Thread: D2 Fan Damage to Radiator ???

You have an early model Td5 (<2003) don't you? I believe the later ones had a better fan blade setup which didn't have as sharper ends. Even so this isn't something that's just common to D2's. Best solution is to tarp up.

Originally Posted by dm_td5

You have an early model Td5 (<2003) don't you? I believe the later ones had a better fan blade setup which didn't have as sharper ends. Even so this isn't something that's just common to D2's. Best solution is to tarp up.

Yes, 2000 model.

If anybody has a photo of a good 'tarp' set up, I would be very grateful.
I have a friend who is a tent/canvas maker, so making up one that is easy to fit & remove shouldn't be a problem, he witnessed the abovementioned tragedy unfold, so it might also be free!

what you do is take the vehicle (after you fit the new radiator and apart from your not local I feel your pain and would offer to fit them for you) to the tarp maker, the easiest to do is a wierd hexagon shape with eyelets at all 6 points

sort of thusly
wading tarp.jpg

at the 6 points you attach rope when I hook one of those up to a deefer or a sereis I tie the longer bonnet part back to the top door hinge or windshield mounts then roll it off the bonnet over the front, tie off the sides to my bar work then drive forwards 10 feet or so so that the bottom ropes drag along the ground, reach under pull them up and tie them to the bottom door hinges or the step work (dont tie this bit too tightly)

if you can organise it have the tarp made with the rope stitched into the tarp as edge reinforcement.

since the basic size and shape of the landy hasnt changed its pretty much a one size fits all but you may need to change the shape of the side points to suit your barwork.

Go for the heaviest canvas you can aquire as it can also double as a shade tarp, ground sheet and load cover.

I use a piece of old sail cloth roughle 1 metre square - cut out of an old sail many many moons ago - I just put over the front of the bull bar ansd tuck the top edge under the bonnet or between the grill and bull bar - it has served me very well - 3/4 of mile in a SIIa ex Army 4cyl petrol in water up to 4 feet+ deep - again many years ago and more frecently in my Defender. I almost always use the "fording tarp" when the water is likely to be more than bumper bar depth.

CHT

Trap is good but you can get away without one.

The reason your fan made contact with your radiator is that the blade was still spinning when the water rose up to blade level, the fan then dragged itself through the water and the plastic blades bent enough for them to come in contact with the radiator.

Just pull over, once the fan stops spinning (radiator cools down enough) a brush should be enough to stop the blade (don't stick your hand in to stop it) arrange octopus straps onto blade to make sure it doesn't spin then your ready.

If that doesn't sound like your bag then just use a cheap blue plastic tarp.

Ouch. That is a bad tale to tell.

Sounds like a design fault. How can something like that get through the testing process?

Is it just a Disco thing, or are TD5 Defenders similarly affected?

Originally Posted by spudboy

Ouch. That is a bad tale to tell.

Sounds like a design fault. How can something like that get through the testing process?

Is it just a Disco thing, or are TD5 Defenders similarly affected?

Quite a lot of 4x4s with plastic blades can do it. My friends diesel Navara copped the same and he cooked the engine. I'd imagine its worse on the 300/Td5 fans where there are like a million blades and they are very long and flexible, compared with say the 200Tdi white fans.

Slightly off topic - when I did my driver's course in the Army wading and fording involved removing the fan belt, before entering the water. This applied to Land Rovers and Internationals with steel fans. I think most civilian courses would advise the same thing; electric fans need to be disabled as well.

In fact the preparation all over the vehicle for wading, followed by the post-wading inspection of oils and re-constitution of parts, was a pain in the backside.

Now back to the immediate; removing the serpentine belt is probably impractical and driving for any distance without a water pump is probably not desirable in any Disco. Sluggie's suggestion has merit but what happens if the fan does decide to engage and the ockie strap becomes ballistic?

Cheers Charlie

P.S. I don't think a plastic fan is poor design.