How to Remove a 1997 Ford F150 Radiator Fan

Since 1948, Ford Motor Company has been building F150s and while the truck was in its ninth generation in 1997, every F150 from '48 to '97 relied on a cooling fan to draw air across the radiator. The F150's engine uses a mixture of antifreeze and distilled water to remove heat from the block. This coolant mixture travels to the radiator, where outside air blows across the radiator fins and removes heat from the coolant before sending it back to the engine to start the process all over. If the cooling fan fails, the system retains too much heat to cool the engine properly.

Instructions

1

Park the 1997 Ford F150 on flat ground and set the parking brake.

2

Open the F150's hood. Remove the air cleaner intake tube. Unbolt the fan shroud using the socket set; bolts on both sides hold the shroud to the radiator.

3

Slide the large fan clutch wrench over the water pump bolts where the fan clutch and fan bolt to the water pump and brace the wrench against those bolts. Slide the smaller fan clutch wrench over the fan clutch mounting nut. Remove the fan clutch with the wrenches by holding the large wrench steady and turning the small one to loosen the clutch nut.

4

Lift the fan, fan clutch and fan shroud carefully out of the engine well; ensure you do not let the fan contact the radiator to prevent puncturing the radiator's aluminum core. Remove the four bolts holding the fan clutch to the fan using the socket set.

5

Bolt the new fan to the fan clutch and tighten the bolts to 15 foot-pounds.. Lower the fan clutch, fan and fan shroud into the engine well at once. Thread the fan clutch nut onto the water pump by hand to avoid cross-threading the nut. Use the fan clutch wrench set to tighten the fan clutch to the engine.