Need a new Viscous Fan

cormie

Mechanic told me a few months ago that I'd need a new Viscous fan, I was at him yesterday and he said it's on it's way out and then last night it started rattling quite a bit. He said it'd be about €180 from Ford and that he doesn't get a discount on it so if I get one myself, he'll pop it on for me that it only takes a minute or two.

I've been Googling but I don't really know what I'm looking for. I've seen a fan blade on Ebay for about £15 and then a coupler for about £30. These are nowhere near the €180, but I'm guessing I need something else? The full fan?

I've had a look a the fan and there must be a buckle in it, the washer is kinda bent on it too so it's wobbling around. Do I just need the blade or the blade and coupler or something completely different? I was just told to get "a new viscous fan"..

It's for a Ford Transit 2002 RWD 2.4 Diesel.

Any help appreciated

cormie

Anyone?

rebel.ranter

A viscous fan unit will probably not look like a fan at all. It is not something you should buy 2nd hand either.
It is in effect a "clutch" that controls how fast your fan turns. There is a fluid inside the unit that expands when heated up, when the fluid expands it makes the unit use all the force of the fan belt. When the fluid is cold it will loosen the fans grip causing it to turn slower.
Below is an example of a viscous fan coupling:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/BRAND-NEW-VISCOUS-FAN-COUPLING-FOR-FORD-TRANSIT-2000_W0QQitemZ190225836517QQihZ009QQcategoryZ21654QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247
Note: It may not be the correct item for your van

cormie

Jeez, didn't know that, thanks

The problem with my viscous fan is that there is a buckle in it, what I can see wobbling around must be about 400mm in diameter so it's pretty big and makes a big wobble. Would that mean I need the coupler replaced, or a new fan blade, or the whole shibang?

rebel.ranter

I would be very interested in finding out why the buckle got there! The fan itself is probably fine, there are a few small bolts hold this to the viscous unit.
Is your mechanic sure it's the fan itself is buckled, it could be the bearing that holds it onto the block.

cormie

Thanks for the reply. I don't know really, he just had a quick look but the whole thing wobbles around. Is it not a usual thing to need replacing? The van is almost at 100,000 miles. How could I tell if it's the blade or the bearing or what? The washers seem bent and loose anyway..

rebel.ranter

I think at 100k miles it probably has given good service. Normally they are replaced because they go weak, i.e. they do not turn fast enough when the engine is warm. I know in BMWs that a tell-tale sign of a worn vicsous fan coupling is that the temperature gauge rises when you site in traffic.
Who knows, the internal bearings in the unit in your van could have just failed causing it to wobble. The unit itself is not repairable, it's essentially a service item like a clutch, it lasts a long time but will eventually have to be replaced.

cormie

My van just recently overheated, and a pipe was rubbing against another from the coolant supply and started leaking. I wonder could this have been brought on because of something related to the fan?

Henry Ford III

Just replace it.

cormie

Yeah, think I will.. so am I looking for the whole thing then? What does the whole thing comprise of? Coupler, blade and bearings and everything?

Henry Ford III

Yep. The whole enchilada.

rebel.ranter

It's just one unit as in the picture on EBay.

cormie

Suppose I better just ring up a ford supplier and check it out.

cormie

Rang up this crowd: http://cgi.ebay.ie/TX11-TAXI-VISCOUS-FAN-CLUTCH-2-4-T-DIESEL-NEW_W0QQitemZ320281795321QQihZ011QQcategoryZ108856QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

And they charge 35 for the unit and then £13 for the blade and that includes all the bearings and everything and it's £10 to deliver by Thursday. That's £58 (
€74) compared to the €225 inc vat it will cost from Irish ford dealers.

Why do these price the blade and the unit seperate and the ford dealers don't, or is it just the unit that the ford dealers would be supplying and not the fan I wonder?

Henry Ford III

I think you should perhaps ask them that Cormie. I hope it works out ok for you.

cormie

Just ordered from the ebay crowd over the phone (just to be safe not to order the wrong thing) so they supply the blade and the unit itself separately and because their in the UK, I don't have to pay the VAT, so getting the lot delivered for £50, compared to €186+VAT here :cool:

Now lets just hope my van doesn't fall apart before I get it :P

Thanks for all the help!