Fan Movement

[Jimgee]

Hi all,

I think I know the answer to the question but will ask anyway.

I noticed today that I have some movement in my fan. It is just a slight, but definite, wobble backwards and forwards. I have searched and suspect the bearings but the other posts I have read all seem to say that they have fan belt noise whereas I have none.

What are your thoughts? Replace bearing or is there often some movement in here?

Thanks.

Jim

[trout1105]

It sounds like your viscus fan is buggered.

[Tombie]

It sounds like your viscus fan is buggered.

It’s likely the bearing that supports it

[Jimgee]

I suspected the bearings. Hopefully just that as this is cheaper!

How urgent is this do you think? It's not hot here for a good few months yet but don't want it to let go!

[AK83]

Assuming TD5, and not V8 ...

brother's fan wobble wasn't the bearing itself, but the housing that the bearing sits in must have been worn to allow movement of the bearing.
We changed the bearing anyhow.
But check for looseness of bearing in the housing.

[trout1105]

It’s likely the bearing that supports it

Hopefully you are right But every time I have had a problem with my D2a it has rarely been an "Easy" fix unfortunately :wallbash:

[Tombie]

I suspected the bearings. Hopefully just that as this is cheaper!

How urgent is this do you think? It's not hot here for a good few months yet but don't want it to let go!

“Letting things go a while” is almost guaranteed to turn a cheap/simple repair into a complex/expensive one.

Do it as soon as funds/time etc allow.

[JR1]

Bear as above. But heck timing case housing for wear https://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-2-a/254059-fan-bearing-warm-timing-cover-help.html
Meant to read “worn timing cover” My repair from last year. Really wasn’t that challenging. Need a 90 degree drill bit and tap/die set. They are inexpensive. Has done a good 10k km since with no issues. Less expensive than a new case!! Good luck. Josh.

[trout1105]

“Letting things go a while” is almost guaranteed to turn a cheap/simple repair into a complex/expensive one.

Do it as soon as funds/time etc allow.

+1
Spending a few dollars early can save you thousands at a later date.

[AK83]

I can understand when folks ask about letting things got for a while for whatever reason they may need too, but as already said, too long and it may cause more harm.
We noticed brothers loose fitting fan. had to let it go for a week or so before we had the part(bearing) and time to do it. At the time his TD5 was his daily .. so 'letting things go' for a while was not optional.
Couldn't see that it did cause any more issues than when we first noticed the problem, but it may have done.


....
Meant to read “worn timing cover” My repair from last year. Really wasn’t that challenging. Need a 90 degree drill bit and tap/die set. They are inexpensive. Has done a good 10k km since with no issues. Less expensive than a new case!! Good luck. Josh.

Sounds awkward, and I think I remember the thread about that too.

When we pulled brothers fan to do the bearing, we had no idea on that it was the timing case recess, so weren't prepped for it at all.
started doing it a few hours before he was due for work, had 'plenty' of time to get a simple bearing changed, but when I noticed the new bearing was more loose than it should be, the time allocated to getting it done had changed.
Had no tools to do a 'proper' job if it either.
I've never had to deal with the issue of a loose bearing, so didn't know of the centre punch trick .. would have rushed to any store to get one had I known of this tip.
In the end we used some high quality silicon in strategic areas to help the bearing stay in place.
That was roughly a year ago now. I reckon a good 5K klms at least .. maybe more.

[Jimgee]

Thanks for all the input. I'll get it done! [smilebigeye]

Going to start by just taking the fan off and see if it is the bearing or the fan itself and go from there.

Cheers

[Jimgee]

Does anyone know where I can buy one of these in australia.?

Td5 / V8 Viscous Fan Spanner Set £14.00 - TOOLS - Spanners Flatdog UK (https://www.flatdoguk.com/-v8-viscous-fan-spanner-set~1002)

Can find the spanner but not the holding tool.

Cheers!

[PhilipA]

Unless some dork has used Loctite on the thread as with mine when I bought it causing 7 hours of struggle even with a holding tool, you should not really need a holding tool.
Usually a couple of sharp hits with a hammer on the spanner will loosen it. Remember" leftie loosie righty tighty."
You can also hold the pulley with a large screwdriver on the bolts.
Also put some anti seize on the thread when you put it back on, so that next time it will come off easily.
It will not unthread itself.
Regards Philip A

[Robflocar]

I am a great believer in epoxy metal for jobs like this.

