Hello all,

My engine fan blade has some chips in it and I am wondering if it has the potential to disintegrate or if it is just a cosmetic thing.

How big a job is it to replace just the fan blade? Are the bolts accessible without moving the radiator?

Thanks,

Tim Benner
1995 E320 Wagon 140K

Hard to translate the meaning of "chips" w/o pics. But if there are any "splits" in the blade (again, no pics), they could creep to the vortex and eventually self destruct IMHO.

I once removed the blade to gain easier access to the belt for replacement. The fan is held on by three allen head bolts (I forget what size)...removal is about a 15-minute job.

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Check your motor mounts .they collapse and that could be the cause of the fan damage.

You can replace the blade without removing the radiator - I was surprised to see just how much you can do on the front of the engine without pulling the radiator. The only job I've seen that requires radiator removal is... well, replacing the radiator You will have to remove the plastic portions in front of the radiator and over the fan - they're held on with clips and are simple to remove.

There are three bolts holding the fan blade onto the viscous clutch. My worksheet doesn't tell me what size, only their torque (10Nm).

Uneven chips in the blades (i.e chips in the individual blades that are not equal in size or position) could lead to problems with the clutch becoming unbalanced as it's spinning. I'd hate to think of the damage done if the blade were to shatter while at highway speeds.

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Steven Harrison

1993 300E2.8 - 196K
2001 E320 4MATIC - 86K

Thanks gentlemen.

It's a relief to hear that the fan is relatively easy to replace. I was going to replace the belt this weekend anyway. I spoke with Roy, who likened it to a shrapnel bomb waiting to explode. So I ordered one. It will go on as soon as it arrives.

Tim Benner
1995 E320 Wagon 140K