fiveofakind Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 My fan bracket is making one hell of a noise...sounds like maybe a bearing is going bad... can the plate that the fan & fan clutch attaches to be pressed off the bracket & have a new bearing installed on it & pressed back on ????? The dealer wants $ 262 & a junkyard wants $100 for a fan bracket..... A bearing is only a couple of bucks or two.... Any light you can shed is much appreciated.... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 any help here would be appreciated Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenmore Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 My fan bracket went out on long road trip so it was pretty chewed up. You could see a pile of aluminum fillings piling up. Mine went at about 150m, pretty good life for the part. If you plan on owning the car for awhile, it would be silly to put in anything other than a Lexus part. As you may have found, for the most part you are stuck with getting Lexus/Toyota parts for this car. That part price is about right, it is expensive, I paid 266. This shop gouged me on the labor though $365, but I was stuck 500 miles from home. If you are a pretty good DIY, this is a perfect job, tedious but I beleive nothing too technical. glenmore 1990 LS400 1991 300CE 2000 C280 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 I already have torn down to the bracket myself & I have it off..... I am wondering if I can have the shaft pressed out & just replace the two Koyo RR6 ball bearings at each end & have the shaft pressed back in...... A pretty cheap fix..... the cost of two bearings about $ 10..... vs. dealer's $262 for part or junkyard at $ 100 for part. I was just wondering if anyone had success this way..... by pressing out & pressing back in new bearings in this fan bracket..... Thanks for your reply...... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstromarino Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 You may want to check the fan clutch in Auto Parts warehouse online you can find it for about $79.00 New. My fan bracket is making one hell of a noise...sounds like maybe a bearing is going bad...can the plate that the fan & fan clutch attaches to be pressed off the bracket & have a new bearing installed on it & pressed back on ????? The dealer wants $ 262 & a junkyard wants $100 for a fan bracket..... A bearing is only a couple of bucks or two.... Any light you can shed is much appreciated.... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenmore Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Jeff, Sounds like you've got it. Go for it! I suppose the worse that could happen is that it'll start growling again before long but if everything is straight and true you should have no problems. If you can ascertain the rough mileage on the junkyard one you can use that one as last resort. How bad was getting the bracket out? glenmore 1990 LS400 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Not too bad for getting the bracket...I just follow the procedure for timing belt & water pump but didnt go as far....know need to remove crankshaft pulley or the alternator.....once you get the radiator shroud off & fan blade & fan clutch and timing covers off & a few incidentals.....it is 3 bolts & 1 nut...plus you need to loosen the 2 bolts from the A/C compressor that bolt in to end of the fan bracket.....once this is all done Then the bracket will pull right out..... I will let you know if I can repair the bracket by pressing out the shaft & pressing in 2 new bearings......beats dealer or junkyard price.... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 I have dropped off fan bracket to an automotive machine shop to have it pressed out..... The fan bracket actually contains a water pump type bearing in it....I will if they can press it out.... Hard part is locating a similar bearing & prssing back in..... I will keep you postied on progress... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Machine shop was unsuccessful at pressing off shaft....Applied 5 tons of force to try and press out shaft with bearings. Also, tried pressing off plate that is attached to the fan bracket first but no luck.....Must be some kind of retaining ring underneath plate. These fan brackets are made not to be rebuilt.....I guess Has anyone ever been successful at rebuilding one of these brackets by pressing out old bearing & shaft & inserting new bearing with shaft.. Someone at a bearing distributor mention that the bearing was a proprietary bearing exclusive for Lexus.... I have a hard time believing that......There are hundreds of thousands of different bearings made...... Long story short, I guess I will settle for buying one off the internet..... I will just trying to get some self satisfaction from tring to repair old bracket if possible....but rebuilding it does not seem possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 11, 2008 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Actually, I settled for one out of a junkyard......guy at junkyard indicated the ones off internet (made in China with inferior bearings are still not as good as original Lexus fan brackets....... Do you think he was pushing his used part ?? Go figure..... Well, I still paid $ 100 for used fan bracket with low mileage...... Now, I have the task of reassembly.......all in a day's work...... