Thread: RRC exploding viscofan trick

Which motor does it have ? I seem to recall the serptentine belt V8 in one of mine has the opposite fan hub thread to the V belt V8.................. ie: Now you have that bastard nice and tight ...... It's probably time to try loosening it in the other direction

it's the last of the v-belt 3.9's and LH thread.

If you have a V belt motor with the white multi blade fan, a 300Tdi fan and VC will fit with a slight trim of the blades by about 5MM.
The advantage is that the black 300Td1 fan is glass filled and if a blade breaks the fibreglass keeps the blade on and it just flops around. I broke one in a creek crossing on the OTT and didn't hole the radiator . I was able to trim an opposite one and drove back to Cooktown where I had a new fan delivered.
The Td1 fan also blows more air than the white fan, according to graeme Cooper who gave me the original set when he moved premises. I replaced this with the same later. The blades are longer.
A better working alternative than electric fans.
Regards Philip A

The C9 trans in my POS is cooled with an external cooler that sits in front of the radiator. I don't use the oil plumbing in the radiator at all. The cooler is mounted on brackets independent of the rad and area wise would be about 1/5.

Probably just me, but I can't see the logic in 'cooling' transmission oil in a medium that is already over 90 degrees C.

The Spal............ will be useless unless it is properly shrouded. The failure of many electric thermo conversions is shoddy or non-existent shrouding. Doesn't matter how much they flow.

The excellent shrouding on the EL thermo system and the tight fit you can get to a RRC rad is why they do work. (apart from screaming flat out, efficiently sucking big volumes of air through the rad while crawling along on a stinking hot day in the sand, etc).

DL

You jinxed me!! The plastic fan threw a blade last night, this time (yes it has happened on other vehicle before this) happily without taking out the cowl and the bonnet. The viscous coupling had only recently been replaced and it is not a big job, or even a very expensive one.

Speaking as someone who has done this job a couple of times, the hard part as you have discovered is removing the fan nut. Doing this is essential and you have a couple of options - one is to remove the cowl first but I do NOT recommend that because it will almost certainly mean cutting it to get it out past the fan - then you will have to repair or replace it. The better option is to buy or steal a open end spanner (32 mm I think), drilll a couple of holes in it and bolt a heavy bar onto it to extend the amount of torque you can apply, also make it possible to hammer it (clockwise as you face the vehicle).

Unfortunately, the pulley will want to turn with the nut so you'll have to find a way to stop that. One way is to buy (expensive) or make ( a fair bit of fabrication involved) a fan spanner that fits over the small bolts. The other option is to use a Stilson or similar tool to grab the pulley and stop it from moving. The nut WILL come off - just persevere with lots of oil and sweat.

Once you get the fan off, replacing the fan section and/or the coupling is child's play- and it will work without trying to fit something from another vehicle - though Philip is right - a TDI fan is better made than the white plastic crap

You should check your white fan at every service/oil change or maybe even buy a new one as a service item seeing they are 27+ years old!.
The telltale sign is cracks at the base of the blade.
It doesn't throw a blade staright away, the crack opens gradually.
The Tdi fan also needs the VC as the bolt spacings are different.
Regards Philip A

I'd better update this...

Thursday last week I pulled the radiator and took it off to be repaired. It was damaged.

got it back yesterday, substantially heavier, thicker and without the heat exchangers in the side tanks as requested.

The old core was clear of debris and silicone worms and working well, but it also was not long for this earth - 'dodged a bullet' one might say.

New unit is overkill for existing 3.9 and 'comfortably sized' for the upcoming OM606 swap.
It's a special parallel 4-core heavy duty high density brass louvered unit - for salt-laden coastal areas. Should last another 40 years if looked after.

It cost a bloody fortune, but you get what you pay for.

Have commenced fabrication of shroud and oil / trans coolers are on their way from setrab.
Hydraulic lines yet to be completed - I'm relocating them away from the engine / steering box etc.

Pin core cooler was flushed and new lines will be fabricated for this, as it is being relocated.

Plastic deflector between grille base and bullbar is being removed and replaced with stainless gauze and lip scoop.

There will be a requirement later to modify the upper portion of the radiator support panel to a bolt-in arrangement, rather than the spotwelds, to aid the OM606 swap (without removing wings / guards / fenders whatever you want to refer to them as)

Also taking the time to size up a replacement HVAC condensor, but one with a more modern MFC and subcooler tank. This will also improve airflow through radiator core, with it's more efficient design.

existing hvac aux pusher fans are being removed and replaced also.

I would not recommend anyone with a standard vehicle or a minimal offroad use vehicle undertake all this - just get replacement viscofan, hub and shroud. You do not need the added expense or the segregation of fluids, if you're not doing engine swaps or pedalling hard. Neither do you need to attack the HVAC condensor or aux fans, unless you think it's crook.

I'm only doing this as it presented an opportune time to tackle these tasks before the OM606 goes in, which will help cut down on the swap timeframe down the track.

considering running steel lines down the chassis rails to the trans and transfer case with equal length flexible pigtails - which will allow for generic replacement short hoses should one fail, and keep spares to a minimum.

Not a fan of the RRC's BSP or a fan of hard to find metric fittings, so will use adaptors to common JIC / AN conventional thread sizes for easy availability / replacement.

Originally Posted by Mercguy

I'd better update this...

Thursday last week I pulled the radiator and took it off to be repaired. It was damaged.

got it back yesterday, substantially heavier, thicker and without the heat exchangers in the side tanks as requested.

The old core was clear of debris and silicone worms and working well, but it also was not long for this earth - 'dodged a bullet' one might say.

New unit is overkill for existing 3.9 and 'comfortably sized' for the upcoming OM606 swap.
It's a special parallel 4-core heavy duty high density brass louvered unit - for salt-laden coastal areas. Should last another 40 years if looked after.

It cost a bloody fortune, but you get what you pay for.

Have commenced fabrication of shroud and oil / trans coolers are on their way from setrab.
Hydraulic lines yet to be completed - I'm relocating them away from the engine / steering box etc.

Pin core cooler was flushed and new lines will be fabricated for this, as it is being relocated.

Plastic deflector between grille base and bullbar is being removed and replaced with stainless gauze and lip scoop.

There will be a requirement later to modify the upper portion of the radiator support panel to a bolt-in arrangement, rather than the spotwelds, to aid the OM606 swap (without removing wings / guards / fenders whatever you want to refer to them as)

Also taking the time to size up a replacement HVAC condensor, but one with a more modern MFC and subcooler tank. This will also improve airflow through radiator core, with it's more efficient design.

existing hvac aux pusher fans are being removed and replaced also.

I would not recommend anyone with a standard vehicle or a minimal offroad use vehicle undertake all this - just get replacement viscofan, hub and shroud. You do not need the added expense or the segregation of fluids, if you're not doing engine swaps or pedalling hard. Neither do you need to attack the HVAC condensor or aux fans, unless you think it's crook.

I'm only doing this as it presented an opportune time to tackle these tasks before the OM606 goes in, which will help cut down on the swap timeframe down the track.

considering running steel lines down the chassis rails to the trans and transfer case with equal length flexible pigtails - which will allow for generic replacement short hoses should one fail, and keep spares to a minimum.

Not a fan of the RRC's BSP or a fan of hard to find metric fittings, so will use adaptors to common JIC / AN conventional thread sizes for easy availability / replacement.

I'd love to see a piccie/specs of that radiator!