Fan removal

[pa944red]

Good evening folks.

I did some searching and couldn't find what I was looking for. I have to replace the radiator in my '02 XLT so I need to remove the fan, or at least that is what it looks like to me. How would one go about removing the fan?

And oh, if my assumption about removing the fan is incorrect, please enlighten me.

Thanks
Tom

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do you have an electric fan or a belt driven clutch fan?

 

[pa944red]

I didn't know there was both. I'm assuming since I have a V6 and my is belt driven, that the electric ones came on the V8?

And just to be clear, I have a belt driven clutch fan.

Thanks
Tom

 

[trucku]

The large nut holding the fan to the water pump pulley turns counter clockwise to loosen.I tried taking mine of with huge channel lock, but could not get leverage and the pulley started to slip. Looks like you will need the Tools. It is long and has lots of leverage. One holds the pulley still and other one is used to turn nut loose. First you take off the upper shroud then when you loosen the fan clutch it will lift out.

 

[BrooklynBay]

A plumbing wrench could be used if you don't have the fan clutch tools. Most have a fan clutch but some members have added an electric cooling fan. Trucku, I think you said that you have a spare fan clutch laying around in another thread which was posted about a year ago?

 

[trucku]

Actually its my clutch now...lol. Good memory BrooklynBay!
My electric setup is on the shelf waiting for install.


I will try the plumbing wrench. I have been all over Queens looking for the Clutch wrenches with no luck.


I am a mod delinquent! Electric conversion, Hydraulic filter to tranny, power steering spin on filter, Heat exchanger to cool oil, Coolant filter and more I can't remember.... :-( Sucks having no garage and have to work in the street.

 

[BrooklynBay]

If you are ever in Brooklyn, you could stop by Eppy's Tools & Equipment on E.42. They have the tools in stock. Let me know. I have a lifetime membership, and could save you 22%. Maybe I'll get a set for myself too. I've been using a plumbing wrench so far. Harbor Freight sells a set of them too.

 

[trucku]

Ok great. Thanks. Maybe I can shoot by this week.


Only thing with Harbor Freight is they take so long to ship out. I ordered a Ultrasonic cleaner (fuel injectors cleaning) and best they can say is "10-14 business days"

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

Here's what I use:

Lisle 43300 pneumatic fan clutch wrench. Hook it up to your air hammer/chisel, and one quick "blurrp" and it comes right off.

I fought with the hand ones long enough...A friend of mine had one of these and when I saw how slick it worked, I had to have one.

Here's a link to a good deal on one:
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/lis43300.html

 

[BrooklynBay]

What do you use to hold the pulley? It says that no holding wrench is necessary in the link above. I guess it does it so fast that it doesn't get a chance to move the pulley. Is this correct?

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

What do you use to hold the pulley? It says that no holding wrench is necessary in the link above. I guess it does it so fast that it doesn't get a chance to move the pulley. Is this correct?

I always do them with the belt still on. That seems to provide enough tension to keep anything from moving. And yes, it does go really fast. I've never had one not come off with this tool.

 

[pa944red]

I borrowed a tool set from AutoZone to remove fan clutches and it worked great.

I had the old radiator out, the new one, and new coolant in and back on the road in just under an hour and half.

It would have been less if the alignment tabs on the radiator would have lined up with the radiator support holes

Thanks for the responses.

Tom

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the update! Which set does Autozone loan?

 

[pa944red]

I believe this was the kit.

Tom

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the link. It says that Autozone sells their line of loaner tools. Maybe not all of the stores do this. I once asked my local store, and they just said that they could loan tools. I asked them if it's possible to purchase them, and they didn't think so. Maybe every store has has a different policy or the workers just didn't know what to tell me. Getting back to this set:

It looks like it comes with a lot of adapters which are made to be used with a breaker bar, but no pulley holding tool is in the set.

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

Even if they don't sell the loaner tools outright, technically you could buy them...Just pay the tool deposit and never return the tool. You just bought it. The deposit is roughly the value of the tool anyways.

 

[pa944red]

The pulley holder was the second largest wrench, I believe. You hold the pulley by grabbing the mounting bolt heads with said second largest wrench, and then use another to grab the nut, and then use breaker bars accordingly. This is actually the same procedure I found in the ford service manual, see below. I can attach the pics tomorrow of the special tools.

SECTION 303-03: Engine Cooling 2002 Explorer/Mountaineer Workshop Manual

REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cooling Fan

Special Tool(s) Holding Wrench, Fan Pulley
303-239 (T84T-6312-C)
Wrench, Fan Clutch Nut
303-240 (T84T-6312-D)

Removal and Installation

All vehicles


Remove the radiator appearance cover.

Vehicles equipped with a 4.6L engine


Detach the A/C tube from the retainers.

All vehicles


NOTE: Some fan shrouds are equipped with two assembly screws.

Remove the bolt, and remove and discard the assembly screw(s), if equipped.

Remove the bolt, and remove and discard the assembly screw(s), if equipped.

Remove the upper fan shroud.

CAUTION: Place a piece of protective cardboard between the fan and the radiator. Failure to follow these instructions can result in vehicle damage.

Using the special tools, remove the fan blade and clutch assembly.

NOTE: It is not necessary to install the screws holding the upper and lower shrouds together.

To install, reverse the removal procedure.


As stated above in a previous post, they charge a "deposit" on your credit card, which they keep if you take more then 60 days to return, after the 60 days, what ever you "borrowed" is yours.

Thanks
Tom

 

[BrooklynBay]

After 60 days, you end up paying the price of a new tool even though the loaner is used.

 

[pa944red]

I guess if you borrow a used loaner, then yes, you end up buying a used tool. But the one I just returned was still in the shrinkwrap when brought to the counter for me to borrow/loan, store employee opened it in front of me to make sure all the pieces were there and off I went. So in my case, I would have had a brand new set if I had decided to keep it, I guess its just luck of the draw.

On a side note, I asked the guy behind the counter about other tools in the store. He said he would loan anything out on the shelves or behind the counter as long as it is not a consumable or a wrench, regular pliers or screw driver or sockets. But just about anything else was fair game.

One other point about the loaner tools, even if you do end up keeping a used tool, they still carry the lifetime garuntee as a new too would have.

Tom