I’ve seen articles that explain how to remove the fan without a specific tool, but I can’t locate one right now. What other choices are there? A big screwdriver wedged between the bolts? It appears that might slip…
This is an easy problem to solve; all you need to do is “wedge” something on the belt like the alternator or water pump while loosening the fan, BTW it’s reverse thread. If you want to loosen something that rotates, you need equal but opposite force opposing the wrench.
I just had a friend hold 10mm wrenches on the bolts holding the fan pulley in place, loosen those two a little, then move the fan till the wrenches caught the other two pulley bolts. You could rattle the fan nut loose with enough power if someone was holding those wrenches.
Use a hammer to break the 32mm or 1-1/4in wrench off of the fan, then spin it off manually. Be careful around the hose clamp. Before you try, you can use WD-40 or PB Blaster to loosen it.
I utilized the heads of the 10mm bolts on the fan pulley and was able to turn the fan with a wrench while using a large screwdriver squeezed between them.
It is likely that you will need to remove the fan more than once while owning an e36, making it more cost-effective in the long run to purchase the necessary equipment now.
The wrench must be a specific length to be of any use, exactly like anything you’re going to wedge and have someone hold. Just fetch the spanner and tap the wrench to the left with a hammer, and it spins right off. I purchased the spanner and the wrench from Turner specifically for that reason.
Without using a hammer or a third hand, I was able to loosen mine using only the proper tools.
The spanner undoubtedly aids, but once you lower the hammer, it becomes just as simple. The hammer method is also used by the dealer techs and other establishments. Simply put, using an electric fan is more convenient.
Exactly! With just one hammer blow, the wrench will be released. For added grip, I also changed the oil filter around the fan clutch using an adjustable rubber wrench.
A recent post about this with a picture of the gadget you may create to hold the water pump is located in the E36 M3 area. Everything relating to this is consistent.
Give it a try; they might do it inexpensively for you, and you can just drive the car back home with the fan in the backseat. I just bought it to the mechanic, and he pulled it off for me. He charged me more than the tool, but I had to get it done in 4 days and couldn’t wait for shipment. The original one, which is decades old, can be removed and put back on using just a pair of vise grips.
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Joyfully driving
Hey, this is for anyone who has ever had to remove the cooling fan from the front of their inline-6 e36 in order to create room for or replace the waterpump but is unable to figure out a straightforward way to stop the waterpump pulley from spinning with the fan bolt. I searched forums and manuals for instructions on how to remove the fan clutch, and they all recommend either purchasing a specialized tool or performing challenging balance acts while attempting to wedge a kind of extremely thin bike wrench between the bolts on the waterpump pulley to counter-torque it. If you ask me, all of stuff is pretty unnecessary and complicated for a task as straightforward and important as removing the cooling fan from the front (considering the small living space of our engine). In addition, finding a wrench or other metal object thin enough to fit in such a narrow gap is difficult (thats why they had to make a special tool I guess).
When I was trying to repair my cooling system, I removed the auxiliary belt from the other pulleys and released the tension on it, but I left it wrapped around the water pump pulley, which revolves with the fan clutch. No special tools were required other than a good-sized adjustable wrench; I just torqued the big bolt to the right while keeping it tightly wrapped around the pulley to prevent the pulley from spinning (capable of 31-32mm). Ample grip is provided by the supplemental belt to prevent the pulley from turning. It goes without saying that I was also replacing the pulley and the belt, but the force needed shouldn’t be sufficient to break or harm anything as the belt easily grabs the pulley and my belt was pretty worn.
Do I need a specific size of wrench to remove a fan clutch?
The fan clutch nut is 36 mm in diameter. You can use a 1 7/16″ wrench, which will fit but be a little loose, or you can grind the open end of a 1 3/8″ wrench to make it fit. (Some stores sell inexpensive Chinese-made wrenches that you don’t mind changing.)
I don’t recall the torque requirements, but after some running time, the “nut” will tighten. To tighten the fan clutch, some Ford technicians would turn the screw on a few turns and start the engine. Although I have never seen one of them come loose, I do not advise doing this.
How is an electric fan loosened?
If your fan is generally spotless, you could wipe the grates and fan blades with a moist towel, then let it air dry before using. However, if it’s truly covered in dust, you should take it apart and give it a good soapy wash, as we’ll teach you how to do below.
Make sure your fan is turned off and unplugged before you start cleaning it. Given that dust and other particles may scatter when you disassemble the fan, avoid attempting to clean the fan in a living room or bedroom. Cleaning the fan outside, in the garage, or in the kitchen is preferable.
- Remove the grill from the fan. Four clips or screws secure the front portion of the grill to the back half. Use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove any screws that are on your fan. Four clips on the front grill of the fan in the following images connect it to the rear grill. The front grill can be removed by unclipping each lock.
