I recently purchased an XJ that was in a front end collision. As I am trying to fix her up I have run into a small snag.

The radiator and the piece of metal on top of it seem to be pushed slightly inward. My XJ didn't come with a fan shroud and I picked one up at the local junkyard. After I put the shroud in I realized why the previous one wasn't in there, that sucker is tight.

The shroud fits fine while the car is idling or driving smoothly, but when you accelerate from a stop the engine moving up under power causes the fan to hit the shroud.

Does anyone have any suggestions to get this puppy to fit and not hit the fan? Mounting tricks? Sanding perhaps

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

sure you dont have a broken motor mount

 

Do you think a broken motor mount would play a significant part in the whole equation?


Also, I am very ignorant of motor mounts. How would one know if they were broken or damaged besides looking at them?

 

Here I'm prying the engine back to get clearance to get the E-fan out past the steering pump.

Had I realized my vac leak was a bad injector O ring I might not have changed the manifold gasket.

 

DFlintstone, were you able to significantly move the engine back using just a big crowbar?

That may work in my situation but I didn't think I'd actually be able to make a difference with just a crowbar.

 

When the rubber is gone it can move until the metal hits. Rhododendron, supper hard wood, is what I hammered in here! (overexposed), until I can widdle a proper one! I probably need the tranny mount also. (that stick on-top is just sitting there, there's a 3-1/2 in. piece of it in the top of the mount where the rubber is gone)

 

Wowzers. Haha I don't know if that is quite the path I want to take. I think i may take the fan shroud out. Sand the crap out of it and maybe cut out a piece of the top of it. Then put it back in and ziptie it to move it even closer to the radiation.

Any other suggestions?

 

You might want to just check it. It's the left side that lifts up gassing it. My air cleaner just has three bolts. (actually one is a nut). If you haven't been there you will be! It's sort of the gateway to lots of fun stuff. In one photo you can see the ratchet on the belt tensioner on the PS pump for my 90.

Or you can see the mount just peeking down behind the pump. Have someone power-brake it and watch to see it move. Get a new one when it does.

On my 66 F250 I just added a chain. It usually sits on the rubber mount with the chain slack. Packing gravel up the hill in granny gear it's taught. (it ripped a new mount in two immediately, engine hits the hood on this one).

Just checked. Rockauto has one for $5.48 + shipping. After your crash you might want both + the tranny mount.

 

Definetly sounds like broken mounts.For safety sake I would not alter remove any shrouds, cut openings in them.

 

I will have to give my mounts a once over and see if that is causing the problem. It just seems like the fan and the fan shroud are really dang close.

Is everyone else setup very very tight?

I literally had to take off my fan just to put the shroud in, then I put it together all in one shot.

 

Also czech out the trans mount

 

usually the way it works out.

Another vote for a bad motor mount.

 

...as an aside to your main problemmo, consider this way to get that shroud on/off faster, easier in the future, i.e., cut the bottom of the shroud all the way through, (hack saw). Then you can twist that super duper engineered piece of crap around your fan without the hassle designed into, and around it. Once in position, run some simple bolts/flat washers/nuts through the two holes you have already drilled on either side of that 'sliced'-cut with a simple 2" piece of "plumbers strap", from underneath.

The manual(s) say to twist/slide the shroud out of the way.., blah, blah, blah, but only in a perfect XJ world.

 

Okay. First of all, thank you for all the help!

Unfortunately while i was maneuvering the shroud around i completely snapped off the whole top part (The rounded part that protects fingers). If I left the rest of the shroud in there would it help any? Or should i just throw it out?

Also, whether or not the motor mounts were causing my problems, they are like completely shot. The bushings inside are caked and i pulled them out with my fingers. Looks like that will be my next repair.

 

Camp......I would replace those Motor Mounts ASAP!

running it like that puts way too much stress on everything else in the drivetrain and engine compartment.

just my opinion sir!

cpnwrench