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Fan bearing - replace?

If 5-90 can come back from the dead, then so too can this thread.

:cheers:

How much variation is there in these brackets? Are the H.O. years all pretty much the same? Are there earlier versions that differ from later versions? Perhaps a change that corresponds to the '96 and later power steering/belt routing?

I pulled a spare '96 unit out of a junkyard at it looks like it is fairly easily supported from the back side. It just needs a correctly dimensioned piece of DOM tubing, long enough to get past the back of the bracket so that the DOM is reaching the base of the press rather than the back of the bracket. Is that typical of all (or most) versions of this bracket?
 
If 5-90 can come back from the dead, then so too can this thread.

:cheers:

How much variation is there in these brackets? Are the H.O. years all pretty much the same? Are there earlier versions that differ from later versions? Perhaps a change that corresponds to the '96 and later power steering/belt routing?

I pulled a spare '96 unit out of a junkyard at it looks like it is fairly easily supported from the back side. It just needs a correctly dimensioned piece of DOM tubing, long enough to get past the back of the bracket so that the DOM is reaching the base of the press rather than the back of the bracket. Is that typical of all (or most) versions of this bracket?


I far as I know the H.O. bracket up until 96 are the same. I haven't really looked at anything newer.
I used part# 17104.83 and a deep socket to press it back in on my 96.
In my opinion was pulling the bracket off and getting the fan hub off was the hardest part.

Here is the basic process I followed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SQnw1lqYjs
 
The 96 up one is missing the boss for the idler pulley used on 95 down vehicles by the AC compressor.

I don't know for sure if the bearings are different. Been too many years since I thought about this.
 
Back to a old post....

I have a 1992 XJ 4.0 auto tranny, 4X4. I did replace the bearing upon which the fan clutch / fan spins. I purchased Quadratec part 917104 83 which is Omix-Ada 17104.83. Quadratec wants $14.99. Amazon is about $20.

I replaced this bearing in FEB 2016 and put 45K mi onto it. The factory bearing when removed seemed tight. I just didn't trust it. The new Onix-Ada was loose and noisy when new. I didn't like it but used it anyway.

I replaced this replacement recently with another Omix-Ada same P/N from Quadratec. This second bearing is also loose and noisy.

Notes: a hydraulic press is required to do this job. There's a trick to removing the fan clutch flange, which is pressed on. A bearing splitter is bolted beneath the flange, and this splitter secured by its parallel bolts beneath the press table. The flange is easy to get off this way; impossible otherwise.

Someone at a previous point in this thread mentions NSK 885586 which Amazon shows as somehow related to Omix-Ada 17104.83. I'm going to try this one.

If anyone has additional part numbers for this bearing please post. Maybe bearings from some other manufacturer will be better. As it is now the new bearing sounds dry.
 
I would bet that anything other than Omix Ada will be an improvement. NSK is an OEM bearing supplier, I find their bearings in transmissions and other assemblies often. Omix Ada I believe just buys chinesium garbage and rebrands it at this point, based on the appearance of the parts I get when I buy their stuff out of desperation.
 
Someone at a previous point in this thread mentions NSK 885586 which Amazon shows as somehow related to Omix-Ada 17104.83. I'm going to try this one.

I bought a NSK 885586 off eBay, it was not a genuine NSK bearing. It was loose out of the box, just like the Omix-Ada bearing.
Buying the NSK from a bearing house might give a better chance of getting the real deal. It's too much work to replace with a cheap part.
https://www.motionindustries.com/productDetail.jsp?sku=00075470
Motion Industries is a nation-wide, old school bearing house that I have been buying from for decades.
 
Purchased Nsk 885586 Integral Shaft/Water Pump Bearing off Amazon from some third party. Packing slip that arrived with bearing Show source as

Locate Ball Bearings
75090 St. Charles Pl, Suite B
Palm Desert, CA 92211
1-800-409-3632

Bearing arrived in a zip lock bag without mfgr markings.
I guess it is NSK 885586. Packing slip says it is.

In any event this bearing is tight and quiet when it operates. Fits my 1992 XJ 4.0 with A/C.

Installation takes about 3 hours.
Remove Battery
Remove metal panel above radiator
Remove electric fan
Remove fan belt
Unbolt 4 A/C compressor bolts.
Without breaking hoses to A/C gently lift it and place on top of radiator hose.
Loosen 3 X 14 mm bolts that hold fan assy to motor.
If you are lucky lucky the 15 mm bolt and nut has the nut on the radiator side.
If so you can remove this nut with box wrench up under the fan pulley.
If not, disassemble the Jeep beginning at the gas tank.
With this bolt out and the 3 others the fan assy and shroud can be easily lifted clear.

You must have a press for the bearing swap.
You must have a die grinder with a carbide wheel

Measure distance from bottom of fan boss to some relevant point on the fan assembly. You'll need this distance later when pressing the boss onto the new bearing.

Remove fan and fan clutch by removing 4 bolts on studs in boss.
Remove studs from boss.
Press boss off bearing shaft. You can't use a gear puller. Boss is too tight.
I did this trick with a large bearing splitter. My splitter will close under the boss. The splitter has two threaded holes that parallel the bearing shaft when splitter is installed under boss. I place threaded rods into these and pass these through the press table, securing with plates that bridge the table. In this way the bearing shaft is vertical and suspended below the press table. I press the boss off with a rod from press through table and onto bearing shaft.

Once boss is off the bearing can be pressed from the aluminum fan housing buy pressing on bearing shaft and supporting the housing on a deep well socket from opposite side.

Longer shaft of new bearing must be cut to proper length for fan. Shorter shaft will be OK within the aluminum housing. Be careful here to get the correct length. Try to get the cut 90 degrees across the shaft. Grind a bevel into shaft after cut. Take care here or otherwise when you press the boss back on it will go crooked.

Press new bearing into aluminum housing. Don't press on bearing shaft. Find the proper size deep well socket to press on bearing outer case.

Press boss on by pressing on bearing shaft. Get the proper position.

Reinstall all.

This took about 3 hours and I've done it twice before. There is a learning curve.

Bottom line is purchase NSK 885586 and not the Omix-Ada. Omix-Ada is loose and sounds like a rusty skateboard wheel when it runs.
 
Nicely done.

I particularly like this line:

If not, disassemble the Jeep beginning at the gas tank.

Every one of those I have pulled has had the nut on the back.
 
Ugg! If the nut is on the transmission side the bolt can not be withdrawn since it hits the fan pulley. In this case the fan must be removed from the boss while still in the jeep. This is a real pain. Also even after the 4 nuts are removed the fan assemblyy may still not have enough clearance to be removed from the boss. The fan may hit the radiator before it clears the boss studs. This is just a real pain. I've done it this way as well before I realized that the bolt can be installed installed with nut towards the radiator.

I've driven the new NSK bearing now and it is remarkable how much more quietly the Jeep runs.
 
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