Radiator Shroud Failure

[DriVer]

@ 91,397.7 miles, I just experienced a failure and I was able to apply a repair which is better than the OEM specification.

Please allow me to share this with you.

While traveling we heard something like a little ticking noise but it would always go away once we got on the road. Reasoning was, out of hearing out of mind and absent the noise hopefully it won't come back which was the case up until now.


Original shroud fasteners. A number of staples and a push on steel clip. This area will be retro fitted once I get home. Note the condition of the fastners and clip. (small rusty square) View is looking up from under the vehicle.

On this trip the sound got to be very annoying and concerning. I was sitting at the registration office at the Bethpage Camp Resort the site for the iRV2 2011 National Rally when a parker came along in a golf cart and asked me to follow. I pulled away and man what a racket we heard. The noise was similar to putting a trading card in a set of spokes.

I'm knowing that something up front isn't doing well but the sound quieted down a lot as we drove to out site. Once on the site I just took the time to figure this thing out. So I sat down and took it easy for the rest of the day and did nothing. I wasn't going anywhere so why worry.


View of the repair. 2 x #8 self tapping screws and 2 #8 speed nuts. This joint is now much more sturdy and secure than the OE fasteners. Benefit here is this connection can be disassembled for maintenance.

Today at approximately 06:30 this morning I retrieved my Allen wrench to take off the doghouse. Not a big deal, but all the wires and stuff I have on my doghouse makes this a chore. Snip go the tie wraps, remove the CB and clear the firewall of wires.

I pulled the doghouse back about 8 inches or so and began looking straight down into the fanbelt pulleys and fan. I reached down a started yanking on stuff and everything seemed very tight. I looked a little further when I saw daylight coming up through the bottom of the radiator shroud. Humm not normal. I looked left and then looked right to see the differences and there it was. The shroud has become disjointed at the 3'o'clock position. The shroud comes in 2 pieces and this is where the lower shroud connects to the top of the shroud.


View of speed clip in position with screws securing the halves of the fan shroud. I had to run the screws through the clips once in order to get them to thread up in place.

At the seam, it is connected using 3 or more staples and a press on metal clip. The lower shroud has 2 pointed arrow looking plugs that mate to the top shroud so aligning the 2 pieces isn't too much trouble. I raised the vehicle as high as it would go on jacks and turned the wheel to the right. Now I can fit in the space. I got a pair of vise grips and clamped the connection together.

The details of the failure are that the clip that holds the halves together was broken and missing. The staples that were used to join the 2 halfs were rusted and obviously broken. Absent the primary staples and secondary retaining clip, the shroud separated and it was now coming in contact with the fan. What aggravated the condition was when the engine was torqued from a standing start.


View from underneath after using my electric drill to secure the fasteners. Note the extra hole from the first attempt. There wasn't enough room further back for the speed clip so both had to go where they would fit.

The fix I thought was well established in my mind since I have seen these type of conditions before on heavy trucks. Colleen and I went off to the NAPA and I bought a pair of #8 clip on speed nuts and I had a pair of self tapping #8 x 1" long screws.

I pushed on the speed nuts onto 2 locations and and tried the 1st time to drive in the self tapper but although it went through the shroud it pushed up the back of the clip so I had to back it out (extra hole). On the ground, I ran the screw into the nut before I installed it and backed it off. Once done I placed the 2 nuts back on the widest part of the joint. I went under the rig with my electric drill and turned in the screws. Feeling the clip and screws, all was well and tight.


This is the result of all the noise. The tips of the fan blades have traces of black plastic however no blades are broken or chipped or have rough edges. I'm thinking a little cleaning and some Gorilla tape might help plug the hole.

The shroud is all fixed and I'm confident it'll hold for the duration. Compare my fix to the OEM picture. Once I get home the order of the day is to get another pair of speed clips and screws and do the left side before it fails. A piece of Gorilla Tape should cover the opening in the shroud and even if never covered I don't think it's going to make a big difference.

[The General]

Driver,

Would it help to epoxy and tape reinforce the broken area to be a permanent repair?
Good job.


Steve

[justimagination]

Driver..........just catching up on mail and I have to commend you on a job well done, such good directions.
Been here @ Oceanlakes since last Friday relaxing and enjoying the Bike week events. Thought about you while spending 1st evening @ WalMart of Conway last week. Again, travel safe.
David G.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justimagination Thought about you while spending 1st evening @ WalMart of Conway last week. Again, travel safe..

david G., Thank you. Regret not being there would have loved to come down to the beach. The weather up here in Virginia on the Rivah is very nice today and the weekend promises to be just as nice.

Hope you get to see the Skywheel!

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The General Driver, Would it help to epoxy and tape reinforce the broken area to be a permanent repair?

Steve, Thanks! I may still visit a more permanent repair when I look at it again. Perhaps I could use a thin fiberglass strip and glue it in place. Getting anything to stick on that shroud material I bet is going to be a good trick.

[The General]

DriVer,

You could replace the bad half if it's not too expensive.
I have a friend that bought a 2003 Monaco LaPalma without half a shroud and has no overheating problems but personal safety is another issue.


Steve

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The General .... but personal safety is another issue.

Steve, Thanks you for that information. The need for the shround is not so much predicated on safety but rather cooling efficiency. I do want the lower shroud to remain in place and like "Quick Draw McGraw" I'll be thinnin' about it.

[She and I]

Good job DriVer, love self tapping screws!..you could poprivet a piece of tin over the crack and paint it black...just a thought!
Richard

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by She and I Good job DriVer, love self tapping screws!..you could pop rivet a piece of tin over the crack and paint it black...just a thought!

Richard, That's an excellent suggestion! Perhaps aluminum and forget the paint!

The shroud material is kind of thin so I would have to span it somewhat I bet. I was thinking about pop rivets at the seam but I thought better about it and went with screws.

[M&EM]

These are the part numbers I got from Jesse for the shrouds:
0 W8005661 W8005661
KIT - RADIATOR FAN SHROUD
(UPPER AND LOWER
W0005416 W0005416 SHROUD - RADIATOR FAN UPPER
W0005417 W0005417 SHROUD - RADIATOR FAN LOWER

Don't know the costs but didn't need them after I repaired the broken and missing parts of my shrouds.

Believe me when I tell you that the engine WILL run hotter if the upper shroud is not up against the radiator. The air that bypasses the radiator will fool the fan clutch with cooler air into not spooling up until the radiator air is much hotter. This happened to me last fall(Engine temperature running hotter then normal.) when the upper shroud broke away from the top of the radiator frame.

First indications were movement of the temp gauge off of the center point where it ALWAYS stayed after warm up. Second indication was lack of the familiar roaring of the fan as the fan clutch responded. There are only 3 small screw retaining the upper shroud in place. The design supports the weight of the upper radiator hose and the air intake piping from the air filter housing to the throttle body as well as the two shrouds halves.

Marty

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by M&EM These are the part numbers I got from Jesse for the shrouds...

Marty, Thank you for the information.

[LandHo]

DriVer,
your post was too late for me. Last summer my bottom shroud was eaten away by my clutch fan... I'll take a look to see if the new ones needs your remedy. thanks.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandHo ... I'll take a look to see if the new ones needs your remedy. thanks.

LandHo, Regrets ... PS Keep a roll of Gorilla tape handy. I'm using a couple of strips right now in the interim until I get a new lower shroud. It's working though ....

[Jackm]

This same issue was addressed centuries ago on this very informative website. I guess I'll finally take it serious.

Oemy's Web Site - Tech Tips

Jack