- Place warm, soapy water in the sink. Liquid dishwashing works quite great. Use a big tub or a cooler if you’re doing this outside, and use biodegradable soap if you’re pouring it down the drain or into your lawn.
- Take off the blade nut. Typically, the nut is backward, so to loosen it, hold the blade in place while turning the nut clockwise.
- Remove the fan blade and submerge it in the soapy water.
- Remove the nut holding the motor stem’s rear grill in place. It unscrews counterclockwise like a standard nut. Into the soapy water, add the nut.
- Take off the back grill. You will also be washing this.
- Look for any dust on the motor’s front. To remove it, spray it with compressed air from a can. Additionally, inspect the motor’s back and use a couple rapid bursts of air to blow any debris or dust away.
- In soapy water, clean the front and back grills, the fan blade, and the two connecting bolts. (Alternatively, use a hose with a spray nozzle if you’re washing the fan outside on a lawn or driveway.)
- Completely drying everything.
- Reassemble in the following order: front grill, fan blade, fan blade nut, rear grill, and rear grill nut (tighten clockwise). As you secure the grill clamps, keep the two grill parts together.
- In order to be sure that all the parts you cleansed are dry, give the fan 15 minutes to sit before plugging it in.
How is a Hunter fan trim ring removed?
Press hard on the ring’s opposing sides toward the canopy as illustrated in Figure 21 to remove the canopy trim ring. The trim ring will be released from the canopy by the tabs flexing outward. Diverse types of fan blade irons are used with Hunter fans (brackets that hold the blade to the fan). 1
What degree does a fan clutch activate at?
Answer: It can be challenging to identify a bad fan clutch. The car won’t usually overheat unless it’s under really tough duty circumstances. The mechanic does not detect an airflow issue because the car is not overheating. Finding out if the fan clutch is engaged and close to engine rpm is difficult. By comparing fan speed to shaft speed, a defective viscous fan clutch is considerably simpler to detect with a low-cost infrared tachometer. 80–90% of the shaft speed will be indicated by a fan clutch that is engaged. A disengaged fan clutch should register between 20 and 30 percent of shaft speed. Additionally, a scan tool should be used to look for codes that the EVC has set.
The most typical signs of a failed fan clutch are as follows:
- Fluid leakage – An accumulation of oil near the bearing or thermal spring A bad bearing has considerable play (greater than 1/4″ at the fan tip), is seized, or rotates erratically. worn thermal spring – loose spring
Some fan clutches may be defective even when there is no obvious sign of a problem. A bad fan clutch may also be indicated by the following:
- When the hot engine is turned off, the fan spins too much—three times or more. inadequate air conditioning: too little speed or too much side pressure When the engine gets hot, the fan does not rise in speed or “locks up.” Fan clutch won’t slow down when the engine is cold and won’t disengage.
Each type of fan clutch is made to mimic the performance of the clutch that it replaces in original equipment. Every fan clutch has a specific use and should only be used on the vehicle for which it was designed. Inappropriate fan clutch use can lead to inadequate cooling, excessive noise, decreased fuel efficiency, or even fan clutch failure.
- Standard Duty Thermal: When activated, the fan rotates at 50–60% of shaft speed. used with fans that have a 1-1/2″ pitch or less. A flat plate impeller with a working surface of 30 square inches.
- Heavy-Duty Thermal: When activated, the fan rotates at 80–90% of its normal speed to improve cooling. used with fans that have deeper pitch (2 1/2″ pitch). Higher operating RPMs are possible because to the land and groove design’s 47 square inches of working surface.
- Serious Duty Thermal: When activated, the fan rotates at 80–90% of its maximum speed. used with fans with a deeper pitch. pitch of 2-1/2″. Design with a land and groove and 65 square inches of working space. A larger work surface has a longer lifespan and runs cooler.
Most fan clutches activate at air temperatures of around 170 degrees Fahrenheit (about 180-190degF engine temperature). Before disengaging, they lower the temperature by around 20 deg F.
How can you know if the fan clutch is turning counterclockwise or clockwise?
a rotating fan Take a look at the blade that is at 12 o’clock. The blade will have one side lifted and the other side flat on the ground. Your fan is clockwise if the right side is lifted. Your fan is clockwise if the left side is lifted.
How big are the fan clutch’s bolts?
Fan clutches have been overly consolidated by several aftermarket clutch makers with the 5/16 “both a standard and reverse rotation clutch bolt hole. The OEM bolts may have been swapped out for smaller 5/16” bolts if the fan clutch has previously been replaced with an aftermarket unit “bolts from the aftermarket