Removing the '89 V6 condenser fan

[florian]

Removing the condenser / A/C fan on a '87-91 V6 Camry.
(probably does not apply to I4)
This is just a hands-on how-to if someone searches for those keywords and has trouble doing it.

Eventhough the Haynes manual simply states "unbolt the fan shroud and remove it", it's a bit more involved to do.

First disconnect the negative wire from the battery.

Remove the coolant reservoir plunger and put away the tube. Plug the reservoir.

The CDS fan shroud had four bolts. Two on top, easy enough. Two at the bottom, which can only be reached by unbolting the center splash protection panel underneath and reaching with a 3" ratchet wrench extension or such implement. I didn't have to unbolt the passenger side one which was rusted off but it seem tougher to reach.

Once unbolted, you're faced with the actual problem: the fan assembly cannot be lifted up more than a couple inches because there's a protruding bracket which bangs on the coil mounting plate. The solution is: unbolt the main cooling fan. You don't need to disconnect anything or remove it (which involves purging the coolant I guess), just nudge it towards the engine as much as you can (remove the oil dipstick to give you more room). This will give you just enough clearance to pull the CDS fan up and sideways just a little bit, then rotate it about 45 deg to clear the support plate and lift it up

You will have to disconnect the wiring at some point before or during. It is located at the driver-side, somewhat below the coolant reservoir. Slip your hand to it and lift the release tab on the connector to free it.

As they say: installation is the reverse of removal... remember to rebolt the splash plate underneath and the main fan...