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Removal of Viscous Coupling Fan?


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With the sun shining on one of the rare occasions since the beginning of February I decided to undertake the replacement of my rather squeaky water pump. I'm ashamed to say that this attempt turned out to be grossly unsuccessful and that I could not even get beyond the removal of the fan shroud. I decided therefore that I would attempt to remove the fan to facilitate the removal of the shroud but this too turned out to be a total waste of time. Although I was able to find a large spanner with which to turn the coupling, it was impossible to immobilise the water pump pulley.

Would someone be kind enough to explain to me exactly how you get the bloody shroud off (without the aid of a hacksaw) and afterwards how the fan is removed from the pulley. I understand from the Haynes manual that this has a lefthand thread.

This is one of those jobs that I had entirely underestimated in terms of the f**k factor!

Ta

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Is the shroud 2 halves (upper and lower) pop riveted together?

Drill the pop rivets out and take out in two halves. I found it impossiible to remove whole with the fan still on.

Water pump pulley shoud have a radial hole in it to push a bar in so you can lever bar against spanner. The hole is only about 8mm though so anything you put in will bend with little effort!

I failed to undo one and took the pump off complete with fan (both were knackered anyway) and then whenever I had enough anger built up tried to seperate the two. Years later it went to the dump still as a complete unit!

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Not sure how you get the TDi's shroud off, as I have a 2.5NA, however so long as the fan belt is still on you should have enough friction on the belt to crack the nuts on the fan without the water pump pulley moving. If like me you removed the fanbelt or have a broken fanbelt then you can remove it by the following:-

Viscous-Removal.jpg

Use a bit of old belt or a rag to protect the pulley from the filter removal tool chain.

Alternatively if you don't have the filter tool, try this one:

Water-Pump-Pulley.jpg

HTH.

M@

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Thanks. My shroud is in one piece so that seems to be an immediate disadvantage. I note that the Hayes book says that you need to use some special small ended spanner, unfortunately it neglects to tell you what size the spanner actually is. It also says that in addition to removing the top hose, you need to remove the intercooler hose as well. Looking at my setup which I imagine to be entirely standard, I cannot see how this helps.

Even with the fan belt on, I do not seem to have enough friction against the pulley to stop it turning and the section of metal bar that I poked into the 8mm hole bent immediately. Whichever way I look at it, the setup looks to be designed for the specific purpose of annoying the home mechanic!

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Hi if you have a spanner that fits and clears pulley bolts it should undo clockwise by short sharp taps with a heavy hammer , if not you can use a cold chisel on the corner of the nut. the cowl will come out after that with T H & I/C hose off ....you may need to flex it a bit.

btw I have several friends in the Charente region around Ruffec was down there in 2004 for a visit & some chemin fun.

hope this helps key things ..hammer & clockwise

cheers

steveb ;)

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Thnka very much for all the advice and I'll give it another go tomorrow. I have to go to Angouléme in the morning but will try in the PM. Any idea on spanner size?

I know Ruffec well and there are some great lanes in this region which you can freely drive on. The French seem a lot less anal about land ownership and the whole rambler thing is not really an issue.

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... the section of metal bar that I poked into the 8mm hole bent immediately. ...

Thought so,

I guess you need a f?+@ off sized C spanner.

Could be worth giving it a quick go right after your trip, while it is still hot.

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You need a water pump spanner - it is 30 and 32mm offset ends. I think the viscous nut is 32mm on your truck. With the fan belt still on (tighten it if it's slack). Strike the spanner to the right (clockwise). Might take a couple of goes, but most of the time they come undone. Once the fan is undone, rest it in the shroud and lift the two out together.

Les.

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not sure of size i ground an old one to suit has to be thin tho tbh i usually use a narrow blunt cold chisel long enough to get in there , but any piece of bar would do. Yeah the lanes and countryside is soo lovely around there the only probs i had laning was meeting old french farmers in citroen c5 vans coming the other way....i'm sure they laugh about meeting a rufty tufty lr with a winch on a track they use to get to the bar every day lol

cheers steveb

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Thanks for the info. I will try to get a suitably sized/shaped spanner at Castorama tomorrow and go for Round 2 with my precision easing instrument at the ready! Depending on my mood, I may opt to leave the fan off altogether.

I agree with you Steve about the farmers in their little vans - I'm sure they find it bizarre to see tooled up 4X4s rumbling along lanes that they regularly drive in a 2CV!

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Tdi is 32mm

Td5 and V8 is 36mm

I use a long screwdriver and wedge it between opposing bolt heads.

The trick is to put copper grease on the threads and not to do it up tight afterwards - literally a tug on the spanner with 1 finger is enough to tighten it. It won't come off (fan tends to force the threads tighter) and is a whole lot easier to undo next time :)

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screwdriver between a bolthead & the pump shaft can lock it - if you can get in. ive stuck something large (screwdriver or cold chisel i cant remember) between the pulley & the belt in the past, that works too. i just use a large adjustable & it works for me.

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I will try to get a suitably sized/shaped spanner at Castorama tomorrow and go for Round 2 with my precision easing instrument at the ready!

IIRC Castorama don't do offset spanners. I remember looking for one there and elsewhere. Not helped by the fact that I didn't know the french for 'offset'!

I ended up getting a regular 32mm spanner and beating it in at an angle. :unsure:

Meant that it didn't move off the nut while I beat the thing to the right in an effort to free the fan.

Precision easing it wasn't :D

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Well I got the fan off eventually, well I actually ended up having to take the pump off with it still attached. Then, in the process of removing the viscous coupling from the old pump (which actually managed with a 32mm spanner) I shattered the fan so a great evening's work all round!

I have now fitted the new pump and left the busted fan and cowl off altogether until the summer when I may fit a replacement or an electric alternative. I must say that the engine becomes SO much more accessible for work with that daft fan and cowl removed. Thanks to all who offered advice.

By the way, Castorama does not sell 32mm spanners either!

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Well I got the fan off eventually, well I actually ended up having to take the pump off with it still attached.

You can actually remove the bolts securing the fan to the VC first which then allows you access to the VC nut. Course this is alot of use to you now!! :ph34r:

Yep, leccy fan is worth it, even just for access to the engine alone.

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