Just upgraded my Xj’s cooling system decided to go with a 3 row cooling radiator. Was doing great until clutch fan punched a hole in my new radiator. when I installed it there was plenty of clearance between the fan and radiator at least an inch and a half. Just half no clue how it happened.

 

Is your stock radiator still retained at bottom as the OEM item is ?

It is possible the fan clutch bearing has failed, but you can feel that, it has its own bearing, I just replaced mine, I estimate it had less than 100 miles in it before it would have let go

 

Well it sounds like your motor and trans mounts are probably shot. That torquey I6 can jump around quite a bit, 0.5-1.5" of up/down movement from bad engine and trans mounts translates to a lot of forward and back movement for the outer edge of a rotating member on the front

 

X2 on mounts. Expensive lesson.