Why is my fan blade hitting my radiator??

[edge]

I'm looking at my fan blade and I see it hitting my radiator on the side, a little clicking sound. WTF? The radiator slots in the frame at the bottom, right? Everytime I plan to work on my MB's this summer, it rains, rains, rains. Arghhhhh! 97 E420.

[Matt L]

Remove the front tray under the car and inspect the lower radiator core support for damage from hitting parking bumpers. You can pull it forward again pretty easily if it is deformed a bit.

[Lenny]

I assume you have a visco clutch built into your fan. Check the run out on the blades. Your clutch bearing may be bad.

[TMAllison]

Originally Posted by Matt L

Remove the front tray under the car and inspect the lower radiator core support for damage from hitting parking bumpers. You can pull it forward again pretty easily if it is deformed a bit.

x2 - Steep driveway approaches causing even the slightest scrapping/bottoming will move the rad rearward.

[gmercoleza]

Hey Edge, how's Bono doing?

[lkchris]

Could be motor mounts are collapsed, allowing engine to move forward.

[edge]

Originally Posted by Matt L

Remove the front tray under the car and inspect the lower radiator core support for damage from hitting parking bumpers. You can pull it forward again pretty easily if it is deformed a bit.

Yes, that's what it was. However it wasn't easy crow baring the steel support structure forward a millimeter or two. Of course I had to lose a radiator clip when I removed the top crossbar to monkey around with it. Thanks, guys.

[Hirnbeiss]

This just happened with mine and the cause was the fan clutch going bad. I too suspected the old "damn, my radiator musta moved backward" and "damn, my motor mounts musta suddenly gone bad", but it was the simple (if not inexpensive) culprit.


See also thread here