Fan blade tip, missing
 

I've got the plastic cooling fan, forget how many spokes, and just noticed the other day one blade is missing a couple inches off one tip. It's not a clean squared off break but a "V" shape break so one blade now looks split like a snake tongue.

I've got belly shields, and no bullet holes through the rad, so??? What caused this?

The reason why I noticed was because with engine stopped I was checking something else and noticed the fan sloooowly rotating and thought wtf!? I let it go and voila! The broken blade rotated to the topmost position because the fan was out of rotational balance and the lightest blade missing a chunk of its plastic "floated" to top position. Wow that tells me the fan is super well balanced.

To-do: install new fan.

Either balance it or change it. Or at least I would.Since there is no easy way for it to impact anything I wonder if it has gone brittle.? What would have taken the chunk out?

If the blades had an equal count.You might be able to remove a simular mass from the opposite blade. . I would change it out though as fan blades that are damaged can create issues and even become a personal safety hazzard.

I owned a 68 Toyota FJ55 Landcruiser. Was driving 60mph on interstate when I heard a huge bang and the truck started vibrating violently. When I got to the shoulder and took a look at it, a metal fan blade had broken off, sliced cleanly up thru the radiator tank, thru the hood and out into the atmosphere. Never did find it. Glad I wasn't leaning over the fan when it let go. I was astonished how the loss of one fan blade made the whole truck shake so badly. I thought a rod had let go.

I thought motor mounts were being called for, again, now I realize it might just be the fan causing the vibrations this time.

I've got a metal fan kicking around as the original one, that will go back on. I had put the plastic one on for a little more flexibility when getting wrenches in there for vacuum pump, etc.

The old 9-bladed plastic fan on my 300D showed signs of cracking. Replaced the fan as well as the fan clutch with new items (clutch was seized, engine was overcooling).

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