this morning my 99 Durango got hot out of the blue. As soon as it heated up, I pulled it over and turned it off. I topped coolant and water levels. The radiator is less than a year old. After it cooled I started it up again to see if it got hot. I drove it around the block and could see that it was heating up again so I headed back home. I heard a bump and parked it.

I saw that the fan blade had basically come off. After it cooled again I looked at it closer and can see that there seems to be a gasket or something that is absolutely wrecked.

Anyone had this? Is it a simple fix? Please help.

 

Pull out the fan clutch and get a replacement on a junk yard or upgrade to a electric fan a release some caged ponies out!!!

 

have a look at the attached photos...

I got the fan blade out as it seems to have been severed in half! The first photo is what it looks like inside where the blade was. The second one is of what I pulled out of the area where I took the blade.

There is nothing leaking from the water pump - isn't that where the fan blade goes into? - Is this as big a disaster as it looks?

 

That's all there is to it!! No other option....

 

forgive me for being a novice, but is that shaft (metal pole looking piece) part of the fan clutch? How should I go about retrieving the broken piece that is still inside what I think is the water pump?

Sorry! Feeling like a huge idiot

 

It looks like a fan clutch but a better picture would confirm it if you can include the water pump.

You can get a new fan clutch at your local parts store. About $80.

 

I have determined that the broken piece seems to be a pulley within the inside of the water pump. I just need to find a way to get the nut from the fan seperated from the broken part of the water pump. Any suggestions?

 

You need a spanner wrench or a good wrench and a big hammer.


If you leave the belt on the pulley then that helps hold everything. Place the big wrench on the nut and smack the wrench REALLY ^&*(*%* hard all the while keeping it tight. Remove fan/viscous fan drive assembly from water pump by turning mounting nut counterclockwise as viewed from front. Threads on viscous fan drive are RIGHT HANDED.

Now some of the water pumps have a pressed on pulley and some have a removable one so you will have to see which one you have.

 

wait... so did the water pump pulley sheer off?? is that what the problem is?? If the water pump pulley is sheered then the water pump is completely dead on the inside.. lucky, the only thing connecting to that pully on the inside is the water pump itself. If what I'm gathering from the pictures is true (still a little confused) you should go online and buy a BRAND NEW water pump( i had a rebuild one whine and die on me) and a new fan clutch w fan.. A little more than $150 on rockauto when you buy decent parts, new water pump, bypass hose and why not a 180 degree thermostat. the new fan clutch will come with a new nut

 

Looks like a mess there. I'm not liking the loose bearings and broken bearing case. I would get a whole new waterpump and clutch fan assembly just to be on the safe side. or go with a new water pump and electric fan set up with a variable speed control unit to control the efan. JMHO.