Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2020 14:34:16 -0700
Reply-To: Ryan Cresawn <jrcresawn@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ryan Cresawn <jrcresawn@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: radiator fan grinding noise
In-Reply-To: <CAMjSMWurrnckiAMOSO6PzbFv6KC-xdDnHoSUKCGxVQn59Kjkwg@mail.gmail.com>
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Today I removed the spare tire and spare tire tray and inspected the
radiator fan motor. I am able to turn it with my fingers with relative
ease. I feel the notches from the magnets in the motor snap the fan into
specific positions as I rotate it. It is not stuck or frozen at any point
but there is some constant resistance. When I spin it as fast as I can by
hand I hear it squeak and I believe this squeak is amplified when the motor
is powered on. My guess is that the bearings have lost some of their grease
in that hot environment over 29 years and that they don't spin as freely as
they once did. I also suspect they are the source of the squeak. Now my
question is how to remove the fan motor without removing the radiator. As I
stated earlier, I have a working air conditioner. It works because several
months ago I replaced the condenser with one a new one that does not leak.
I would rather not take the Vanagon to a shop to have them evacuate the
refrigerant just to remove the radiator fan motor. When I look at the way
the radiator fan and motor are mounted it is clear that, as Raimund wrote,
there are three nuts that mount it to the shroud. There is also a nut or
bolt that mounts the fan blade to the motor. I can't see it but I can feel
it. Is it possible to remove the three bolts and remove the motor and fan
from the shroud without removing the fan blades?
Thanks again,
Ryan
On Thu, Jul 23, 2020 at 3:14 PM Ryan Cresawn <jrcresawn@gmail.com> wrote:
> I will inspect the mounting bolts and confirm that the fan spins without
> scraping the inside of the shroud. If the fan is not scraping anything then
> the bearings are my next suspect and that might require replacing the
> motor. I will investigate this weekend and provide an update.
>
> Thanks for the replies.
> Ryan
>
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2020 at 11:42 AM Raimund Feussner <ray@v6bus.de> wrote:
>
>> I had the fan moving in its shroud. The three nuts that hold it in place
>> came loose (just one, and just a bit).
>> Turned out there is a little play in its seating, so the fan wings
>> touched the (slightly dented) shroud.
>> It repaired itself after a while, I guess the wings wore off enough to
>> not scratch on the shroud...
>>
>> The bearings should of course be checked. I think you can feel/test it
>> while the fan is still in its original place. Bridge the radiator temp
>> switch to turn fan on, then you´ll hear the cause.
>>
>> Raimund
>>
>>
>> Am 23.07.2020 um 20:34 schrieb Richard Smith (Smirby):
>> > Those fans aren’t too expensive, or difficult to replace. I’d suggest
>> removing it and if it sounds like it is bearings (“grumbles" when it
>> spins), then you could replace it or have it rebuilt.
>> >
>> > https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8509946 <
>> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8509946>
>> >
>> >
>> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=596575&highlight=radiator
>> <
>> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=596575&highlight=radiator
>> >
>> >
>> > Bus Depot has the later model fan, with A/C, here:
>> https://www.busdepot.com/251959455m <https://www.busdepot.com/251959455m>
>> >
>> > Maybe “not too expensive” is a bit of a stretch, given that $200 for
>> parts and 2-4h labour could easily turn into a $500 bill. But in the grand
>> scheme of things it is probably worth doing, especially if it keeps your
>> van on the road, and the engine and passengers cool.
>> >
>> > While it is coming out, you could check for the simplest / cheaper
>> possibility - that the fan is hitting on a shroud or other material. Just
>> spin it by hand - when the motor is completely cooled off, so it doesn’t
>> come on and nip off a finger - and see if it seems to be catching on
>> something.
>> >
>> > …r
>> >
>> >> On Jul 23, 2020, at 11:14 AM, Ryan Cresawn <jrcresawn@GMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Over the past two weeks my wife and I drove from Arizona to Indiana and
>> >> back in our 1991 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper. It was roughly 4,000
>> miles of
>> >> driving. The engine is the original 2.1 liter with 177,000 miles on
>> it. The
>> >> factory air conditioner works and was used during much of the drive.
>> During
>> >> the first half of the drive we noticed that the radiator fan began to
>> make
>> >> a grinding noise. The noise is most obvious with the air conditioner
>> off
>> >> while stuck in stop-and-go traffic. This results in periodic cycling
>> of the
>> >> fan from off to on. The grinding noise lets me know that the fan is
>> >> rotating but the sound is unfamiliar and our opinion signals a problem.
>> >> Based on the GoWesty article titled "Cooling System in Vanagons:
>> Explained"
>> >> I am convinced I have a 450-watt radiator fan motor that operates at
>> three
>> >> speeds. I believe the grinding noise is most obvious at the slowest
>> >> fan speed. And finally, here is the question. What action should I
>> take, if
>> >> any, to address the grinding noise I hear from my radiator fan?
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >> Ryan
>>
>
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