trouble removing fan

jaym540 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:53 pm **Posts:** 59

fan i cant get it off. have tried the socket trick and a strapwrench. which way is loose regular or reverse thread.

Glend · **Posted:** Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:52 pm

Put the 13mm socket into the hole in the pulley onto the bolt head in the pulley support bracket, at about the 1 oclock position behind the pulley. Then put a big adjustable wrench on the fan clutch nut, adjust it to be tight on the nut, and move the fan anti-clockwise with the wrench until the pulley locks against the socket. Then tap the wrench anti-clockwise with a hammer near the end of the long handle until it start to move. You want to tap it anti-clockwise to loosen the nut and clockwise to tighten it later on when your putting it back on. You may have to continue to push the wrench aroung anti-clockwise until it lets go of the threaded shaft and be ready for that because the fan and clutch assembly has some weight and if your not ready it can fall and hit the radiator and maybe damage it.

mark2m · **Posted:** Sat Feb 23, 2013 11:00 pm

I was having trouble getting a socket to stay on when trying to break torque and didn't want to risk messing up the head of the bolt. I ended using a large 3/8 allen wrench to lock the pulley through one of the holes.

jaym540 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:53 pm **Posts:** 59

mark2m wrote:

I was having trouble getting a socket to stay on when trying to break torque and didn't want to risk messing up the head of the bolt. I ended using a large 3/8 allen wrench to lock the pulley through one of the holes.

thanks ill give her a try first thing in the am.

was having the same problem with the socket and broke a screw driver. so it is counter clockwise of right

Hexus · **Posted:** Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:27 am

The fan loosens clockwise. Use a large Crescent wrench on the fan nut, and there's no reason you can't hold your 13MM socket in place with a ratchet attached to it, that's what I did to make it easier, there's plenty of room.

Also, use PB Blaster, I'm convinced that stuff is made out of unicorn horns and puppy dog tails, because it's MAGICAL....

jaym540 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:53 pm **Posts:** 59

i tried to hold the socket with a breaker bar no go.

so clockwise facing the motor and back of the car?

didn't think about pb. thanks im also a fan would buy stock but spend all money keeping the libby going.

jaym540 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:53 pm **Posts:** 59

ps my serpintine belt is off im doing this job because of a tentioner pully failure

TJ2 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 24, 2013 1:06 am

Persistence will carry the day. Anti-seize on the threads will make everything easier next time.

Take it off two or three times and the Aussie fan shroud mod will start to seem like a dam good idea.

PS Yes, these are right hand threads. Counter clockwise as you are facing the fan to loosen. I think back in the old days we were more mechanically 'literate.' Simply saying left or right hand thread would make things perfectly clear. My 2 cents.

jaym540 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:53 pm **Posts:** 59

what is the aussie fan mod shes getting torn down and sitting for a while buying another vehicle this week.
gonna do everything i can while its apart

arengant · **Posted:** Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:56 am

jaym540 wrote:

what is the aussie fan mod shes getting torn down and sitting for a while buying another vehicle this week.
gonna do everything i can while its apart

Cut the top of the fan shroud off (above mounting tabs) and later reattach with zip ties through drilled holes on upper and lower shroud.

Now you can remove the topic the shroud while the lower is bolted to radiator. This allows you to remove the fan next. After the fan and upper "cut" piece of shroud have been removed, you can easily unbolt the rest of the shroud and remove it.

papaindigo · **Posted:** Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:36 am

Points:
1. fan unscrews counter clockwise when facing the engine. See http://www.beesvillebeefarm.com/jeep.html , scroll down a ways, for a picture of the bolt head in question and the allen wrench trick. I've used both the allen wrench and the socket on the bolt head, either way it's good to have an "extra" set of hands to hold the allen wrench or the socket on a rachet handle in place. A hammer of some sort, I have the Lisle pnuematic fan clutch removal tool, will likely be needed to get the fan to start to unscrew as it's on their tight from the factory and XXX thousand miles of rotating. A bit of anti-sieze on the reinstall may help future removal AND there is no need to snug the fan nut down on reinstall; just run it down to bottom by hand since the fan rotation is going to tighten it up anyway.
2. fan and shroud have to come off together the 1st time and it's good to put a piece of cardboard or a towel in front of the fan during that operation to avoid radiator damage. Do not misplace the fan shroud bolts as their length is critical; replacement with longer bolts will puncture the radiator.
3. several fan shroud mods make future removal easier. See viewtopic.php?f=98&t=64278&p=709322#p709322 for several options including a link to the Aussie mod.

jaym540 · **Joined:** Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:53 pm **Posts:** 59

couldnt get any of it to work so i just removered the whole assembly from the block.

thanks for all the help and suggestions though

TJ2 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:57 pm

Good work. . . others have had to go the same route. You might put the fan/clutch/mount assembly on a bench where you can hold it and get the fan clutch off.

The OEM clutches were not reliable. So, at some point you may need to take the clutch off.

FWIW, I used metal zip ties from Home Depot. The plastic/nylon ties broke in the cold. I did not drive across town to a 'real' electrical supply house, however, to get the good stuff.

By getting your hands dirty, you'll learn more in four hours under the hood than you will in a week of reading this board

Lancer · **Posted:** Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:50 am

TJ2 wrote:

By getting your hands dirty, you'll learn more in four hours under the hood than you will in a week of reading this board

True - on the other hand, reading the board first can help prevent some costly mistakes!

trouble removing fan

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