Sportrak Fan Removal

Forum: 

Hi

I have a 96 Sportrak that is overheating. I'm pretty sure it's the fan clutch no longer working and want to try to tackle the problem myself ..

(I saw an interesting forum contribution suggesting using strips of rubber to convert the viscous fan to a good old fashioned fan).

My question is this: To take the fan and fan shroud off, do I absolutely have to remove the radiator and drain the system or is there another, simpler way to get to it Unknw

Cheers

Paul.

Fan.

You could use a crow bar but it would cause less damage if you removed the radiator. You must get access to the front of the radiator to remove the small studs that secure the viscus fan.Tiny hands might manage the gap but you will probably damage the fan-fins.
What makes you certain its the fan thats causing the overheat? I assume you have flushed the radiator and the entire cooling system. Its a 10year old the radiator tubes are probably blocked or the thermostat is suck closed.
If you think the viscous is sticking - I doubt it! Try squirting WD40 behind the viscous unit .... if it is the fan it might loosen it.

Fan

The fan rotates freely when the engine stops. The engine only overheats when under pressure of steep hills, not free road running, the coolant in the radiator is bubbling at that point, suggesting the thermostat is not stuck either the open or closed position. Water is circulating, so it is unlikely to be the pump. I have flushed the radiator clean. So I think it's the fan clutch. I don't think it's sticking, I think it's not engaging....

Coolant.

If the engine coolant is bubbling then is more likely to be lack of coolant circulation. Have you touched the bottom of the radiator whilst the coolant is bubbling .... is the bottom significantly cooler than the top? If 'yes' the coolant is not circulating.
Is the fan spinning when the engine is hot?
Have you checked the electrical contacts to the fan Unknw
The thermostat could be faulty and stuck half open.
Viscous fan works on viscosity. The thing is full of oil. When its cold the oil is thin so no fan motion. Engine gets hot and oil thickens so the fan gets turning.