Spin-on Fan Removal - I Can't Believe More Mechanics Don't Know This!
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2024
- Have you ever been stumped trying to figure out which way a spin-on type fan clutch needs to be turned to remove it. These can become stubbornly tight and we don't always know if they're right hand or left hand threads. Tip: Visually confirm which way the fan turns and removal will always be that direction. It's just that simple!
Definitely broke that loose prior to filming. They don’t come off that easy lol
Ha! My videos don't look that well thought out do they? 😄 Ahh, there was a time you could at least trust video, well, sadly, not any more. Though this was not intended to demonstrate how hard -- or -- how easy a fan can off, the truck in question is very regular in the shop and is always being taken apart for all sorts of minor things. There's probably nothing tight on it anymore except the steering and suspension parts, which get checked and changed quite often. This one has almost 300,000 miles and drives like it has 50K.
Nice and short. Thank you
I have never had a fan come unscrewed that easily before my life that was pre set up
As a young tech once, I remember air hammering the fan in the incorrect way and breaking the water pump. Unfortunately it wasnt in for a pump replacement! Came out if my pocket. Never forgot after that life lesson!
That fan spins clockwise!
Nope. Not if looking at from the front
@@qdogbenson3112I guess the drivers door is on the right hand side of the car too.
I always look at the belt if the smooth side is on the water pump it is counter clockwise, ribbed side is clockwise, it is that way so if the fan comes loose or was not tightened it will tighten itself under load, dodge did this with lug nuts in the 60s, the lugs on the left side were left handed thread, clockwise on the right side, this worked until every dodge dealer and every parts store ran out of wheel studs and lug nuts from guys twisting them off, thinking dang these are tight!!
Great tip actually just did one last weekend on a 03
Though it was reverse
Been working on cars long time was never taught that
Great video you're correct I always take a steel rod and just walk the nut a few times the correct direction to take it off.
@@pauljanssen7594 I have a few assorted concrete form stakes that I use for this. They all have that nice mushroomed head that makes them easy to hit... Oh, but miss one time and that wrist area takes a good hit. Done that too many times!
I didn’t even know fans unscrewed like that, period.
They can be very stubborn to remove too! Especially if you're not sure which way they unscrew. More than once, we've had DIY customers carry their water pumps into the shop with the fan attached to see if we could help remove them. It's common to find this type of fan attachment on many of the rear-wheel drive vehicles like trucks, vans, SUV's, etc..
The struggle is real but not anymore with this tip. I always look up what way to loosen it in the service info. Never even paid attention to which way the fan went to make it easier. 🙌👌👍🏻
Thanks for the comment! Those trips to the service info can wear you out at times and they mess with the flow.
Oh, and another way to think about which way they spin off is to determine which fan edge is closest to the radiator when viewed straight on. If the left edge is closest, you spin to the left to remove. Likewise if the right edge is closest to the radiator, you spin to the right.
Gotta love the short story explanation, easy to remember. The long method is to remember by thinking of how engineers want engine torque to tighten that connection, so fans won't tend to come off over time. When starting and when accelerating, the engine puts torque onto a stationary or slower moving fan every day. In this case by looking at fan blades, you know engine rotation is CCW when looking from the front. So, spinning the fan nut CW will tighten the nut, turning against the torque of the motor. Ergo, right hand threads. Ultimately guys do as you do, remembering a short cut so you don't have to think it through every day! Then again, it doesn't always work, which is why the notorious Honda crank bolt can be removed by a bump with a starter motor.
I love Honda, but certain Honda crank bolts can be the worst!
@@spelunkerd You're explanation was great!
Awesome tip ....thank you!!
man i wish they came off that easy around here. up here in rustyland ive had to resort to using an air hammer many time and even have had to torch a few off...
Sometimes you get lucky! The air hammer is the go-to for most. A good air hammer with a long bit can do wonders! It's got me out of many tough situations.
yes I have had a few that just would not break loose, most GM engines have small holes in the front of the water pump pulley, I have a set of spanner wrenches I bought for a VW, they work great, I was doing a water pump on a ford and gave up until I came up with the idea to knock a hole in the old pump and drive a punch in it to lock the impeller, there is always a way!!!
excellent, tyvm. i have often struggled with this.
I used your method to determine which direction removes them as well. I also place a piece of cardboard between the fan and radiator to prevent the fan from falling into the rad after it spins off.
Nice! Definitely pays to be cautious in this area. It's easy to damage these aluminum radiators.
A simpler way, if the fan pulley is driven by the back of the belt, it is regular thread lefty loosey, but if it is driven by the grooved side of the belt, it is reverse thread. This doesn’t necessarily apply for marine engines, as some of those run backwards, but then they probably won’t have a mechanical fan attached to the water pump either.
Great tip. 👍
Now if I was strong enough too break it loose thanks for the info.
Like the wrench you made
I have always used an air hammer with blunt punch end on it. Usually one little blast will break it loose, then you can just spin it off by hand. Same when you re attach it. After its stops from hand spinning, one little blast with that air chisel and its tight.
Cool bit of info...
😂
Well if its not righty tighty its obviosly reverse thread ya only have 2 choices
The first one I encountered I did not have the goofy wrench, and used a hammer and a long chisel to rotate the hex to get the fan off. I lost my temper, then took the hammer to the threads on the water pump hub. Did not care about getting core deposit back.
Shouldn't it unscrew the way it doesn't normally move? Like the rear gear of a bicycle
Been there done that 😁 how about power steering with no bolt for the pulley it's tappered
Good video
@@DTM45 Thank you so much!
I thought it was gonna be a video about some really cool trick to keep the engine from turning for those really stubborn, seized up fan clutches that don't unscrew the first try so easily
🤷♂Sorry! I wish I knew too. As long as I know which way they come off, just a big hammer to smack down on the end of the removal wrench is usually enough. If that doesn't work the air hammer comes out. My original removal tool came with some larger ends that hold the water pump pulley by their bolt heads. Many don't have those bolts and there's hardly room to get all that in there. It is super satisfying when they just break loose easily.
Very cool. I've not owned a car with a spin on fan but that makes sense. Mine are all old school with 4 fan studs thru the pulley.
@@Dannysoutherner That's probably not a bad thing 😀
Yep, smart man
Yes it did help me
Essentially, a standard thread. Right 👍?
In this case, yes...
Thanks 👍
That tool is also your best friend.
Hmm, in 40 years of pulling wrenches i have never seen one come loose like that, normally use air chisel or heat
Simply look at the curve on the tips of the fan. They curve opposite direction of spin(physics). Nuff Said
No time to watch your lovely video, been on the crapper long enough. I just beat the wrench with a manual impact.
If they don't know,,they're not mechanics