Removing fan on 70D with manual steering?

It's been a long time since I did any work on my 70D, but while changing the loose fan belt I noticed the fan was just about free to spin on its shaft. The friction disks must have disintegrated completely over the years... they are there to avoid stripping the bevel gears in the governor housing with "rapid changes in engine speed" according to the manual. So thru-bolting even with a relatively soft shear-pin sounds risky.

I pulled out the service manual and read the list of parts to be removed in order to take the fan shaft and governor assembly off (then use a press to release the spring and remove the split locks, which work just like a huge version of a valve spring):

Remove hood & fuel tank, cranking engine... exhaust manifold, upper water pipe, water manifold, air cleaner, heat exchanger, generator... not in this lifetime I'm not! :blink:

So I'm wondering if anyone makes a tool to compress the spring and remove the locks without taking half the tractor apart first? Has anyone attempted this job? Or is there a work-around?

My tractor does not have power steering. I saw a 2005 post from F-I-T here where the PS pump + fan assembly can be finessed out... but is it possible (even if removing the radiator is required) to get the fan off the manual steering version?

thanks
Charles

Charles,

If there is an easy way to do this repair I would like to see it done. Have read the same posts you have on this subject and find some very hard to believe. My advise to you is to have PATIENCE if you attempt this repair. None of the items on your list that need to be removed are that difficult if you have a well equipped shop, mechanical skills, and a few extra hands when needed to help. I have made this repair on my 70 gas tractor while attempting to fix a power steering problem. I do not think the power steering is a factor as the problem of getting the fan assembly out is the real (same) issue. Patience is required to avoid causing more problems along the way, this I know from first hand experience . Do no harm DrCharles as you will have to fix that too. Now once you get the hood and fuel tank out of the way the clouds seem to lift, good luck.

Dan

I would get the radiator out of the way & go from there.

If he removed all of the stuff he mentioned, he might find fan shaft bearings, seals and O-rings that also need replacing. Something to think about.

One thing that I noticed when I fooled with those fan clutches - trying to compress the circular keeper in the end of the shaft is interesting. You would think that with a bearing splitter clamped in or behind the fan pulley, you would be able to rig a contraption to compress the spring and remove the keeper. In the few tries that I've made, the keeper stays put on the shaft and the pulley moves. The service manual shows them doing it in a press, but it would have to be taller than mine. So - I tried my drill press and it worked as a long press. I've also rigged a contraption with all thread to hold the bevel gear end of the shaft from moving (before I thought of the drill press). Doing it on the tractor, I'd try to anchor on the housing behind the pulley, or press from the pedestal - assuming you can get the radiator out of the way. It's not a hard press, but seems to need three hands to get everything positioned.

I'm not a mechanic, so take my comment for what it's worth.

Those are too long to get in my press when off too. So I use 2 C clamps one on each side to squeeze the pulley and frt. fan alum. disk and compress the spring. Usually the alum. disks are corroded sticking to the shaft so I then set the gear end of the shaft on a block of wood standing upright and then I use a pipe spacer that just goes over the keepers and drives down onto the collar and beat it down until I can get the keepers off.

So maybe if you can get a c clamp on it in the tractor and compress the spring then if the collar is not stuck it may let you get the keepers off. But then you may not still have enough room to slide the fan off ?