Didn't want to muddy the resident thread in the How-To section specific to the 036 (click here), but I just completed this job on the 092 (1994 wagon) and may have an alternate method that does not require removal of the radiator or the fan clutch.
I've been dreading this job for a while, in the South that means all through the winter, mostly because everything that I was able to find online lead to removal of radiator and fan clutch, or some rendition of that procedure that didn't make sense to me (especially when I was looking at the front of this area myself). But now with temps reaching 'scorching' it was time. One fan was intermittent and would sound like a cup of Yahtzee ready for the roll and has recently seized up. No chance one fan was keeping up with the load. Seems like everyone has a version of how to do this...so I guess here's mine, but all the dread was for naught. 1.5 hours to replace both fans, first time, no special tools.
Remove the front bumper. That's it. With the front bumper gone you have easy access to all the needs to be meddled with to get the job done. Unclip the radiator and condenser so they pivot towards the engine, no need to disconnect anything unless you have a brittle top hose. They don't really need to go back that far. In fact, there's more space between an M119 and the radiator than there is on an M104. Remove the the horns/brace, unbolt the cooling line running across the front and gently pull that forward and over the bumper frame lip and the cover and fans will slide out without much resistance. OK, this was on a non-036. But I was so baffled by how easy this was that I looked at my 036 and the only difference seems to be the brace that the horn is attached to - two shafts in V formation instead of just one. That's all I could determine to be the difference. I took this idea from another user over at PParts who went the same route but they removed a lot more than was actually necessary.
Anyone tried this method on an 036?
Edit: To clarify, the fans and cover come out forward between the top brace and the cooling line you gently pulled towards you. The only reason the radiator and condenser need to be pushed back so the fan cover can clear the fan 'nipples'.
I've been dreading this job for a while, in the South that means all through the winter, mostly because everything that I was able to find online lead to removal of radiator and fan clutch, or some rendition of that procedure that didn't make sense to me (especially when I was looking at the front of this area myself). But now with temps reaching 'scorching' it was time. One fan was intermittent and would sound like a cup of Yahtzee ready for the roll and has recently seized up. No chance one fan was keeping up with the load. Seems like everyone has a version of how to do this...so I guess here's mine, but all the dread was for naught. 1.5 hours to replace both fans, first time, no special tools.
Remove the front bumper. That's it. With the front bumper gone you have easy access to all the needs to be meddled with to get the job done. Unclip the radiator and condenser so they pivot towards the engine, no need to disconnect anything unless you have a brittle top hose. They don't really need to go back that far. In fact, there's more space between an M119 and the radiator than there is on an M104. Remove the the horns/brace, unbolt the cooling line running across the front and gently pull that forward and over the bumper frame lip and the cover and fans will slide out without much resistance. OK, this was on a non-036. But I was so baffled by how easy this was that I looked at my 036 and the only difference seems to be the brace that the horn is attached to - two shafts in V formation instead of just one. That's all I could determine to be the difference. I took this idea from another user over at PParts who went the same route but they removed a lot more than was actually necessary.
Anyone tried this method on an 036?
Edit: To clarify, the fans and cover come out forward between the top brace and the cooling line you gently pulled towards you. The only reason the radiator and condenser need to be pushed back so the fan cover can clear the fan 'nipples'.
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