Bleeding the Hydraulic Fan Pump? Spring in the high pressure line hole?

[TheMachinist]

So I got a pretty good looking refurb pump from a source I trust. This job was a serious pain in the a**. So I get it all done and together. Put a new serp. belt on it and go take it for a test drive. Well it started to overheat and the fan never even came on at all. Now theres two questions I have in particular. First when I took the old one out a spring came out of the hole the high pressure line goes into. So I took that spring and put into the new pump. Was this wrong? The second question is, do I need to bleed the system? I don't know much about hydraulic systems at all. I just filled her up and spun the pump pulley by hand awhile added a little more fluid and that was it. I worked on this project today for over 9 hours in the 98 degree heat for nothing. I'm a little more than bummed out. Any help would be great. Thanks.

2000 Lincoln LS 3.0
5-speed Manual

 

[don-ohio]

There are people here who know the hydraulic fan and how to repair it, bleed it.
If it were mine,I guarantee you I'd replace the hydraulic fan with an electric aftermarket one. It's over-engineered and will probably lead to future problems even if you fix it.
BUMP! don-ohio ^)

 

[TheMachinist]

So I realized that I'm missing the nipple piece that goes into the 20 mm high pressure line hole in the pump itself. I have the spring from the old one but there was no nipple. And neither a spring or a nipple on the reman one I bought. I don't know if the nipple came out and I didn't realize it or if it was never there. I've looked everywhere in the surrounding area I worked on the car in. Now I'm just trying to find where I can buy that nipple from. I can't find anything on it and I've been googling for like 5 hours. Maybe that's not what its called I'm not sure. Attached is a photo I found on here the spring and nipple. It came off of a guys 2001 LS 3.9. I'm assuming that my pump has the same parts because the spring was there. I have no idea where to look to purchase this part. Any help at all would be great.

 

[oddball]

Huh. The bullet looking thing - second picture - is what you think is lost?

That's a pressure relief valve. The pump won't work without it. You won't be able to buy it separately. I would seriously hope that is retained by the outlet fitting and NOT by the high pressure hose itself. The hose should attach to a fitting, the fitting goes into the pump and retains the valve. If your rebuild didn't come with a pressure valve or an outlet fitting, then, well, that's concerning.

My spare pump(s) are in the attic, so can't check at the moment.

 

[TheMachinist]

If anyone who is reading this has an old pump they can pull the pressure relief valve out of the high pressure line port, I'm a machinist and could reverse engineer this part and make it at work. I just need a part to reverse engineer. I have the spring already. All local and semi-local junkyards have nothing when it comes to the hydraulic fan pump. And you can't get this part from the dealer. If there's anyone local who could help me that would be great. This car is my only vehicle and right now its parked because of this tiny part.

 

[TheMachinist]

So I found the part in the tiniest little nook or the engine bay. I've gotten lucky. Problem is now I have no idea how it goes back in the port. Does it go valve then spring, or spring first then valve?

 

[oddball]

Spring, then valve with the reduced nipple going into the spring, then outlet.

 

[TheMachinist]

So I put it in upside down. Valve the spring, now I cant get the valve back out. I feel like a damn idiot. Trying a magnet now and no luck. Any ideas?

 

[TheMachinist]

(big sighs) got everything together THE RIGHT WAY this time. Test drive went great. I never noticed the fan actually pulled air off of the radiator instead of blowing towards the rad. Interesting. I feel like such a moron. I'm a pretty mechanically inclined guy, but when it came to this pump I felt like a 12 year old boy in my Dad's shop again. Thank you very much for your help everyone, especially oddball for answering all my idiotic questions. I learned a ton on this job.

 

[joegr]

...I never noticed the fan actually pulled air off of the radiator instead of blowing towards the rad. ....

All are like this (air goes in through the grill and comes out around the engine). Otherwise, they would be fighting the natural airflow that happens when the car is moving. My 325i has and electric pusher fan in front of the radiator (and condenser), and a mechanical puller fan between the radiator and the engine.

 

[oddball]

I'm a pretty mechanically inclined guy, but when it came to this pump I felt like a 12 year old boy in my Dad's shop again. Thank you very much for your help everyone, especially oddball for answering all my idiotic questions. I learned a ton on this job.

De nada. Glad it's back on the road! I've had many "learning opportunities" with this car.......