LexCelsior

1991 Lexus LS 400 with 271,000 miles.

On the way back from Austin, TX to Houston, TX my car just gradually stopped and shut off on me after the 230 mile trip.

At first I thought it was a battery or something electrical but when I popped the hood and started the car back up it turned on but the big fan in front of the radiator (the one that faces the drive belt assembly) was shaking like it was out of control. There is a metal thing that connects the fan to a pulley on my drive belt assembly and that was shaking out of control and I saw very very small metal shavings coming out and a loud grinding noise and it just sounded like my car didn't want to stay on.

Some guy pulled over to help me out and said it sounds like the water pump went out but there was no leak and everything was in control with that area and the timing belt is only a year old so it can't be that.

I have a strong feeling it's what's connecting the fan to the pulley in front of it. Are my assumptions correct? Has anyone ever come across this problem?

Some guy at O'Reillys said it was the fan spacer but he didn't even look at the car and I've looked at pictures of fan spacers on the internet and they look nothing like what is connected to my fan assembly so I'm sure it's not that.

Fan shakes eradically, there's grinding and small metal shavings coming out but no leak and everything else in the system seems like it's working fine. What could it be? What should I look at?

FELLOW LS 400 OWNERS, PLEASE HELP ME!

skperformance

iTrader: (6)

Sounds like the bearing is shot and needs to be replaced.
It probably vibrated enough to shut the engine down by registering on the knock sensors.
Had a similar problem with metal shavings and squeeling on my es power steering pump which is more expensive to replace.

kubys

Sounds like it could be the fan clutch, and the bearing in the fan clutch just gave it up.

Celsior2K5

CRITICAL UPDATE!

Was working with LexCelsior today and we took the fan clutch off and tried to run the car without it and the pulley that was connected to the fan clutch still shook violently. So we took the fan shroud out, removed the fan with the fan clutch intact, disassembled the drive belt, and we found out that it's the pulley that was connected to the fan clutch. The pulley's bearing is ****ed up and won't turn smoothly and sounds like it's grinding on something when you try to turn it, however, it seems to be attached to something bigger behind it that's silver in color. That whole silver thing behind the fan clutch pulley wouldn't have to come out with the pulley, right?

If someone knows what I'm talking about please respond ASAP. We've got the front end of the engine off already!

Abear

iTrader: (1)

Whats up. I was over there helping Lex and Celsior. I made a video on my phone. For some reason, the video stops about 15 seconds in, but the audio still plays, and if you listen closely you can hear the pulley and how the bearing is all messed up. If anyone can help, we would greatly appreciate it. :thumb:

heres the video - http://media.putfile.com/LS400-Fan-pulley-bearing

Abear

iTrader: (1)

Ive been searching. Before I left his house, me and LexCelsior got 3 bolts, and 1 nut off the fan bracket. Im trying to figure something out, because after we got them all off it still wouldnt move, not even wiggle or anything, we were shaking the car tryin to pull it off. My question is, is there somethin else that needs to come off before we take it off? I cant see anything that would be restricting it, and from all the tutorials Ive read about replacing the timing belt/water pump, it looks like it will come right off. I just dont understand what could be stopping it. Please let us know so we can get this thing fixed, we have a big meet going on this friday that we are hosting, a VIP meet, so to speak. We need our cars there! SOMEONE HELP!

ychachad

You have to replace the "FAN BRACKET". Available only at the dealership, and only new, it costs about $180. To replace this item, you pretty much have to take most of the things outside the engine apart. A couple more steps and yu can do the water pump and timing belt as well, which I suggest you do. This is a gut wrenching 2-3 day job!!! Get a helper as well.

Abear

iTrader: (1)

Ive read your post, you said you did it in 9 hours. Im pretty sure with the 3 of us working on it, we can get it done in about that time. Problem is having that much free time. So Pretty much everything from Lexls' tutorial on how to change the timing belt/ water pump is what we need to do? His timing belt is practically brand new, I believe 40K miles. Thanks for the help guys, we will get this changed so we can have this LS back.

Abear

iTrader: (1)

Just to let yall know, we finally got the damn thing out at around 10 PM this evening. We had everything off from yesterday expect for the actual fan bracket. Upon closer insecption tonight, we realized there was more we had to take off than what meets the eye. Long story short, I looked forever to find where the last 2 bolts were on the fan bracket itself. Couldnt find them, thus taking us forever. So we finally got a brand new fan bracket from a local Import store for 190 I think, saw where the last two bolts were we were missing. It was so hard to break these bolts loose, and one of the bolts the AC lines were in the way. We worked around that and needless to say, we will be putting the new fan bracket on within the next day or two because of school/work. I will get a picture of the bracket before we put it on to show yall where the last bolts are. To anyone who trys this, good luck, just know you have to take alot of stuff off, but not as much as in LexLs' tutorials. Either way, alot of stuff has to come off. Its gonna be hard putting it back together, wish us luck. :thumb:

damon

My fan bracket bearing failed at 170,000 or so which facilitated my first timing belt change on my 94 LS. It is one big *** bearing!! Kept my old one (popped it out of the braket on a press), it sounds like a salt shaker