vtraudt

2001 Allroad 2.7T:
My viscous fan (driver side, behind radiator) shredded.
It has a 'rim' on the outside diameter. It seems the S4 and A6 do NOT have the 'rim'.
Is the 2.7T Allroad using a different fan than S4 and A6 2.7T?

If so: Any particular reason?

Kneale Brownson

They are different. And they won't fit your viscous fan clutch. They have no history of fracturing like the pos plastic junk on the allroad, which has a long history of blowing up, sometimes ruining the radiator.

My allroad's fan has a bunch of cracks, so I've got a $45 clutch and an $18 fan on order.

Other allroaders have removed the fan and run without or have replaced with an electric fan.

I haven't figured out yet what I have to do to get to the assembly? Do I have to open up the front end?

Endlesswinter77

Wow that is way cheap, where did you order from? Just the OEM fan for me was over $100

Ive heard the fan and clutch can be removed without removing the bumper and lock carrier (front end) but I think that removing them would be less of a headache albeit perhaps more time intensive.

Kneale Brownson

I bought the viscous coupling on FleaBay and the fan <a href="http://www.westportparts.com/078121301EFanWheel.htm">HERE</a>

vtraudt

I will take the broken one off tonight; haven't found an inexpensive blade yet. Several posts say 'not needed'.

So far, I took the front end off ("service position"), but will try tonight how to get to the 3 allen bolts WITHOUT doing it.

thejulex

Glad to see people putting my info to work

Kneale Brownson

Thanks for your help, theJ.

vtraudt

Ok. Just finished taking the blade and the clutch off, WITHOUT touching the front end.

1 1/4 inch wrench (only one I had that big. Probably a 32mm - for the visco clutch nut (note: left hand thread; turn CLOCKWISE to loosen.

Took the driver side air inlet tube off (plastic, from intercooler hose to throttle body boot): 2 hose clamps, 1x 10mm hex bolt
Take DV valve hose clamp off connecting to that tube.

Once the tube is out, stick 32mm on visco clutch nut.
Only tricky part: find a way to block the visco clutch from turning. the housing has 3 (?) holes to insert one of those pliers with 'pins' in the front (maybe Autozone). I always use a breaker bar with slightly angled head, stick it into a slot of the housing and wedge against the alu block that sticks out right next to the clutch housing.

Break the bolt loose, (clockwise!), the turn nut until fan comes off (with clutch).

Hole thing lifts out to the top. Voila.

prinz charming

This faulty fan has made my short AR ownership experience a nightmare. My engine is apart now for the head gasket job necessitated by spontaneous failure of a six-mont- old fan blade, while climbing Vail Pass with a heavy load. Even after it's repaired, I'll be haunted by the possibility of another loss of coolant incident. I've looked at aftermarket electric fans on the net, and guess what? They're also made of plastic, so how much better would they be?

My fan blew just as I was shifting the Tip from 5th to 4th, so I didn't immediately react. If it signaled a problem, I thought it was a transmission problem. Does anyone think that the change in engine RPMs caused the failure?

vtraudt

I am surprised that you overheated, since the other 2 fans kick in as needed.

Or did the fan punch the radiator when it failed?

Otherwise, overheating does not occur 'spontaneous' but rather slow with lots of warning (your temp gauge, pretty sure serious beeping and showing of warning triangles, etc.) giving plenty of time for countermeasures.

I don't know the underlying cause of the failure of the AR fan. But is not simply caused by 'made of plastic'. They all are made of 'plastic'.

It's either the design (AR has ring the outside, S4 and A6 don't), the type of plastic used for the AR is more prone to age hardening (brittle).

And yes, mine blew apart at the end of data logging, during the final WOT 1-2 shift at max RPM (with the corresponding harsher RPM change gradient).