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenmore Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Thanks for the update. I have not seen very many non OEM Lexus parts on the internet and I look everytime I need a repair. Lexus parts are high quality parts. I always end up having to go to a dealer like Plano. Whereas with my older Mercedes, there are parts available everywhere between crap and OEM in quality. I got a knockoff fan bracket for my 300CE for $70 where a MBZ one would have been $250. Not the greatest quality but close enough for government work. If the bearing is still relatively tight on your used part, its probably good for at least 50m. glenmore 1990 LS400 1991 300CE 2000 C280 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmarG Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 i put "OEM" bracket on my ls400 and 2 aftermarket on my friends LS and My mom's LS. All got from ebay. 90 each. 100 shipped.I inspected the parts and they seem high quality. No way i would pay 100 for a used bracket when i can get dealer oem shipped from TX for 165. too much work to risk doing over soon. I had to learn that the hard way. I don't think mileage has much to do with failure. I think its age. Mine died at 240k. My mom's died at 146k, and my friends died around 170-180k. All within a month of eachother. Also i got a used one for my friend for $20. It was as smooth as the new one i got for my car. Failed within 2 weeks. the junk car had about 160k on the odo if i remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 11, 2008 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Omar, I you are talking about bracket from Factory Lexus parts from the Internet, than I agree, it probably is a higher quality bracket, but still not as good as original Lexus equipment...... i will take the gamble form the junkyard vs. FLP parts from the internet....key is know who you are dealing with when shopping at the junkyard.....one can tell from the feel once you spin the bearing on the bracket.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmarG Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 sorry for the vague description. All the new fan brackets we bought from ebay were aftermarket. Even the "oem" one from looked like a refurbed factory one at best (stuck in a crushed toyota parts box) newlexusparts.com takes you to an official texas dealer who sends out ONLY new genuine toyota/lexus parts. their price is 165. they don't send aftermarket. i did not buy my bracket from them, but have bought pulleys and sp wires and other random stuff from them. they are great. also i compared the used bracket to my new aftermarket one. both spun exactly the same. I unfortunately bought a used bracket that was at the end of its life. there was really no way to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 Absolutely agree with you on parts..... You can not get any better than true toyota/lexus parts....but I am all for shopping on the internet to find these parts & if not available......then it is off to the junkyard for a perusal..... Got the car back together tonight & she started right off & very quiet.......I however busted the little black plastic tip on one of the vacumn lines that attached to the air chamber plastic body...... Nothing that super glue cant cure.... Job done & end of story......thanks for everyone's discussion..... great forum here......is people like us that keep money in our pockets & not the dealer's............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGCB Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 I just replaced mine a few days ago... I went to ebay and bought it. I work on my 92 Lexus lS400 mu self. The noice that you hear will be a problem if you don't fix. If it brakes completly, the fan will fall off anf through your timing off! you can can go to www.lexls.com, it will help. My fan bracket is making one hell of a noise...sounds like maybe a bearing is going bad...can the plate that the fan & fan clutch attaches to be pressed off the bracket & have a new bearing installed on it & pressed back on ????? The dealer wants $ 262 & a junkyard wants $100 for a fan bracket..... A bearing is only a couple of bucks or two.... Any light you can shed is much appreciated.... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGCB Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 my email address is curtis_34_brown@hotmail.com I just replaced mine a few days ago... I went to ebay and bought it. I work on my 92 Lexus lS400 mu self. The noice that you hear will be a problem if you don't fix. If it brakes completly, the fan will fall off anf through your timing off! you can can go to www.lexls.com, it will help.My fan bracket is making one hell of a noise...sounds like maybe a bearing is going bad...can the plate that the fan & fan clutch attaches to be pressed off the bracket & have a new bearing installed on it & pressed back on ????? The dealer wants $ 262 & a junkyard wants $100 for a fan bracket..... A bearing is only a couple of bucks or two.... Any light you can shed is much appreciated.... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 20, 2008 Author Share Posted March 20, 2008 Well, that fan bracket from the junkyard I bought is just that....junk. What I thought was a good bracket by turning the plate, the bearing seemed good to me..... Well, I re-assembled everything, & drove it for a day....everything seemed fine until day two... Started the car & it made a similiar noise like I had heard before....I thought "Oh *BLEEP*"....Popped the hood, I examined the turning of the fan bracket with the motor running.... I definitely was not turning on a true plane...... Well, I have now purchased from the Internet from lex-toy-parts for $ 99 plus $ 20 shipping.... If you count the one from the junkyard, I have now paid a total of $ 227 ( $119 + $ 108 ). Almost the total that the dealer charges..... Oh well, live & learn......plus I get to spend another day tearing down & reassembling once I get my new part... I love doing the same job twice.....yeah right......well, it just won't take me as long this time.....familiar with procedure now..... