Removing Fan on 325i...
- Thread starter abellia
- Start date
Remove cooling fan. CAUTION LARGE SPANNER NEEDED AND FAN HELD ON BY LEFT-HAND THREAD. When spanner is in position on cooling fan nut, give the spanner a sharp tap with a mallet to break nut free. REMEMBER if spanner is on top of nut then looking from front of car, the undo direction is CLOCKWISE. Carefully undo the fan-nut. Several turns needed and fan will suddenly come off. Be sure to be ready for this and don't allow the fan to drop or it may be damaged. Place the fan somewhere safe in an upright position. DO NOT place the fan horizontally as this may affect the viscous coupling (so I've been told).
I used a 2lb dead blow hammer, and with two taps it came wright off. I think I used a 1 1/8th inch wrench, or what ever the american equavelnt was to 32mm. Its hard getting around the fan nuts too.
If you are replacing the fan clutch you can get it off another way but you will ruin the nut on the clutch. Get a flat metal punch, or a big flat head screw driver and catch the edge of the nut and pound away until it comes loose. I used a really big flat head screw driver and with some work got it off.
I have removed the fan clutch both ways, done this a few times. The dead blow hammer really helps though.
Aaron
If you are replacing the fan clutch you can get it off another way but you will ruin the nut on the clutch. Get a flat metal punch, or a big flat head screw driver and catch the edge of the nut and pound away until it comes loose. I used a really big flat head screw driver and with some work got it off.
I have removed the fan clutch both ways, done this a few times. The dead blow hammer really helps though.
Aaron
You can buy a special tool that holds the belt tight against the fan pulley so things don't spin.
Or, if you are replacing the belt, here's my trick. Take a pair of vice grip pliers and clamp the belt. You should already have the belt loose. Wrap it all the way around the pulley (360 degrees) and clamp the vice grips to the belt. You now have made a fan belt strap wrench. But you MUST NOT reuse this belt, it is seriously weakened.
Or, if you are replacing the belt, here's my trick. Take a pair of vice grip pliers and clamp the belt. You should already have the belt loose. Wrap it all the way around the pulley (360 degrees) and clamp the vice grips to the belt. You now have made a fan belt strap wrench. But you MUST NOT reuse this belt, it is seriously weakened.
I was trying everything I can find to stop it from turning by nothing helped, I even bent a couple of screwdrivers and then it just got loose somehow. The second time I was removing it, I got a quality screwdriver that I stuck between the bolt heads on the water pump and after bending even that, it came out. Good luck man, hope it works out for you.
Thanks all. I tried again today and I got bloody fan off. Used a 4lbs mallat. I was able to replace alternator, A/C & power steering belt.
One think though - I initially wanted to replace the timing belt, pulley & water pump also, but I could not remove the ignition rotor. What type of tool is necessary to remove the ignation rotor?? Thanks for all your help...
One think though - I initially wanted to replace the timing belt, pulley & water pump also, but I could not remove the ignition rotor. What type of tool is necessary to remove the ignation rotor?? Thanks for all your help...
Ignition rotor? You mean the distributor cap and rotor? They come off with a 7mm wrench.
But for the timing belt a LOT more has to come off - like the valve cover, and the vibration dampener. I wouldn't even try this unless you're ready to pull the radiator out...the nut on the front of the engine is torqued to 340 lb-ft of torque or MORE...you'll have to figure how to keep the motor from turning over
Why? becuase, even if the car is in first gear with the parking brake on - a 3 foot breaker bar with you putting 150 lb's of torque on the end will equal 450 lb-ft on that bolt - WAY more than the clutch can handle, so the clutch will just slip and the engine will turn over.
Good luck, sorry I can't help more than that! Never did the job myself and now that I am timing-chained, I'm happy.
