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View Full Version : My interesting fan clutch. and p.s. i got in an accident.



infinity5
09-27-2006, 11:37 AM
My fan clutch has stuck in the *locked up* position. We always hear about over heating issues when the fan clutch fails and the fan won't spin fast enough, but the exact opposite happened to me.

I'm a little worried the stress of turning the fan at 3,000rpms on a regular basis with the clutch fully locked up is going to either break up the fan, snap a belt, or damage the water pump. I guess we'll wait and see.

On the up side, my car really and truely sounds like a jet engine every single time i accelerate. People stare as i go by wondering what the hell is going on under the hood.

I might take a look at it, but the front end of my car kindof sort-of got smashed in last month and now there's only like.. a 1cm clearence between the radiator and the fan :) oh, and to make the hood fit on semi-right i had to take off the hindge and use wires to wire the hood to the chassis. So it doens;t exactly open.... at all.

Yeah i forgot to mention my car accident to the forum, I haven't been on in the while.

I rear-ended a truck on a busy street in heavy traffic because i'm an easily distractible idiot. Anyway, i have nomore head llights, no grill, no headlight surround things, the bumper broke off, fog lights gone, tow hook covers destroyed. Horns cracked, Aux cooling fan done-in. My r134a all leaked out where the cooling pipe cracked from the impact. It also crushed in the front of my car about 8 inches. It buckled the hood pretty good too. AT first i had to get it towed because the engine fan was touched the radiator and couldn't spin freely. But once i got it back to my house a sledge hammer and some metal pipe pried things apart enough for the fan to move freely. I had to break off the radiator shroud too for clearance :)


I managed to put the slightly-mangled bumper back on, and i salvaged my old turn signals from the closet ( i knew i saved those for a reason!). I bought 5$ head lights for (probably) some random ford truck at my local auto parts store and then used a 2 part epoxy to glue them to the bumper. I then proceeded to wirethem ever-so-skillfully to the old harnesses.


P.S. Ryan R, I work like across the street from you ( i think). i see your black 525 nearly every day. I think i saw you gasping at the front end damage to my bmw one day :) feel free to drop by Martin Appliance and give it a look over!

winfred
09-27-2006, 12:02 PM
it will just suck power till the fan comes apart probably taking the hoses and radiator and shroud with it


My fan clutch has stuck in the *locked up* position. We always hear about over heating issues when the fan clutch fails and the fan won't spin fast enough, but the exact opposite happened to me.

I'm a little worried the stress of turning the fan at 3,000rpms on a regular basis with the clutch fully locked up is going to either break up the fan, snap a belt, or damage the water pump. I guess we'll wait and see.

ryan roopnarine
09-27-2006, 01:50 PM
naw, but i did see it

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=26042&highlight=gainesville

i work somewhat across the street from you, as an inside person. every sunday or so, we get backed up, and i unfortunately have to drive something, and the boss makes me put magnetic id on the car. really hate doing it, rough on the car, pays poorly, but its temporary. there are several e34s and e36s as well as a e46 locally doing the same thing (except they are ACTUAL drivers), however, so its possible you saw somebody else. but i did see your car, and thought it was an audi:D


My fan clutch has stuck in the *locked up* position. We always hear about over heating issues when the fan clutch fails and the fan won't spin fast enough, but the exact opposite happened to me.

I'm a little worried the stress of turning the fan at 3,000rpms on a regular basis with the clutch fully locked up is going to either break up the fan, snap a belt, or damage the water pump. I guess we'll wait and see.

On the up side, my car really and truely sounds like a jet engine every single time i accelerate. People stare as i go by wondering what the hell is going on under the hood.

I might take a look at it, but the front end of my car kindof sort-of got smashed in last month and now there's only like.. a 1cm clearence between the radiator and the fan :) oh, and to make the hood fit on semi-right i had to take off the hindge and use wires to wire the hood to the chassis. So it doens;t exactly open.... at all.

Yeah i forgot to mention my car accident to the forum, I haven't been on in the while.

