Someone else had it happen to them on this forum this looks exactly the same as mine!

Go away gasboy, nobody here has any spark plugs for you to change.

For the shroud to be effective at ducting the air, it would need to be less than a 1/4 inch from the edge of the blades. This is why the electric fan shrouds are so close-built to their blades. But with a gap of over 3/4 inch in most cases to allow the engine to shift around, the ducting performance is greatly reduced.

This is not a problem however on a diesel engine as the cooling performance far exceeds the needs of the engine and the thermostat has to restrict the flow to retain some heat in the system at all. Witness how many CRDs run excessively cold whether the shroud is in place or not. Many CRDs have also operated for extended periods with no mechanical fan at all. The CRD also does not usually develop any pressure in the cooling system, especially if the ARP studs have been installed.

As far as JB weld not being successful - Maybe you should be more careful in cleaning and use a proper mix of the stuff. It will certainly fail if the surfaces have any grease or oil or coolant contamination on them, or if the hardener to component mix is wrong. I like using the SteelStik version of the product, it creates a very thick gum that grips extremely strong. I have helped several CRDs with damage with this, and none have complained about failures afterwards. I have also used it on my own VWs, to full success.

Clean the surface, then clean it again, then clean it a third time. Dry it off and if there is a question, clean it again. Let the SteelStick or JB Weld cure for at least a day, and the problem will be solved.