1980 TR7 2L lost a fan at speed

tya2agt · Postby **tya2agt** » 29 Apr 2013 17:22

Dear List,
\
Lost the fan assembly yesterday while travelling at 110 KMH, Not the plastic bits, but the whole freaking cast assembly plus blades came off. Symptom was heater suddenly started to generate heat and then the temp gauge climbed. Stopped lifted the hood and the fan was wedged into another part of the engine compartment. Tried putting it back on the shaft but it just spins loosely. Put some rash marks in the back of the radiator and broke off a small aluminum vane on the metal casting. Fixed the hole in the rad with stop leak and with the help of stream water and some coolant was able to get out of the mountains and back to civilization.

So what is supposed to hold the fan on the shaft? Anyone else lost a fan assembly? What do I need to buy from Victoria British, a fan and the metal casting? or is there something else I am not seeing the parts catalogue?

Reg 1980 TR7 Convertible

80 TR-7 Convertible

tr7sprint1 · Postby **tr7sprint1** » 29 Apr 2013 17:34

baering (caged needle/tolerace bearing).

"GETTING SPEED OUT OF A LOW POWERED CAR IS OFTEN MORE REWARDING, THAN WITH TIRE-SMOKING BRUTES" 
<h4><center>http://cliffstr7sprintconversion.blogspot.com/</center></h4>

FI Spyder · Postby **FI Spyder** » 29 Apr 2013 18:36

Hind sight is 20/20. That banshee wailing probably wasn't alternator belt slipping but the fan viscous clutch giving up the ghost. At that point the correct move would have been to take off fan belt and put on shorter one to turn alternator. You don't need the fan when driving on the highway (a hundred miles from anywhere). A failing viscous clutch can disintegrate. Ron (Orange Rag) had his fan clutch fail in Portland and drove back to Nanaimo with no fan (fan belt off). At least you don't have to go through Edmonton city traffic.

You don't want to overheat the engine (warp the head) so watch that gauge and make sure you have lots of water to refill if necessary.

When back safely you can get a new clutch/fan/tolerance bearing or many at this point go with an electric fan.

I told you it would be an adventure.[8D]

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 29 Apr 2013 18:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tya2agt

... So what is supposed to hold the fan on the shaft? ...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
A rather cheap steel tolerance ring, (clearly visible in the picture below is an old (and flattened) ring

And they should always be replaced, never ever re-use them
(as you have just witnessed what can happen when you do [B)])

<center>

1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]My full Weblog[/url]</center>

bmcecosse · Postby **bmcecosse** » 29 Apr 2013 21:41

I would not attempt to refit it - there must be a reason it came off! Either do without - it will be fine unless stuck in summer traffic - in which case use the heater or switch off when not moving, or fit an electric fan. I have to ask - is the engine noticeably quieter without the fan ??

jclay (RIP 2018) · Postby **jclay (RIP 2018)** » 29 Apr 2013 22:47

https://googledrive.com/host/0B8MWEvqOpX3udEF4SmFQUW9RS09hbU5uNW5Wd0xrUQ/Changing%20the%20Fan%20Sleeve.pdf

Clay

[url="http://www.jclay.me/"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://www.triumphtechnical.me"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B8MWEvqOpX3udEF4SmFQUW9RS09hbU5uNW5Wd0xrUQ/edit"]My Public Folder[/url],

tya2agt · Postby **tya2agt** » 30 Apr 2013 00:14

Ok got the replacement parts, some new the compression seal, some used the viscous clutch, and some reused the plastic fan. Ok How do you get the viscous clutch over the compression wheel on the shaft?

My son and I had a go at it tonight and could not force the clutch over the seal on the shaft. It was easy to see why the previous clutch had failed, as a groove had worn on the internal surface of the old clutch. The old compression ring was no where to be seen.
\
\So how to do you get the viscous clutch over the compression ring. Do I have to pull the rad and try and hammer it on? We even tried compressing the compression ring with a tie wrap while we tried to slice the viscous clutch over the compression ring and the shaft?

Thanks Reg

80 TR-7 Convertible

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 30 Apr 2013 07:48

The viscous coupling should be pressed on the pulley assembly.
No way you get that done with the assembly on the engine.

A hammer and a proper drift (so you don't damage the coupling) and good support underneath the rotating part of the pulley should do the trick.
Don't support it under the mounting face as this might damage the pulley's bearing

And bear in mind that it can be a pain in the @rse to refit the assembly to the engine [B)]

<center>

1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]My full Weblog[/url]</center>

Cobber · Postby **Cobber** » 30 Apr 2013 12:40

Just another reason why all viscous fans should be binned!
A stupid overly complicated way of doing a simple job!


"Keep calm, relax, focus on the problem & PULL THE BLOODY TRIGGER"

80'Triumph TR7, 73'Land Rover (Ford 351. V8),
'89 Ford Fairlane
'98 MG-F, 69'Ford F250.
76' Ford F100

FI Spyder · Postby **FI Spyder** » 30 Apr 2013 13:08

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Cobber

Just another reason why all viscous fans should be binned!
A stupid overly complicated way of doing a simple job!

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Must be why Jaguar used the same part.[:D]

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

Cobber · Postby **Cobber** » 30 Apr 2013 14:08

And I thew the one on my Jag in the bin too!

"Keep calm, relax, focus on the problem & PULL THE BLOODY TRIGGER"

80'Triumph TR7, 73'Land Rover (Ford 351. V8),
'89 Ford Fairlane
'98 MG-F, 69'Ford F250.
76' Ford F100

Beans · Postby **Beans** » 30 Apr 2013 16:52

After which you probably started to complain on cooling issues [:p]
Or sold the Jag of course [:D]

<center>

1980 TR7 DHC (my first car, now restored and back on the road)
1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
[url="http://www.tr7beans.blogspot.com/"]My full Weblog[/url]</center>

troydeon · Postby **troydeon** » 30 Apr 2013 17:37

Wow Reg sorry to hear about the fan...
Sounds like you were kind of lucky with minimal damage.
I had a 240z that had the water pump go out and when the shaft shifted the fan almost cost me my radiator...

Troy
1980 TR7 DHC

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1980 TR7 2L lost a fan at speed

1980 TR7 2L lost a fan at speed

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