Cooling Fan/ Generator

Click on #10- Fan Use an impact wrench to get the 36mm nut off (if still tight).

Fan coming loose takes a lot of force, haven't seen it happen yet. Maybe the big nut that's holding it on was not torqued down properly. (36mm nut, same size as flywheel gland nut and rear axle nut). It's understandable, it's hard to lock the fan in place so you could apply enough torque on the nut. It doesn't really take THAT much (6kg if memory serves) but if all you have is your knees to fight against it as you balance the damn thing on your lap.. :)

There's a special (VW) tool for holding the fan in place while you torque the nut down, if you have some scrap metal and a welder, you can fabricate your own. It latches onto the two little holes on the center plate of the fan. Leaving room for the big socket. I made one in 10 minutes. Use high grade M8 bolts as "teeth" that fit the holes. Easy.

Guess I'll have to take pictures. :)

...thing?

Groove is a result of wear, caused by loose nut. Fill weld it and file to shape. :)

Hmm.. not sure I have time to take pics of the hub assembly, but here's a try at ASCII diagram:

HHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHH it. I will find it I just don't have it handy.

I would advice against an impact wrench. Sheared the axle shaft end off with one once. The only right way is to fabricate a tool to hold the fan in place. I have used an old pulley hub on the, uhh, pulley end of the shaft, without the outer half pulley... clamped the pulley hub onto a bench vise, and teh woodruff key kept the shaft from turning while I tightened/loosened the nut. Has worked for me many years, but it does put a lot of stress on the shaft throughout it's lenght. Right where the critical electical parts are attached to it. You don't want to twist the shaft and break anything inside.

Jan

No need. Look in the Mechanical section on my web site for: "How to remove the fan nut from generator shaft."

Raymond Lowe and Scott Hinkle conspired and with Scott's expertise a complete drawing of how to make the tool exists. And the tool will even reach behind the fan shroud ! :-)

Reaches behind the fan shroud huh.. what good does it do there? Just wondering... ;)

Jan

So's one can loosen the nut with the fan and shroud in place. Haven't tried it but that was the intent.

Jim

Well, my situation is slightly different.

The "thing" which is refered to in the parts book as hub, is not supposed to have a groove in it. I have another one now. As for torque, I probably didn't have it tight enough. I have a chrome fan shroud and instead of modifying it for a stock oil cooler, I used an external and it's bolted to the back of the fan shroud so access there ain't happenin'. I had to take this thing off from the front. Not that big a deal really but I did have to remove the gen stand and the intake.

On the way to get parts, should have the buggy running agin tonight. Thanks for all your expertise and responses. This is a great group.

< TC

So you have oil lines coming off the original cooler location on the case, going to an oil cooler that is bolted over the intake of the fan? IMHO... that's not a great idea in so many ways.

Well, it's not a great idea, and not the way I would do it again. Unless I was building the same buggy again with the same set of circumstances.

This motor started it's life as a type III 6v. I wanted lots of chrome and and a 12v type I motor. The only way to do the oil cooler was either what I did, or do a lot of cutting and grinding inside my pretty chrome fan shroud. Actually, the 8 pass cooler doesn't change the operating temp noticably and I get an extra quart of oil too so I'm pretty pleased with it.

Oh but next time, I'll probably do the cutting inside the fan. Cleaner, less hassle if I ever have to change a gen and a lot easier to put the motor in. The other performance issues won't be issues then.

Thanks again for all the help. < TC

I pretty much figured that mst be what it's for, but I fail to see what it would accomplish? Othger than getting the nut off and back on :)

The fan won't have room to come out from the back of the shroud, and therefore the gen/alt backing plate cannot be removed either. You might get a little bit more wiggle room for removing alternator of generator without dropping the engine or removing decklid and shroud, but I dunno.. sounds like too much work to gain so little.

Jan