Trying to get everything in line to replace the front engine cover gasket, timing chain, water pump, oil pan gasket, oil pump and thermostat. My problem is I can't get the fan off to save my life. I have tried everything I know and everything that I have seen here on the forum. I am about to just cut the damn thing off and replace that too since I'm putting a new water pump on anyways. But we will see what happens, I actually scheduled a day tuesday for nothing but truck work and will see what happens.

 

Get the proper wrench. Add a pipe for leverage. Whack the pipe with a hammer. That's what worked for me (and the others who I copied).

It may seem as though there's not enough tension to loosen the nut. That's precisely why you need a pipe over the wrench and a hammer. It will allow you to exert maximal force on the nut in one quick shot. If done properly, there is enough tension then to get the fan off.

Good luck!

 

The proper wrench and holder are about the only Rover Special Tool that I recommend to people. Personally, it's the best money I ever spent.

 

Well, today in Chicago it is -4f below zero..My wife went to take her preschool teacher stuff out of the back seats and closed the aft left door. The the truck contracts, much like a cold ***** in a pool,and the entire door striker catch, mounted on the sheetmetal, broke thru and fell into the abyss of the wheel arch. There is a 2x3 hole where the plate lived. So at 7:30 I am driving to the school to ratchet strap the back doors together on the inside. 2 days before that, coming home from a 325mi snowmobile trip to Eagle River Wisconsin, the 1/6 coil dies and I drive 300mi back,towing a 2 place trailer,on 6 cylinders (65 gal of gas). Great place to put them....5th time I had that upper intake manifold off...thank god I ordered a second upper manifold gasket when 3 months ago the no.4 injector O-ring leaked....Because 9 months before that I had practice doing my second head gasket change. Just after the 3rd airbag went and I swapped em all out for old man emu 2in lift. Just after the front clutch on the trans went ($3000)...Just after the rear main leaked...Just after the second MAF went on...Just after the 2nd set of O2 sensors..Just after the the 8mm plug wires..Just after the crank speed sensor and the 2nd throttle body heater gasket...Just after the rear main seal leaked..About the time the 3 amigos appeared and never left.........................Ask me what Ill do tomorrow....(need to find a mig welder and start pounding metal to fill that 2x3 hole...) Wife calls her big green and wont take a new 4x4 Denali....

 

well...... I'm assuming that, like a *****, car parts start to wear after a while and things don't work like they should But seriously.. I can't imagine going thru that - I thought it was cold here in Traverse City, can't imagine working on the Rover in subzero temps! My parking brake light keeps coming on - need to figure that out.. either a switch gone bad (parking brake handle looks wonky) or I'm losing brake fluid. Hoping it's the former and not the latter. So that is what I'll be working on..

I can see how your wife became attached to her Rover - I can't think of another vehicle on the road today that I'd trade mine for! I love it even when it 'harasses' me so..

keep us posted on big green

 

Spent the entire day working on the rover today. Got the fan off without cutting or destroying anything! Yeah Me! Then cut the stupid under body cover out and discovered the site of world war 3, oil and coolant everywhere. Next on to the cross member. Unfortunately one of the bolts was already stripped before I even touched it, but I was able to get the other 7 bolts out and swing it out of the way. Pulled the oil pan and strainer without any incidents and moved onto the crank pulley which proved to be troublesome. I actually broke my 3/8" drive that I was using an extension for extra leverage, but a quick trip to lowes got me a pipe that would go over my 1/2" and I was able to break it lose. Next on the list is unplugging the oil pressure sensor and crank sensor, then I can remove the front cover. So all in all two connections and 9 bolts stand in my way before I can pull the front cover replace the water pump and start putting things back together.

 

Congratulations on removing that stupid splash guard or whatever it is.

I've had mine off for a year without any issues whatsoever. I've still yet to hear the reason for that guard in the first place. However, everyone seems to agree that there's no harm in removing it (but I still want to know what purpose it's supposed to serve?!).

We recently added a Volvo XC90 to the fleet, and it has a similar plastic/fiberglass shield underneath that has to be removed every time the oil is changed. Needless to say, as with the Rover, I took it off once and have never put it back. 7,500 miles since and no noticeable problems or issues.

 

That stupid splash guard is one of the only aerodynamic mpg savers added to these bricks. (minimizes the Drag of wind on chassis and components) as well as being the splashguard.
It doesn't make a big enough improvement to need it

 

Cut mine off with my Dremel tool a couple of years ago. I would imagine the engine runs a tad bit cooler with it off. However, living in the Northeast with all the road salt and looking at my rear chassis as of late makes me think I should put that splash shield (aka oil drip pan) back on and feed the oil drips to the rear chassis to keep it oiled and rust free. :-)

 

Yeah on the rover the aero effects don't make that big a difference. I have something similar on my Volvo S60R that makes a pretty big difference. With it off I will get 24mpg at best, with it on I get 28 or 29mpg. So for the Volvo it was a big enough difference that I take it off and on every time I change the oil. Plus if I get the volvo over 100mph having that little aero advantage actually makes a big difference in stability.