Viscous fan nightmare

I am now officially at war with the big nut for the viscous fan on my 300tdi Defender.

I have the correct viscous fan spanner for it and I've tried everything I could find in previous threads on the topic to budge it but it just will not loosen in the slightest.

I am trying to loosen it clockwise as you look at the front of the engine, in the same direction as the fan turns.

I have managed to get a screwdriver in to stop the pulley turning but even hitting the spanner with a hammer doesn't budge it in the slightest. It just sits there laughing at me smugly.


I am just about at my wits end now - does anyone has any suggestions for other things I can do to get this bugger off?

Isn't it CCW? Take a loooong thick screwdriver or similar stout piece of tooling, wedge it across to of the bolt heads and under to stub of the fan on the pulley, get yerself a loooong pipe that fits over the handle of yer wrench. Hold aforementioned stout tool, and break the nut free. Have someone help, or overlap the 2 tools and squeeze them together like in a scissor action, watch your fingers.

The long the pipes the better. Always works for me, I even grabbed one from a classic at the breakers yard, hood was open for who knows how many years, a few minutes and it came out.

'course not sure if a TDI viscous spins cw or not.. either way its the same procedure.

Another option is to get the engine hot as it will sieze up the viscous couple and allow more torque to be transfered to the fan

It is a CCW bolt so clockwise should undo it

took mine off other day...

tried gentle persuasion and pully just turned...

so i moved spanner round by one flat an tapped it wiv my hand, that was enough of a jolt to loosen it.. injun was warm but dunno if that makes a difference.. it is cw to undo..lookin from front.....

hmm, my engine is cold as I have just drained the coolant as per the instructions I'm following

Well, I say 'just' - I mean several hours ago before I started on the bloody viscous fan...

Will get coolant back in, warm engine up and have another go.

Cheers.

Well, attacking it after a drive to heat the engine hasn't helped. :-(

It was a nice drive at least...

Any other ideas?

It is usually enough hot or cold to fit spanner and then make sure that nothing will be damaged by handle of moving spanner and hit side of spanner sharply with decent sized hammer towards n/s wing . HTSH

As mentioned before if the sharp knock not moving it lengthen your spanner handle and lock up the fan properly using the bolts it will let go.

That's what I've been trying but it's just not budging at all

left hand threads I think........ righty will be loosey

Yeah - checked that. I'm trying to turn it clockwise as you look at the front of the engine - same way the fan rotates (so I'm hitting the top of the spanner towards the passenger side)

Take a big drift punch and hit down on 1 of the flats sides of the hex nut then turn 180 and do it again, just might shock the nut enough to loosen it wd40 soak will help

Cheers - just tried that. Seems this nut doesn't shock easily...

Might have to call it a day for now and try a renewed assault tomorrow.

My wife has suggested I admit defeat, phone a landrover main dealers in the morning and see if I can get them to sort it out.

Is a main dealers likely to have special tools that will make this a lot easier?

Doubtful, I'd try the local garage first. They'll probably do it in 5 secs and make you feel a right tit :biggrin1:

I'd settle for feeling like a tit at this point if it gets the bloody fan off!

ActionDan said:

I am trying to loosen it clockwise as you look at the front of the engine, in the same direction as the fan turns.

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err.. I thought they are designed to tighten in the direction they turn.. so y'know they don't fall off. Have you tried whacking it the other way, just incase

Now I see other people saying they always undo in the direction they turn.. I'm useless, I would prolly ignore me :biggrin1:

trax said:

err.. I thought they are designed to tighten in the direction they turn.. so y'know they don't fall off. Have you tried whacking it the other way, just incase

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If they tightened the same way they turned, that would make them unscrew with the turning of the crank. By tightening in the opposite direction (and thus loosening in the direction of movement), the rotation of the crank will tend to tighten them if anything.

But yes, at some point this afternoon, I did try the opposite direction just in case, out of desperation...

Hi ditch the dodgy spanner get a man fashion chisel sharp is best get a big hammer and thrash the nut undone !! Works great !! Doesn't realy damage the nut that much a quick file up and all is good grease it before refitting !