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2007 radiator fan blade swap

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by BrokenWrench, Aug 8, 2018.

  1. BrokenWrench

    BrokenWrench Junior Member

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    2007 Prius and the radiator fans are blowing forward from being swapped side to side.

    After reading everything I can find on this forum I have learned that the fan blades have been switched and I need to switch them back. It does appear that there has been some front end damage and this fan blade swap “mistake” must be a result of that.

    My Haynes book is of no help and has some incorrect info including draining the ac system which appears may be needed on the 1st generation prius but not 2nd generator.

    I saw one post with a “mention” of “wanting” to perform the fan swap from the bottom side vs. top – but the thread ended there.

    Has anyone been “been there done that” and have some tips to share before I start this task?

    Thanks in advance.
     
    #1 BrokenWrench, Aug 8, 2018
  2. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I cannot remember any posts about replacing the fans so nothing to offer except because of that they have been mostly trouble free.
    I do know they both should be pulling air into the engine bay sucking air through the rad and ac condenser.
    With ac on both fans should be on high speed.

    There’s a great place for Prius parts in Tampa called tampahybrids in lutz. Google it. Todd is a Prius expert.
    And has lots of parts and knowledge. He always has like 25 Prius for sale too. He is a member and a straight shooter. Last time I was there I bought a bumper and a fender. Bring cash because cash doesn’t give you a rash.

    Good luck.
     
    #2 edthefox5, Aug 8, 2018
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  3. BrokenWrench

    BrokenWrench Junior Member

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    Yep, Thanks , I know TampaHybrids is a good place. I don't need parts for this issue as I'm sure what happened was new blades where put in during a repair - they just got put on the wrong motors.

    i'm looking for the straight scoop on the easiest way to do the swap - - I may have to call Todd and ask what he has to say.
     
    #3 BrokenWrench, Aug 8, 2018
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    I hope that it goes without saying, but one fan spins clockwise and the other fan spins anticlockwise, so the fans are not interchangeable. It is not unheard of for a body shop to assemble with the left on the right and the right on the left. The net effect of this is that the fans end up blowing the air through the radiator and out the front instead of sucking the air from the front and through the radiator..

    So, check you have a left and a right and make sure they are mounted on the correct side.
     
    #4 dolj, Aug 9, 2018
  5. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    One fan blows and one fan sucks?

    Why would one fan blow what happens when your going 70 miles and hour with intense wind hitting the rad?
     
    #5 edthefox5, Aug 9, 2018
  6. BrokenWrench

    BrokenWrench Junior Member

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    Both fans, if mounted correctly pull air from the front of car toward the rear, if they have been swapped left to right the blades push air. (Think of a flipping the blades on a ceiling fan - as in upside down)

    My original question was meant to be - "What is the easiest way to unbolt the fan blades and swap them back to where they should be".
     
    #6 BrokenWrench, Aug 9, 2018
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  7. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    No, if they are installed correctly they both suck air through from front to back. It is just that one fan spins clockwise and the other spins anticlockwise.
     
    #7 dolj, Aug 9, 2018
  8. RobertK

    RobertK Member

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    You can see if the fans are installed correctly. Viewing the fans from the driver's seat, the left fan has five blades and the right fan has seven blades. The right hand motor is located under the coolant overflow tank. If yours are the opposite the blades have been swapped. I don't think the fans will fit if they are turned front to back, but I'm not 100% certain of that.

    One of my fan motors was making noise a few years ago. It was cheaper and easier to replace the entire shroud assembly with an aftermarket part than to buy one Toyota fan motor.
     
    #8 RobertK, Aug 9, 2018
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