Viscous fan sheared off!!!!

Hi guys,

Has anyone ever had this happen!? I was driving along fine, pulled over at my local shop, purchased a few things hopped back in and fired her up.
No problems at all, I started to accelerate up to 30mph when all of a sudden.......BOOM, bonnet lifts belt flying flapping around shrapnel everywhere, engine still running so pulled over right away and cut the engine. I couldn’t believe the mess, I had to call council and get the road swept it was that bad! Under the bonnet looked just as bad, radiator had about 50 holes water and steam going everywhere, no sign of the fan just the metal middle piece which had been caught by all the pullies at the bottom of engine bay. Radiator hoses had chuncks took out of them and even the bonnet has a blade mark right in the middle, thank god it didn’t get loose it could of caused serious harm.
My question is has anyone ever seen this or had this happen? The viscous fan has sheared off completely I can take some photos of you would like to see the outcome!? I’m just wondering if I replace the rad and fan how would they get the remaining bit of the fan out of the block? Looks like there 4 bolts there is that how they would do it? As said I can upload pics,

Cheers lads

I think we need pictures to fully understand what is left.
Had a couple of blades go but all it did was vibrate like hell, didnt even take the rad out.

Just gonna take some pics
Bare with me

It’s unbelievable to think nobody was hurt here is the pics

As you can see on the last image the bonnet just about stopped it coming threw and just taking off

jesus christ.

Catastrophic failure or what.....

Was there a Cat involved you say

Your water pump shaft has sheared, new pump time and you will have to remove what is left of the viscous fan then you can reuse the pulley .

wow that did go big time

Water pump siezed ?

Water pump bearings been vibrating a while !

No cat involved. No overheating issues, just went boom! no warning,no juddering, just boom! I may as well do the water pump Seen as it’s all got to come off anyway, would you guys agree?
I thought the pully might be scrap as it’s been hit by the blades and I don’t know if the belt would sit in the lines properly.

You know when something like this happens, and your a couple ££££ into your beloved Range Rover p38, you question yourself as to wether you should just cut your losses and break her painfully and slowly!?
I’m dreading it going to the garage Wednesday! Would any of you recommend a more expensive alloy radiator!?? Should I go back to viscous fan after this happening or just go electric? I don’t wanna mess with her to much so rather go back standard just wanted people opinions?
The phone call to my garage was a fun one I had to repeat myself several times as he couldn’t believe what had happened oh well it’s done now hopefully I can post some good news sometime in the near future

freelance said:

Water pump bearings been vibrating a while !

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Do you know what I very rarely go anywhere where I go above 50-60 mph but not to long ago I was late for something and opened her up at 70mph + I started to get a vibration I held at the speed to see if it would settle and didn’t so I backed off and I’m doing so it stopped, it led me to check tyre pressures and getting them balanced and I just assumed that it was sorted but it may well of been the water pump bearings after all??? Cheers guys

How's your viscous @gold rover ?

myfirstl322 said:

How's your viscous @gold rover ?

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If she makes it home, especially now you've jinxed me , I'll let you know
Although, unlike poor beastly, mine is an all speed vibration, and I'm sure I felt it on braking a few times

I'll turn round 3 times for you , you'll be fine

Aye, doesn't sound like your problem then.

Beastly_p38 said:

No cat involved. No overheating issues, just went boom! no warning,no juddering, just boom! I may as well do the water pump Seen as it’s all got to come off anyway, would you guys agree?
I thought the pully might be scrap as it’s been hit by the blades and I don’t know if the belt would sit in the lines properly.

You know when something like this happens, and your a couple ££££ into your beloved Range Rover p38, you question yourself as to wether you should just cut your losses and break her painfully and slowly!?
I’m dreading it going to the garage Wednesday! Would any of you recommend a more expensive alloy radiator!?? Should I go back to viscous fan after this happening or just go electric? I don’t wanna mess with her to much so rather go back standard just wanted people opinions?
The phone call to my garage was a fun one I had to repeat myself several times as he couldn’t believe what had happened oh well it’s done now hopefully I can post some good news sometime in the near future

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Wow. That really did let go. I think other people have had blades come off but not sure anything like that has happened before.

I got a Nissens radiator for mine (diesel, manual) and it has been fine. When towing serious loads uphill (we're talking 3rd gear foot to the floor here) it does start to creep towards 2 o'clock but as soon as I'm back on the flat it comes back down. That's a full 3 ton load though.

I'm with you on the pulley. You could file the sharp edges but why risk it? Water pump: cannot remember if yours is an oil burner? If so make sure it is the metal impellar one. The plastic ones can break up.

I thought my CC refusing to switch off was bad but this one is seriously scary. Glad you're ok.

I know it was scary! Thanks for your kind words.
I had my 1 year old daughter on board my fiancé who is heavily pregnant and it seriously scared all of us I’m just glad we are all ok!

holy mary mother of small hand grenades dropped under your bonnet!!!
spectacular parting of cooling apparatus my poor fellow
there is nothing worse than the fear of damage to your 'bus' @gold rover other than the fear from your loved ones when your stuck in the middle of nowhere...

Ha ha haaa the sound of it going off made us all jump but we all put our hands up in front of our face, I guess it’s just natural reaction when something goes boooom right in front of you, it really did go out in spectacular fashion!
On a plus note you all know how hard it is to get the viscous fan off, mine just took it self of literally! But funny part was today the pull just unscrewed in my hand with no effort at all, can’t wait to get her to the garage in the morning and to watch them all scratching there heads