I rear-ended a truck on a busy street in heavy traffic because i'm an easily distractible idiot. Anyway, i have nomore head llights, no grill, no headlight surround things, the bumper broke off, fog lights gone, tow hook covers destroyed. Horns cracked, Aux cooling fan done-in. My r134a all leaked out where the cooling pipe cracked from the impact. It also crushed in the front of my car about 8 inches. It buckled the hood pretty good too. AT first i had to get it towed because the engine fan was touched the radiator and couldn't spin freely. But once i got it back to my house a sledge hammer and some metal pipe pried things apart enough for the fan to move freely. I had to break off the radiator shroud too for clearance :)


I managed to put the slightly-mangled bumper back on, and i salvaged my old turn signals from the closet ( i knew i saved those for a reason!). I bought 5$ head lights for (probably) some random ford truck at my local auto parts store and then used a 2 part epoxy to glue them to the bumper. I then proceeded to wirethem ever-so-skillfully to the old harnesses.


P.S. Ryan R, I work like across the street from you ( i think). i see your black 525 nearly every day. I think i saw you gasping at the front end damage to my bmw one day :) feel free to drop by Martin Appliance and give it a look over!

ryan roopnarine
09-27-2006, 01:59 PM
and after seeing your car from about 50 feet away while doing a turn, (to quote red green) "if the women don't find you handsome, they sure as hell should find you handy."

TheMissile
09-27-2006, 02:17 PM
I need to see some pics of your bmw with add-on hunting lights. Sounds cool.

Dave M
09-27-2006, 02:26 PM
and after seeing your car from about 50 feet away while doing a turn, (to quote red green) "if the women don't find you handsome, they sure as hell should find you handy."

Ryan,

Do folks 'down there' watch Red Green?

ryan roopnarine
09-27-2006, 02:32 PM
Ryan,

Do folks 'down there' watch Red Green?

naw. pbs occasionally shows episodes, but aside from border people (MN, MI, NY), nobody knows who he is or his show.:D polar bear van:D
i merely quote him because, infinity's attempt is a marvel, and a showcase of modern duct tapes, bungee cords, cyanoacrylate based adhesives and solid state-transistorized technology. he NEEDS to post a pic to show everybody.

ps--just kidding about the tape and cords. its "unique" to say the least.

SnakeyesTx
09-27-2006, 02:41 PM
Milkboot has the clutch stuck in lock too. I don't think its too uncommon. The fan in my Jag did that once too. When the fan blew apart, it took out the radiator, the shroud, and both hoses. 450 dollar oops :(

Dave M
09-27-2006, 02:54 PM
OK, you've gots ta post a pic of this "marvel".

Pretty please?

Dave M

SharkmanBMW
09-27-2006, 04:16 PM
I need to see some pics of your bmw with add-on hunting lights. Sounds cool.


Holy big sigs batman!, Mr Missile... how about shrinking down your sig a little!!! PS: show us a pic of your iXT, rare ride!


As far as this BMW/Ford headlight mobile.... PLEASE show us the pics, I cannot actually visualise the damage and ford lights you did, (or maybe my brain just doesn't WANT to visualise it!!)

infinity5
09-27-2006, 05:09 PM
Thanks guys :) its not as awesome as it sounds, but i'm pretty g-d damn proud of it!

i'll take pictures either tonight or tomororw and try to post them up.

I actually DO have bungie cords on it now. And for a few days i had duct tape to hold the *square* headlights in place as the epoxy cured!

Today i removed the now de-funkt AC condensor. It has a hole in it.

I also took off (obviously) the Aux cooling fan. I think i'm going to rig the aux fan to run all the time and remove my dead engine cooling fan.

The aux fan alone might be a little weak, but with the ac condensor out of the way and no grill/headlights/etc my car is extremely good at cooling its self.

infinity5
09-27-2006, 05:11 PM
I'd really like to take the entire hood off, it looks better without at this stage in the game.

Today i had it off to take out the condensor and with the pretty m60 engine cover it looked pretty hardcore ;)

I might try to braze some sheet metal together and make covers for the e-box and belt area and go hood-less.

Now.. to strip out the seats and put rally-lights on the roof!

632 Regal
09-27-2006, 07:36 PM
c'mon man we NEED pictures!