place aside from the serpentine belt.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:14 pm

That tool manufacture was/is Lisle. The set is kind of pricey, I know as I have it. Less pricey is get the Lisle (43390) 36mm wrench and pneumatic tool handle (43370) for about $60 on Amazon. Works pretty good as I've used it on several CRDs but it won't always break the nut loose unless you use one of several methods to hold the base from slipping on the belt.

Geordi's idea is cheapest.

I will add a) don't misplace the 2 fan shroud retaining bolts as length is critical to prevent poking a long bolt thru the radiator; b) zip tie the nuts for those bolts into their "housing" to prevent loss; c) put a piece of cardboard or a towel between the fan and the radiator to prevent damage while working the fan and shroud out together; and d) while the fan shroud is out modify it to make future fan removal easier (simplest mod is to cut the bottom half of the shroud off just below the retain bolts and throw the bottom half away.

tjdrvr · **Joined:** Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:15 pm **Posts:** 5

Thanks for the tips I got the napa wrench it removed fan no problems I was using an autozone rental fan removal tool it was so worn out and cheap it would just spread open on nut found one broken rocker arm and several very worn rollers hard to believe at only 63000 miles I owned it less than one month so don't know about maintenance the car fax showed regular oil changes at dealer so I hoped for the best the timing belt still looked in great shape I owned a 2006 crd liberty I purchased new. NEver had any problems regular oil changes with Amsoil and fuel filter changes all I ever did to it but got rid of it at around 110000 miles I didn't want to do the timing belt change wish I would have done it then to that Libby Instead of now to this one

ians63 · **Joined:** Thu Sep 12, 2013 5:57 am **Posts:** 1

Is it a left hand thread?

Mike92104 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 7:49 pm

ians63 wrote:

Is it a left hand thread?

If you mean reverse thread, then yes. FWIW, I used the socket through the hole method along with a large crescent wrench. One tap with a mallet, and it was loose.

geordi · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:19 pm

NO - This is a NORMAL threaded connection. Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty and all that.

thermorex · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:37 pm

It's easy to find out for every pulley or spinning thing with bolts in the center, it opens opposite of the rotating direction.

Mike92104 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:57 pm

geordi wrote:

NO - This is a NORMAL threaded connection. Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty and all that.

I stand corrected. geordi has removed the fan more often than I have, but the socket, big C-wrench and mallet trick work well.

fan removal?

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