Check Your Fan Assembly Blades

[kingb1973]

While waiting for things to arrive (More Parts and More $$$), have been reading a lot of threads here. Great information.

I came across this thread

https://www.7173mustangs.com/showthread.php?tid=30082

discussing the radiator fan assembly failures and recalls, so, thought I would look mine over. I have a D2SE-8600-AA fan assembly in front of a 73 351Q-4Spd-Non-AC. Was dismayed to find 2 of 5 fan blades fractured. One is only about 1-1/2" long while the other is fractured nearly half the blade length. There is also a small piece missing from the blade tip which I believe is the cause of the Inside to Outside hole punched in my fan shroud. Looks like I could have been one throttle punch away from catastrophic failure.

Thanks to this site.........disaster avoided to both vehicle and body. See Pics.

Now looking for a replacement. Is a D9AZ-8600-A a good replacement? Would like to stay with a Ford look if possible. Any members have a replacement for sale or a recommendation for a viable replacement?

Plan on keeping the shroud as it is as a reminder to look at the blades often.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I received that recall letter since I bought a new 73 Mach 1 Q code. I never took it back so I still have a killer fan.

 

[secluff]

WOW kingb1973,  Sure glad you happened look over the fan discussion we had. After seeing the condition of your fan.....that is a ticking time bomb waiting for the right time to get you! Since you said you wanted to retain the original OE look I would install the D9AZ-8600-A ( Motorcraft YA-153) fan. That was the final TSB fix and was also production installed on several car lines through 1991. After that Ford started transitioning to electric fans in rear wheel drive cars starting with the 92 Crown Vic.

My Mach1's are 71's and not involved in the recall. Of the three Gran Torino's I've owned (one 429 and two Q 351's) the early 12/71 built Q had several fan replacements. I finally replaced the fan on the early car with a clutch fan listed for a 79-91 Crown Vic 351W with Police Interceptor or Trailer Tow option. The fan they use is 18 1/2" same as the flex blade.    The Crown clutch fan was my fix and never had any problems. The 429 ran a different 19" fan and the later 5/72 built Q  I never had any problems with.  

I would stay away from ANY used fans. Normal wear and tear, road debris damaged blades, etc can just add to your grief.

There are two different sources I have used for NOS Ford parts. They specialize in Ford NOS and are not seconds, rejects or used parts.  

https://nospartsltd.com/product/d9az8600a/        NOS parts shows stock and a price.

http://www.greensalescompany.com/       Green sales shows stock, but you will have to call them or a price.

Please replace that fan ASAP!!!

 

[Hemikiller]

Go with a clutch fan and don't look back. Don't have to listen to that air-grabbing flex fan thrashing about under the hood anymore.

I switched to them about 2000 and have never looked back. Clutch is Hayden 2710, which is a thermostatic clutch. Stock fan was 18 1/2", so you can run an 18" from Hayden (3618) or Derale (17118)

https://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-2710-Premium-Clutch/dp/B000C3F35C

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000C3F3G6/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

https://www.amazon.com/Derale-17118-Clutch-Standard-Rotation/dp/B004XONYK2

and the studs for the water pump

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-Help-23737-Water-Pump/dp/B00062YSBE

 

[kingb1973]

WOW kingb1973,  Sure glad you happened look over the fan discussion we had. After seeing the condition of your fan.....that is a ticking time bomb waiting for the right time to get you! Since you said you wanted to retain the original OE look I would install the D9AZ-8600-A ( Motorcraft YA-153) fan. That was the final TSB fix and was also production installed on several car lines through 1991. After that Ford started transitioning to electric fans in rear wheel drive cars starting with the 92 Crown Vic.

My Mach1's are 71's and not involved in the recall. Of the three Gran Torino's I've owned (one 429 and two Q 351's) the early 12/71 built Q had several fan replacements. I finally replaced the fan on the early car with a clutch fan listed for a 79-91 Crown Vic 351W with Police Interceptor or Trailer Tow option. The fan they use is 18 1/2" same as the flex blade.    The Crown clutch fan was my fix and never had any problems. The 429 ran a different 19" fan and the later 5/72 built Q  I never had any problems with.  

I would stay away from ANY used fans. Normal wear and tear, road debris damaged blades, etc can just add to your grief.

There are two different sources I have used for NOS Ford parts. They specialize in Ford NOS and are not seconds, rejects or used parts.  

https://nospartsltd.com/product/d9az8600a/        NOS parts shows stock and a price.

http://www.greensalescompany.com/       Green sales shows stock, but you will have to call them or a price.

Please replace that fan ASAP!!!

Yup...Got the big "pucker" when I saw the blades. Front end is on the bench now to avoid any idea that I might run the engine up. Pulled her our of a deep sleep of almost 15 years so a few more weeks/days not going to hurt anything.

I'll take a look at the sites you provided. Thanks for the site info...I'll take a look.

 

[Bentworker]

Fan failure is no fun.

One of my coworkers just got done swapping a big block in his pickup. Put the exhaust on it, and within 2 miles he had it wound up to 6,000 rpm... then total fan failure.

Parts destroyed...

Hood

Battery

Fan shroud

Radiator

Transmission cooling line

Radiator hoses.

...and the fan.

The fan was a brand new Derale.

 

[Canted 393]

Here is another option I have been switching my cars over to clutch fans, they have the correct bolts also.

https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.com/c909fan.html?attribs=79

 

[kingb1973]

Fan failure is no fun.

One of my coworkers just got done swapping a big block in his pickup.  Put the exhaust on it, and within 2 miles he had it wound up to 6,000 rpm... then total fan failure.  

Parts destroyed...

Hood

Battery

Fan shroud

Radiator

Transmission cooling line

Radiator hoses.

...and the fan.

The fan was a brand new Derale.

Had an image in my head of what a total failure looked like. I fell way short.

 

[jpaz]

I also discovered that my ford five blade flex fan was broken. It was missing an entire blade! But the crazy thing is I didn’t even know it was missing because it didn’t cause any damage. I can find no evidence of it coming off. You would think it would hit and damage something, but nothing. So I guess got real lucky or that fan was put back on by the po?

So I ended up going with a clutch fan too. Seems like the solid blades would be safer than the flex blades. It’s working great and is actually keeping my engine a bit cooler than before. I just cruised Woodward this past weekend with no problems.

 

[kingb1973]

So I went with the D9AZ-8600. Gave the old fan one last frisbee spin into the dumpster. Placed an order with NOS but they wrote back that there "in stock" quantity was wrong. They had none. But they gave me contact info to Green Sales which had 4. Came in the other day and looks great.

Will still check this one on a regular basis. Thanks all for the feedback and suggestions on the clutch fans. Still may make the switch in the future.

 

[secluff]

So I went with the D9AZ-8600. Gave the old fan one last frisbee spin into the dumpster. Placed an order with NOS but they wrote back that there "in stock" quantity was wrong. They had none. But they gave me contact info to Green Sales which had 4. Came in the other day and looks great.

Will still check this one on a regular basis. Thanks all for the feedback and suggestions on the clutch fans. Still may make the switch in the future.

::thumb::  Great to hear you got your fan situation straightened out. I got nervous just looking at the pictures of your broken fan! I had the D9AZ replacement fan on a Q code Gran Torino and a production installed one on a 79 XR-7 Cougar. I checked them regularly and NEVER saw any cracks. I did eventually replace the fan on the Torino with a clutch fan Ford was using on the 79-91 Police Interceptor. At that time the fan debacle was still raging on and I had a chance to get a free clutch fan, so I just "Nipped" it in the bud and put the clutch fan on.