P1000 Fan Fail

[P1K5Dave]

Here's one I haven't read about around these parts...

Last week I was hearing noise around the radiator fan, when it was running it sounded like there was a small twig or something in there hitting the fan blades.

As you know, it's not the most accessible area on the Pioneer. At home one evening, I started reaching up in there and feeling around inside the shroud. I felt a shard of plastic sticking out at the bottom of the shroud. I couldn't pull it by hand, so I reached up there and blindly went at it with needle nose pliers.

I was able to grab it and pull it out, and it was white nylon, a tab about 1/2" wide and thicker than paper came out. It was clear that the fan had been rubbing on the shroud, and the white nylon from the blades had embedded into the black plastic of the shroud.

I dont know why or how the rubbing started. Either the shroud became deformed or the fan shifted. I was able to get in there with a file and (mostly) cleared the remaining fan material from the shroud. It ran quiet after that.

Then a few hours into the next ride, a fan rubbing sound again.

Got out, felt around, and found this:

 

[P1K5Dave]

I guess the fan blade had worn itself out before I got to it.

I ordered just about every part in the fan assembly this weekend, so when I get in there (after essentially taking my whole front end off) I can determine what all needs to be replaced and send back anything I don't need.

I think I'll replace the motor, even though it's working fine. No telling how much it's been taxed during this fail...

 

[ToddACimer]

Buy the Spal radiator fan

 

[JenElio]

I guess the fan blade had worn itself out before I got to it.

I ordered just about every part in the fan assembly this weekend, so when I get in there (after essentially taking my whole front end off) I can determine what all needs to be replaced and send back anything I don't need.

I think I'll replace the motor, even though it's working fine. No telling how much it's been taxed during this fail...

Buy the Spal radiator fan

☝☝ this!!☝☝

If you're going to tear into it might as well upgrade it. @TripleB had something similar happen to his. Maybe he shed some insight/tips on how to do it or not do it 😁

 

[StewB]

Here's one I haven't read about around these parts...

Last week I was hearing noise around the radiator fan, when it was running it sounded like there was a small twig or something in there hitting the fan blades.

As you know, it's not the most accessible area on the Pioneer. At home one evening, I started reaching up in there and feeling around inside the shroud. I felt a shard of plastic sticking out at the bottom of the shroud. I couldn't pull it by hand, so I reached up there and blindly went at it with needle nose pliers.

I was able to grab it and pull it out, and it was white nylon, a tab about 1/2" wide and thicker than paper came out. It was clear that the fan had been rubbing on the shroud, and the white nylon from the blades had embedded into the black plastic of the shroud.

I dont know why or how the rubbing started. Either the shroud became deformed or the fan shifted. I was able to get in there with a file and (mostly) cleared the remaining fan material from the shroud. It ran quiet after that.

Then a few hours into the next ride, a fan rubbing sound again.

Got out, felt around, and found this:

View attachment 293747

"At home one evening, I started reaching up in there and feeling around inside the shroud. I felt a shard"
Yep. We've all been there brother . . .

 

[TripleB]

I guess the fan blade had worn itself out before I got to it.

I ordered just about every part in the fan assembly this weekend, so when I get in there (after essentially taking my whole front end off) I can determine what all needs to be replaced and send back anything I don't need.

I think I'll replace the motor, even though it's working fine. No telling how much it's been taxed during this fail...

Buy the Spal radiator fan

I broke a blade off when I hit a creek at a high rate of speed when the fan was running. I bought the motor and fan both. I thought the motor was bad but it was just the fan. 1 blade gone and the other 3 cracked. I wish I would've have upgraded like dude here mentioned. I had to drop my slasher front bumper and the front plastics. Just had to loosen a couple of bolts on the upper plastics around the hood area and I was able to pull the whole radiator out and replace the fan. It was alot easier than I thought it was gonna be.

 

[P1K5Dave]

It's late and I'm too close to bed to search, but tell me about this Spal radiator fan and where I get one. Thanks guys...

 

[P1K5Dave]

"At home one evening, I started reaching up in there and feeling around inside the shroud. I felt a shard"
Yep. We've all been there brother . . .

I don't even want to know where you're going with this one stewbie. lol

 

[P1K5Dave]

I am not looking forward to this front plastic removal at all, when you factor in the Mudbusters, dual battery and all of the associated wiring and components, bigass aftermarket bumper, and winch wiring.

Anyone know if the mudbusters will have to come off? I remember screws and nuts on the back side, wondering if they go thru two parts that need to come off separately.

 

[TripleB]

I am not looking forward to this front plastic removal at all, when you factor in the Mudbusters, dual battery and all of the associated wiring and components, bigass aftermarket bumper, and winch wiring.

Anyone know if the mudbusters will have to come off? I remember screws and nuts on the back side, wondering if they go thru two parts that need to come off separately.

