Replacing fan clutch

Is it normal for the nuts to "loosen" as you tighten nuts on the other side of the flange? I had to do a few rounds to get them all tight. I don't understand why because it just looks like a round flange, not sure why there would be so much flex in it.

It's true of almost anything that you have to tighten multiple fasteners evenly. Very bad practice to tighten any fastener only once.
 
It's true of almost anything that you have to tighten multiple fasteners evenly. Very bad practice to tighten any fastener only once.

Yeah but they really loosened, like I could spin them freely with my fingers when I tightened the opposite side. Just wondering if maybe the flanges weren't mated properly like they hung up on something.
 
Yeah but they really loosened, like I could spin them freely with my fingers when I tightened the opposite side. Just wondering if maybe the flanges weren't mated properly like they hung up on something.

As long as all four were torqued up when you were done (check all four at the end) and it spun without wobble, I would not worry. Things do get hung up as they tighten down and then get pressed into place. Try to tighten evenly and you should not have that issue.
 
That’s it. Are those studs removable or do I need to buy the entire bracket if one is snapped?
I would think so but not sure, I have a new one at home I am going to swap out when I do the timing belt, I will check it later tonight. I have to go by the dealer today and will ask the parts guy, one of the guys is pretty sharp, the others just read what the screen says.
 
This is an aftermarket unit but I'm pretty sure it's the same spec as OEM
 

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Hate to resurrect an old thread from the dead, but didn't want to start a brand new one when my situation is similar to the one in this thread.

Earlier this winter, came out to start our 4Runner and immediately hear and feel a clunk, a thunk and a clang, then a vibration through the steering wheel and pedal box. For a split second, I thought it threw a rod or at the very least blew off a belt. I immediately shut it down and then see the fluffy wisps of fur floating out from under my wheel wells. Pulled the hood latch and sure enough, a rabbit had crawled into the engine bay for warmth and was drawn into the serpentine belts and then into the clutch fan. After pulling the mangled carcass out and cleaning as best I could, I noticed a couple of blades on the fan had been cracked and broken. This was the cause of the vibration I was feeling. It's really only noticeable at idle, but now it's time for me to actually replace the fan.

Now onto the real question. I can see that the fan blade assembly is bolted to the fan clutch, but do I have to remove the entire fan blade/clutch assembly as a complete unit or is there a way to just remove and replace the fan blade? Clearance looks pretty tight between the radiator and fan.
 
Yes you have to remove the whole thing. Not hard to do. Then u can remove the plastic fan from the clutch by loosening 4 more nuts.
 
Yes you have to remove the whole thing. Not hard to do. Then u can remove the plastic fan from the clutch by loosening 4 more nuts.

Ok thanks for the confirmation. Looks like I'll need to get a couple 6pt wrenches as I only have 12pt in my tool box.
 
Best wrench I have used for this job is a tekton 6 point ratcheting double box end wrench and advise the 12mm nuts will not fit on any fan clutch from the auto part stores the shaft on the auto part stores fan clutch is to thick the nuts won't fit with a wrench as well as there not made very straight and there almost a inch thinner with a longer shaft compared to the oem fan clutch toyota used a heavy-duty fan clutch for the 4runners auto part stores cary the light duty fan clutches and Toyota has studs built in to hold the fan to the clutch were Toyota has studs and nuts for the fan to the clutch anything bigger on the outer diameter of the nut then 14 mm will not fit on the Toyota oem clutch to the pulley and nothing bigger then then a 11mm will fit on the auto part stores hope some of this helps somebody other best bet is a non ratcheting 6 point double box end Xl wrench for more leverage the shaft to the fan clutch is tight so best bet is a double box end wrench of some kind
 
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