But for the timing belt a LOT more has to come off - like the valve cover, and the vibration dampener. I wouldn't even try this unless you're ready to pull the radiator out...the nut on the front of the engine is torqued to 340 lb-ft of torque or MORE...you'll have to figure how to keep the motor from turning over
Why? becuase, even if the car is in first gear with the parking brake on - a 3 foot breaker bar with you putting 150 lb's of torque on the end will equal 450 lb-ft on that bolt - WAY more than the clutch can handle, so the clutch will just slip and the engine will turn over.
Good luck, sorry I can't help more than that! Never did the job myself and now that I am timing-chained, I'm happy.
i did the timing belt on my e30... it wasn't all that hard and i don't remember having to take off the valve cover or anything else you talked about. Just pull the radiator, other belts and pullys... distributer cap.. I remeber this job taking about 4-5 hours but it wasn't a real difficult job. Good luck!
![[werd]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_werd.gif "Werd [werd]"){kind=icon}
Fan clutch nut: If the screwdriver doesnt work, grab your air hammer and a long shank punch bit for it, that will break it loose every time, with minimal damage to the nut (it hits hard, but fast).
Balancer/Damper bolt: its kind of savage, but it works. If you cant get an impact wrench in, determind which way the motor turns ( I believe the M20 turns clockwise when you face it). Take and put your socket on a long breaker bar and place the socket on the nut and the handle on the ground do that when you turn over the motor the handle will be pushed into the ground, hit the key quickly so the car doesnt start and the bolt should break loose. what you are basically doing is turning the motor around the nut instead of the nut around the motor. like i said, savage, but it gets the job done.
Damm mjbst111 - I should have spoken to you sooner. According to Bentley (I believe) the ignition rotor needed to be taken off. Oh well, I'll replace the timing belt the next time I go in. What is interval that I should use when deciding when to replace belts (Alt, A/C, Steering). As long as not terribly long I'll wait till then to replace the Timing Belt. Thanks...
well i guess its been a while cause i don't remember taking off the rotor at all... so i would go with what Eric said!
Sometimes i make myself look like an idiot with my sometimes incomplete information, huh? darn my memory!@!!!
i guess i forgot about the vibration dampener because it was no big deal for me either. I just held on to the pully with my huge muscles while my buddy loosened the bolt. haha just kidding.
the interval recommended for the timing belt is 60,000 miles. The other ones don't matter as much because if they break it doesn't cause further damage. I would just check them from time to time and if they look bad or make noise replace them.
If you dont' want to worry about them the interval would be same as the timing belt i'm sure.
On a side note.... i'm happy to be timing chained now too.
Sometimes i make myself look like an idiot with my sometimes incomplete information, huh? darn my memory!@!!!
i guess i forgot about the vibration dampener because it was no big deal for me either. I just held on to the pully with my huge muscles while my buddy loosened the bolt. haha just kidding.
the interval recommended for the timing belt is 60,000 miles. The other ones don't matter as much because if they break it doesn't cause further damage. I would just check them from time to time and if they look bad or make noise replace them.
If you dont' want to worry about them the interval would be same as the timing belt i'm sure.
On a side note.... i'm happy to be timing chained now too.
I didnt have to pull my radiator. This is how I replaced my water pump, which is the same thing to remove to get to the belt. I drain my radiator, took off the crank sensor, loosened and removed fan. Then remove every hose except the lower one on the driver side. Removed the AFM. You don't have to but it takes 5 minutes and gives you a ton of room. After that I took off the alternator belt and fan shroud. Then I removed the water pump pulley. Since the pulley rotates when you wrench it, use an air ratchet if you have one. It wont spin because your torque is in the center of the socket. If not then use a strap wrench. You have to remove the cap and rotor, but don't unplug it. Just move it out of the way. Remove 2 bolts that are in the head that hold on the timing belt cover. Loosen the alternator bracket bolt that is the 3rd bolt on the cover. Remove the top 2 bolts on the water pump but keep the bottom 3rd in but loose. Rotate the pump down a little and remove the tensioner spring as best you can. I don't even know why its there. I was told not to loosen the tensioner pivot bolt. Remove the water pump. Now you should follow the rest of the steps to remove the timing belt which I havent done yet.