I did some work on the car, and I replaced the belt and tensioner in the process. However, when I put everything in place, I forgot how the viscous fan clip was installed and I ended up depressing the pin during install that was on the surface of the fan housing. Anyway, I noticed that the fan wasn't working properly (temps shot up), so I removed the clip thinking that this would re-engage the fan, and it did.

However, I didn't bother putting the clip back thinking that everything was okay. I logged around 500 miles so far, but today something alarming happened. I heard a loud squeeking sound inside the engine compartment and noticed that the fan was loose. It would move forward/backward with about an inch of travel.

Question: Did I accidentally destroy the viscous clutch (I haven't peeked since the engine's still hot). Should I have re-installed the clip? What did I do wrong, exactly?

Any feedback is appreciated.

Ron

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89 300CE
91 Supercharged Miata
99 E320 Wagon