Help!!! Removing Fan Clutch screws

**river** · 13-11-2006, 12:18 PM

Hi,

The poor old AE71 has never had it's radiator fan going properly. I did some checking and it appears the viscous clutch isn't working. I can buy a whole new assembly for $200 or I could spent about $20 and buy the silicon fluid and re-pack the old clutch unit.

So, I got the assembly off the car, cleaned it up... but I'll be damned if I can get the 4 screws loose. The two halves of the unit are held together by 4 countersunk screws. I've given them a liberal coating of WD40... I've heated them... I've freezed them.. but they aren't budging, and the heads are getting burred.

I've got a proper set of large screwdrivers, but to no avail. The screws are so tight that I have to use multi-grips on the handle of the screwdrivers.... only to have the driver slip and burr up the slots.

Here's a pic.... it's the 4 screws that you see that I am having trouble with.

Would a mechanic have a better chance? I need the car on Wednesday, so I can get a mech to do it..... or fork out the money and get a new one. S'pose I could go to Pick n Payless, but that doesn't guarantee I'll get a working unit.

Any ideas on how to get these screws out without totally fubaring the heads of them?

seeyuzz
river

**takai** · 13-11-2006, 12:25 PM

You need an impact screwdriver:

Basically you put it into the screw and hit it with a hammer, the impact drives some cams to turn the screw on impact.

See this thread as well: http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...ct+screwdriver

**EldarO** · 13-11-2006, 12:26 PM

i had this when i was doing my 7MGTE clutch fan, although mine was a fair bit younger, and also had never been opened.

i sprayed mine with WD40, and heat gunned it, to no avail, and nearly stripped one of the heads.

i did the same again, but put the screw driver on and gave it a solid whack with a hammer, they cracked off rather easily after that.

i put it in a bench vice and put a fair bit of muscle in it.

Eldar.O.

**river** · 13-11-2006, 12:36 PM

Hi,

Well, I just gave it a religous beating and hammered the christ out of it, but still to no avail.

I have a hammer-drill and some screwhead bits. Would that be okay, or would it just mush up the screwhead?

seeyuzz
river

**Wiggles** · 13-11-2006, 02:38 PM

A Hammer drill would chew the head instantly. Call it Plan B.

Borrow an impact driver if you can, they are almost magic in their ability to open even very soft headed screws. - I've seen one open alloy screws on a motorbike brake fluid reservoir. with only light scuffing to show for it.

**ProjectSleeper** · 13-11-2006, 03:20 PM

Takai beat me to it,

That was the only way I could get mine to move after trying everything else..

In the end, I needed an impact driver and as I didn't have one, I took it to my mechanic and Bang Bang Bang Bang - 4 hits and about 20 sec and they were loose.

(make sure you put locktite on them when doing them back up afterwards too...)

pop into your local mechanic with a 6 pack of brewskies and ask them if they can do it on the spot - seriously it shouldn't take them more than a minute from hand over to hand back

**PlacentaJuan** · 13-11-2006, 03:28 PM

im not a fan of ipact drivers.

we go through a lot of siezed screws at work, there is stuff we use called SCREW GRAB:

works a treat. when i saw the label i thought %400 what a load...

but it works really well. clean out the screw head with some solvent and put some screw grab in the screw head or on the driver.

or try some grinding paste if you cant find this stuff (maybe blackwoods have it).

use a ratchet with a 1/4" socket and a phillips bit.

also you can try tightening it a little bit to 'unstick' it, then start loosening.

**river** · 13-11-2006, 04:11 PM

Hi,

That looks like handy stuff.

Anyway, I walloped the screws with a hammer for some time and slowly but surely they became loose and I got the unit apart. I've repacked the silicon oil and loctited the screws back in.

So, for those people above I shall spread a little love for your suggestions and assistance.

seeyuzz
river

**EldarO** · 13-11-2006, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by river

Hi,

That looks like handy stuff.

Anyway, I walloped the screws with a hammer for some time and slowly but surely they became loose and I got the unit apart. I've repacked the silicon oil and loctited the screws back in.

So, for those people above I shall spread a little love for your suggestions and assistance.

seeyuzz
river

guess it aint adjustable! holy crap!

glad you got it off, felt releived when i got mine off, as i thought thats why mine was overheating, as T-K test showed no BHG.

TK test lied!

Eldar.O.

**river** · 13-11-2006, 05:24 PM

Hi,

Well I've just finished.

Got some nice fan sound now and the temp seems a little lower. I'll give her a run tomorrow and see how it goes with the air-con on.

If it's fine then I'll be happy. If not then I'll drive it until it blows the engine. I'm not a fan of the 4A engines and if it blows I'll have to think about what engine to put into it.

seeyuzz
river