Drive with fan removed?

[RobertFord]

Hi All,

I was wondering, would it be harmful to the X to drive with the radiator fan removed, for a bit? I am suspecting the fan may not be balanced and causing a vibration and wanted to test it out.

Heat is not really an issue I think, as it's quite cool here right now (low 60's f) Let me know what you guys think!

 

[Jstcruz]

I highly suggest not relying on it to get somewhere with out a fan on it, but, you can remove the fan and drive it around your yard or quickly up and down the street without any harm.. keep a close eye on your temp gauge! If it gets hot away from your house just park it for about 30 mins and drive it back

 

[4x4junkie]

If you keep the vehicle moving (above 30 MPH or so), you probably wouldn't have an issue. But get stuck in traffic (or at a red light or two), you'll have a problem on your hands real quick!

If this is just a test to rule out an imbalance, why not just start the engine and rev it up in your driveway for a few seconds?

 

[Anime]

You should be able to look at the fan and see if it's vibrating or looks unbalanced on the engine, either at idle or with someone else revving the engine when it's parked.

Otherwise, sure, you can take off the fan and drive it around real quick, but only until the engine warms up. After that, the system needs the fan to stay cool or you will overheat the engine.

Unless you live in an area where you can drive fast and not stop, I wouldn't drive it on the road without the fan, if you get stuck in traffic or behind a slow driver, you'll wind up in the tough situation of having to sit and watch the engine overheat or break a lot of laws trying to keep the vehicle in motion.

If you think it's the fan, you could try another fan instead or another fan clutch as well.