My tandem trailer was loaded we were under a time constrants when I noticed a wheel bearing had badly worn the axle. I mean badly. Changing the axle was not an option at such short notice and so I packed another bearing on to the axle with expoxy metal and replaced the big washer and tightened up the nut forcing the epoxy in. I made sure no epoxy got into the bearing itself. I lined the wheel up with a straight edge on the rear wheel and a big square for the vertical. Sure I can never get the bearing or hub off again. But since that the trailer has done many thousands of kilometres carrying cars and other heavy loads and the wheel has no movement. I guess one day I will have to replace the axle and all, but it is still fine 5 years on. Every so often I check for wheel wobble but there is none so far.

[AK83]

I can't remember the exact steps to do the bearing, but I think the holding tool will be important to help remove the bearing.
Not so important to remove the fan off the spindle thread, unless as Philip said .. could be loctited.
I'd say better to have it than not.

Brother got his spanner set from Paddock Spares I think he said.
I think it took about a week for the delivery .. all up under $40.
Of their shipping is reasonably timely and priced .. just order it from Flatdog.
Good bit of kit too. same as brothers set.

Better than the dual open ended(32/36mm) spanner I got(Lazer style) .. but I don't have a TD5 and needed the 32mm end for the Tdi and the 36mm end for the V8.

My V8 viscous was loctited on, and the only way to remove the waterpump was to hack the fan blades off, which allowed access to the bolts blocked by the fan and pulley .. and the dumped the entire pump and viscous & hacked fan contraption ... and replaced the lot ... without the use of loctite! [biggrin]

[PhilipA]

It's pretty easy to make a holding tool with a bit of 25x25MM angle iron.
You make a small template of the bolt positions and drill holes in the angle iron, then cut off the angle to clear the pulley.
You then have to grind out a semi circle to clear the pulley.
Mine bent from being jammed against the chassis but that was with strong Loctite and it is still serviceable.
Regards Philip A

[AK83]

I had some flat bar to do same on my V8 viscous, and all I ended up doing was bending the spanner more open.
Not having another spanner, I didn't want to bend it open too much so the decision was made to cut the fan up(have spare .. etc).

So yeah, could make a holding tool with flat bar, or angle or whatever, but the flatdog kit seems cheap enough.

[Andrew D]

My wobbly fan was a result of the water pump.

It was leaking and the fan was all over the show.

Replaced the water pump.

[AK83]

My wobbly fan was a result of the water pump.

....

That would be normal in a V8, but the TD5's fan is a different setup.
It doesn't run on the waterpump shaft like the V8, it runs off a small stub on a bearing housed in the front timing case. Bearing has been known to spin within the timing case too.
The location of the waterpump is (what could be described as miles away) lower and sideways and further back in the engine.

[onebob]

Does anyone know where I can buy one of these in australia.?

Td5 / V8 Viscous Fan Spanner Set £14.00 - TOOLS - Spanners Flatdog UK (https://www.flatdoguk.com/-v8-viscous-fan-spanner-set~1002)

Can find the spanner but not the holding tool.

Cheers!

Mario & Heather at ROVERLORD Off Road Spares has them as a set, i received mine coupla days ago - top stuff [emoji1360][emoji1360][emoji1360][emoji1360]

[Lemo]

Make one of these
https://www.aulro.com/mobile-gallery/6f46786782a8ebe05932d7654a94c0cb.jpg

Can use on the diff flanges as well if ever needed?

Lemo

[ChookD2]

This is a good tutorial on replacing the fan bearing on a TD5 and is (mostly) the way I did mine.

www.discovery2.co.uk / Viscous Fan Pulley - Bearing Replacement (http://www.discovery2.co.uk/Fan_bearing.html)

I made my own tool to hold the flange and my fan came off relatively easily.

It is not really a fun job. A bit more fun than replacing the altenator which is not fun at all.

[Jimgee]

All done. Bearing was toast. Used that tutorial chook. Good stuff on that site.

Cheers all.