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmarG Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Well, that fan bracket from the junkyard I bought is just that....junk. What I thought was a good bracket by turning the plate, the bearing seemed good to me..... Well, I re-assembled everything, & drove it for a day....everything seemed fine until day two... Started the car & it made a similiar noise like I had heard before....I thought "Oh *BLEEP*"....Popped the hood, I examined the turning of the fan bracket with the motor running....I definitely was not turning on a true plane...... Well, I have now purchased from the Internet from lex-toy-parts for $ 99 plus $ 20 shipping.... If you count the one from the junkyard, I have now paid a total of $ 227 ( $119 + $ 108 ). Almost the total that the dealer charges..... Oh well, live & learn......plus I get to spend another day tearing down & reassembling once I get my new part... I love doing the same job twice.....yeah right......well, it just won't take me as long this time.....familiar with procedure now..... Jeff dude, sucks that the exact same thing happened to me and my friend with my junkyard experience. except my junkyard one cost $16. I'm not trying to add salt to the wound. I'm just sayin. At least you can do it yourself and don't have to pay someone... twice. weird how fan brackets seem to die around the same time huh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgerez Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Well, that fan bracket from the junkyard I bought is just that....junk. What I thought was a good bracket by turning the plate, the bearing seemed good to me..... Well, I re-assembled everything, & drove it for a day....everything seemed fine until day two... Started the car & it made a similiar noise like I had heard before....I thought "Oh *BLEEP*"....Popped the hood, I examined the turning of the fan bracket with the motor running....I definitely was not turning on a true plane...... Well, I have now purchased from the Internet from lex-toy-parts for $ 99 plus $ 20 shipping.... If you count the one from the junkyard, I have now paid a total of $ 227 ( $119 + $ 108 ). Almost the total that the dealer charges..... Oh well, live & learn......plus I get to spend another day tearing down & reassembling once I get my new part... I love doing the same job twice.....yeah right......well, it just won't take me as long this time.....familiar with procedure now..... Jeff Jeff, sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I replaced mine in January. Bought part off ebay...here's the link for those who might need it in the future: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-90-94-L...sspagenameZWDVW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenmore Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Well, that fan bracket from the junkyard I bought is just that....junk. <snip> Jeff Jeff, Ohhhhhhh, that's annoying! I recently replaced a new Mercedes belt tensioner because it was a crap non OEM part. glenmore 1990 LS400 1991 300CE 2000 C280 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 23, 2008 Author Share Posted March 23, 2008 Just received Internet fan bracket off Internet from lex-toy-parts.... Just like he said.....his brackets are overstock items from an importer...... these are Original Lexus Factory OEM fan brackets for only #$99.... I can tell by the bearing that is in these Brackets.......The orignal bearing was a "Koyo RR6" bearing & has brackets contain these..... Put new bracket on today & car is running tops again...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubyball Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Just received Internet fan bracket off Internet from lex-toy-parts....Just like he said.....his brackets are overstock items from an importer...... these are Original Lexus Factory OEM fan brackets for only #$99.... I can tell by the bearing that is in these Brackets.......The orignal bearing was a "Koyo RR6" bearing & has brackets contain these..... Put new bracket on today & car is running tops again...... Anyone how to remove the fan? Any special tools needed from dealer before tackle the job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiveofakind Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 no special tools necessary.....follow procedure for removal of timing belt.....but dont go as far....no need to remove crankshaft pulley or no need to loosen alternator..... remember to loosen 2 bolts on the A/C unit ( both are on side of A/C unit - one accessible from up top & the other from underneath the car ) which bolt in the si de of the bracket..... Straight forward job.....take your time..... Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubyball Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 I have checked with IMPORT REPLACING PARTS they sell Genuine and it costs 199.00 includes with tax and shipping. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.