Mechanical cooling fan bracket

Hi all,

Trying to fix noises from the engine this past week I discovered the bearing in the mounting bracket for the mechanical fan is going bad. Does anyone have information about that part? I have a 1996 Buick wagon with the mechanical cooling option.

I cannot find a part number on the nalleygmc.com site. They show the part and a number on the pic, but when you scroll down to cross the pic number to an actual stock or part number, the pic number is not listed.

Not able to do the switch to the electric fans yet. Having problems with the electric fan coming on anyway. The mechanic said the relay was good, so wondering where to go next on the trouble shooting chart with it. Worried it would affect the electric switch over!

Thanks for any help!

Don in MO

Don, I Googled "LT1 fan belt tensioner V08" and came up with part number 10186118. If you just want to replace the bearing- I wouldn't be surprised if the pulley and/or bearing is the same as the Serpentine belt tensioner that you can get for $20 at any parts store. You'd have to check for yourself though. Or you can always take the old one of and head to a bearing store.

That tensioner assembly is $70 or so but at least it's still available.

I found out the bearing in the fan tensioner pulley should be an NTN 6203LH. NTN is the manufacturer, 6203 is a industry standard # for a 17mm ID x 40mm OD x 12mm wide radial ball bearing, and LH is the code for a shielded seal. There are various seal styles available with this bearing size but the photos of the entire assembly confirms the steel shielded seals.

Any bearing store should be able to get you one. It's a very common part. I'd double check the part number on your bearing if possible. I don't know this for certain but the width of that bearing compared to the pulley width leads me to believe that there could possibly be two bearings pressed in a stack into the pulley bore.

Grainger.com sells this bearing under their part number 1L016 for $9 each.

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Hope this helps.

He's not asking about the tensioner, but the actual bearing the fan attaches to. I haven't had one apart, but it may be possible to remove the cover on the bearing a grease it. I've done that to several sealed bearings.

Oh I see. Sorry. There's a picture of it here -below 11 and right of 9.

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The way the shaft sticks out of the fan hub and presumably something presses into the aluminium bracket, I'd bet that's just a common water pump bearing. This is what a WP bearing looks like.

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I work on Corvairs and that's what we use for fan bearings. GM isn't going to make a special bearing if they can use somethin of the shelf. Some guys with noisy fan bearings use a needle adapter in a grease gun and pry back the seal to by grease the double row bearing. Usually the bearing is already toast if it's making noise but it can't hurt to try. You want to be careful not pump too much grease in there that you blow out the rear seal.

There will still be a bearing number near the seal. I'm sure you can find a replacement with that number. You could also pull the bearing and measure it.

Thanks guys!

Yes HoosierDaddy, that is the part listing I was using. I am assuming that GM does not provide that part anymore or never did since they do not list the part number for it, even though they list it in the picture?

I had it apart before and during my son's visit when he replaced the alternator for me and the tensioner pulley for the alternator belt. I will have to look it over again and see if the bearing comes out, how its attached to the fan mount, etc. Had sprayed wd40 into it originally.

Or convert to electrical cooling. Question about that is if I don't reprogram the PCM, do I use a universal fan switch?

Don in MO

That bracket is GM part# 10215326. It's now discontinued. I think your options are good used parts, NOS, or investigate replacing the bearing with a water pump bearing.

If you find someone ditching the mechanical fan for twin electrics I'd get their bracket and bearing and grease it before replacing it.