Not all that plastic. There is a couple, maybe a few screws you can loosen on the top plastic that will give you some extra room. The front grill area is what has to be removed. There is I think 2 screws around the headlights that are difficult to get out. I didn't even reinstall them because they were such a b**** to get out.

 

[TripleB]

I am not looking forward to this front plastic removal at all, when you factor in the Mudbusters, dual battery and all of the associated wiring and components, bigass aftermarket bumper, and winch wiring.

Anyone know if the mudbusters will have to come off? I remember screws and nuts on the back side, wondering if they go thru two parts that need to come off separately.

I accidentally had you blocked somehow. I was looking for this thread and couldn't find it. I was trying to explain to someone how to see if they had someone blocked and when I clicked on ignore list, there u were. Lol

 

[P1K5Dave]

I went ahead and ordered the Spal fan kit. It was about $50 more than I would have paid for the stock motor and fan, but while I'm in there, I figured I'd do it one better. A sealed motor with 7-8 blades or whatever looks like a nice upgrade to me.

It's on order, along with a new housing to go around the fan (in case mine is permanently f'd) and the associated rubber mounts. Hoping to have everything I need to get it right, and send back anything I don't need.

 

[P1K5Dave]

@TripleB I gotcha on going with the grille removal only, I'll see how it comes out. I do know that when I bought mine used, it looks like the PO had been in there and left some screws out of the headlights as well, because my drivers side light has always been a little loose. Shortly after I got it, I replaced the grille (because it was broken) without taking it all apart, and I remember something about the difficulties of getting it all back together with some of those screws.

I may just take it all apart, I dunno...

 

[P1K5Dave]

Got in there tonight to replace the fan. I was able to do it by just removing the grille, and then taking the radiator and the shrouds apart while they were in place, removing them piece by piece.

I had broken off two blades. It doesn't look like the fan shroud itself was misshapen at all, I guess it was just the fan blades that failed. As they cracked away, they must've extended out and started rubbing on the shroud.

See all the white material inside the shroud, where the blades were rubbing.

 

[P1K5Dave]

For anyone who may do this, the Spal fan didn't come with any instructions, and I was left wondering what was up with these few little parts were in the bag...

We did figure it out, thankfully, because the "little bag of important looking sh*t" was parts to secure the fan blades to the shaft. Later, I went back to eBay and found that the instructions were in the images:

That adapter plate goes on first, they supply four screws that fit flush with the countersink on the plate.

You pull the fan blades off (they're not secured when you get it, just slide them off) and then you can mount the motor down to the adapter plate with supplied nuts. I used a little blue loctite on everything for a little extra security.

Before you put the blades back on, you need to put the little pin through the shaft sideways. It matches up to the back side of the blades to lock them in from spinning around the shaft. Put the blades back on mated up to the sideways pin, then secure the blades to the shaft with the supplied snap ring.

 

[P1K5Dave]

The Spal fan does not use a vent line, so I had to block off the old one (it was still part of the 3-way on my vent line kit.)

The electrical connector did match up directly to the Honda plug, so no problems there.

 

[ToddACimer]

The instructions are definitely necessary but I missed the pin and snap ring the first time. What were your initial thoughts on the fan in both construction and noise/air flow?

 

[P1K5Dave]

The instructions are definitely necessary but I missed the pin and snap ring the first time. What were your initial thoughts on the fan in both construction and noise/air flow?

Ha, I was speculating what would have happened had I left them out. Did your blade eventually stop spinning, or did it fall right off?

Or did you catch it before you got it all together and ran it?

I don't have it all back together yet, so I haven't run it. But initial quality looks excellent. I like the many blades vs. the 4-blade that failed on me. They even had a little balancing weight on them. The countersunk screws and mounting studs were well thought-out. I initially put it all together with the blades on the shaft, so I was working past them with a socket driver to get the nuts on. Stupid.

Once I figured out what the little pin and clip were for, I just pulled it off and had easy access.

 

[ToddACimer]

Ha, I was speculating what would have happened had I left them out. Did your blade eventually stop spinning, or did it fall right off?

Or did you catch it before you got it all together and ran it?

I don't have it all back together yet, so I haven't run it. But initial quality looks excellent. I like the many blades vs. the 4-blade that failed on me. They even had a little balancing weight on them. The countersunk screws and mounting studs were well thought-out. I initially put it all together with the blades on the shaft, so I was working past them with a socket driver to get the nuts on. Stupid.

Once I figured out what the little pin and clip were for, I just pulled it off and had easy access.

I got it all put back together and then saw the pin and clip in the box, tore it all apart and put them on.

 

[P1K5Dave]

The old Tim Allen line - I get it all put together and then there's this little bag of real important looking sh*t...