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Plastic fan shroud stuck on bottom rivet

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    #1

    Plastic fan shroud stuck on bottom rivet

    My E30 has been getting a bit hot (past middle of gauge) when idling for a while so I set out to replace the fan clutch.

    I'm able to get the fan off the pulley (it was actually quite loose) but now I have the fan loose under the shroud and I'm unable to pull it up and out.

    I removed the two expanding rivets on the top left and top right of the plastic fan shroud but there is a nasty little bugger on the bottom center holding the shroud in! How do you all remove it? Just break it off? I'm trying to do it the Right Way. Bentley doesn't say anything about this or the other rivets. Ideally I don't want to take off radiator, hoses, etc. I'm thinking I need something long, and thing with a flat tip on the end to pry this rivet out, but it's incredibly cramped and I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this before.

    I'm pretty sure it's 14 in this diagram: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=17_0005 (which does a terrible job of showing where the rivet is)

    Please help!
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    #2
    you pull the center out first, once it pops , the whole unit will collapse down far enough to remove the whole plastic rivet. don't try to remove the center completely, just pop it out like it is in the diagram.

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      #3
      Originally posted by 82eye View Post
      you pull the center out first, once it pops , the whole unit will collapse down far enough to remove the whole plastic rivet. don't try to remove the center completely, just pop it out like it is in the diagram.
      By center, do you mean the center nail like thing in each rivet? That makes sense and worked for the top two rivets but how do you even get to the bottom rivet? I can barely graze it if I reach in with a flat head screwdriver and shove my whole arm in from the left side, let alone apply any precise prying force.

      To make matters worse, the bottom rivet doesn't look like it has a flat "head" like the top two, and the other side of the rivet looks like it ends somewhere in the bottom of the radiator.

      Do I have to lift the car and go from the bottom?

      Comment

        #4
        Originally posted by seta View Post


        Do I have to lift the car and go from the bottom?
        yeah i remove them from underneath. pretty sure i just left it off last time.

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          #5
          Originally posted by 82eye View Post

          yeah i remove them from underneath. pretty sure i just left it off last time.
          Yeah I figured most E30s don't have them since most info I found on this says the shroud slides off easy from the top. It definitely won't with this bottom rivet in.

          Well, I guess I'm putting this on hold until I can lift the car. Or make a long makeshift tool. Thanks for the quick reply!

          Comment

            #6
            Originally posted by seta View Post

            Yeah I figured most E30s don't have them since most info I found on this says the shroud slides off easy from the top. It definitely won't with this bottom rivet in.

            Well, I guess I'm putting this on hold until I can lift the car. Or make a long makeshift tool. Thanks for the quick reply!

            are you sure there's one in there ? it's not hard to get far enough under the car. do you have a jack and a couple stands ?

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by 82eye View Post


              are you sure there's one in there ? it's not hard to get far enough under the car. do you have a jack and a couple stands ?
              Here's the best photo I could take of it. This is looking down at the bottom of the radiator from the left side and just a bit behind, near the intake box. This little bugger won't move and is very hard to get to. I'm happy I found it because I was pretty close to applying more force and jiggle and probably breaking the shroud.

              Eh I'm not against buying a jack and stands, but I haven't because I don't have a garage. I've been doing repairs in my parking lot... this was a 30 minute job from the top they said! :D
              1 Photo

              Comment

                #8
                Originally posted by seta View Post

                Here's the best photo I could take of it. This is looking down at the bottom of the radiator from the left side and just a bit behind, near the intake box. This little bugger won't move and is very hard to get to. I'm happy I found it because I was pretty close to applying more force and jiggle and probably breaking the shroud.

                i think i used a nail puller tool to wiggle the top out then it pulled out with a little encouragement.

                Originally posted by seta View Post

                Eh I'm not against buying a jack and stands, but I haven't because I don't have a garage. I've been doing repairs in my parking lot... this was a 30 minute job from the top they said! :D
                well, it's a half hour if you have the tools and once stuff is out of the way lol.
                a good set of stands and a decent jack are really nice to have. didn't realize you were at an apt. most places freak on folk working on their cars. hope you work it out.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by 82eye View Post


                  i think i used a nail puller tool to wiggle the top out then it pulled out with a little encouragement.



                  well, it's a half hour if you have the tools and once stuff is out of the way lol.
                  a good set of stands and a decent jack are really nice to have. didn't realize you were at an apt. most places freak on folk working on their cars. hope you work it out.
                  Hm nail puller tool may work, if I can find a way to get it in there.

                  It's been all right so far, the spot is tucked away from the street near the building and I never do anything super large or messy (probably due to no jack).

                  Thanks, I'll update if I figure this out; I may just have to put the old fan back on and leave it for later.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    UPDATE on this:

                    1 year later, I finally got this rivet out and changed my fan clutch.

                    Turns out, it's very easy from the bottom:

                    1. remove engine under-tray / splash guard: This has 8 nuts / screws (4 on each side), and slides out easily. Can be done without taking any wheels off or jacking the car up.
                    2. Crawl under car. Rivet and fan shroud should be very easily reachable. There was just enough room for me to squeeze my head and arms under without jacking the car (obv make sure flat ground, parking brake on, etc.).
                    3. Used a tiny hex key to push rivet out from back side. Then use pliers to pull it out once the front end is visible. Takes some patience but it pops out and then fan shroud is loose from the bottom.
                    4. After removing the top rivets, the fan shroud can be slid out in between radiator and fan clutch (no need to take fan clutch off first).

                    Re-installing is just the reverse. Make sure the fan shroud slides into grooves near bottom of radiator so the sides are not loose.
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