Radiator fan blade

[trijjicon]

Hello guys: I have a fan blade about to break off. Will I have to remove the radiator? That'll most likely will be a yes... & if so I need a step by step on how to do that. I looked online but didn't find too much on what has to be taken off & such. Thnx

[aboyandhisdog]

You should just have four bolts that go through the fan (and possibly a fan spacer) and then right into the face of the water pump.  You should be able to get your arm in between the blades with a 7/16 gear-wrench in hand to unbolt.  I just did mine with a fan shroud and a shroud extension in place and only tore my arm up a little bit.

[64CJ5]

You might need to hold a fan blade with one hand and wrench with the other.  Are you replacing the fan, or welding the crack?  If welding you may need to balance the fan so that it wont vibrate.
Good luck and let us know how it went.

[trijjicon]

I should have mentioned that I'll be replacing the fan. That's great news if I don't have to take out the radiator!

[trijjicon]

Is the radiator shroud permanently attached at the bottom? I undid four bolts on the shroud but it still won't come off. Seems to be attached at the bottom. I thought with the shroud off I could better get to those four bolts.

[aboyandhisdog]

Well, mine is welded on to the radiator so doesn't come off.  And I just don't know about how it 'should' be attached so won't be of much help there. 

I should have mentioned before that I was taking off a worn out Flexi-fan and installing a new Derale flex fan, both of which may or may not have more room between the fan blades for a guy to get an arm in there.  From the looks of the stock Willys fan, there may be less room but I don't have first hand experience taking off the stock fan. 

I will say that if your radiator is a bottom mount, they are pretty easy to R&R, and just leave that shroud alone.  I have no experience with the side-mount radiator.  Sorry, not much help here.  Hopefully somebody who knows these things will chime in!

[1955CJ-5]

Is the radiator shroud permanently attached at the bottom? I undid four bolts on the shroud but it still won't come off. Seems to be attached at the bottom. I thought with the shroud off I could better get to those four bolts.

The shroud should be attached with some very short Phillips head sheet metal screws. Make sure you use the same short screws when you put it back together or they can puncture the core.

You can see them in this picture...

Is your radiator mounted this way, with the forward facing bolts?

If not it may be a bottom mount, I don't have any experience with those.

And, you might consider taking the grill/radiator/shroud off as a unit. The shroud won't come off with the radiator and fan in place.

[trijjicon]

@55-CJ5....urs seems to have a shroud extension & looks boxy? Mine is more round & is welded at the bottom.  Anywho...We got the 4 bolts off & we got the fan blade off & put a new fan blade on. We both got poked,cut,sliced,scratched,rubbed  but it all works now. TY all for the input.

[1955CJ-5]

Glad you got it without taking everything apart!

A thin piece of cardboard can help save your knuckles and the radiator fins...

I see Walck's offers two different shrouds, one is a "weld on"


The shroud I have came with the jeep. The fellow I bought it from had owned it since '59 so there is a good chance it's original......