Please help if you can...

Ever since I rear-ended that damn Explorer (not my fault) 3 years ago, my
radiator fan has made a loud droning whenever it starts. The nose was pulled
out by the dealer body shop and the radiator was replaced, but not the fan
or cowling. Another shop took a look at it, decided nothing was touching the
blades, and that my choices were to either to buy a $300 replacement fan
motor or turn up my stereo. And so we rocked for three years.

Well, some time ago, I inspected the cowling and found it to be disfigured,
so I straightened it as best I could with it in place, but no change. At
this time I noticed the ends of the blades were indeed worn off.

So, a while later I pulled the whole thing down and replaced the cowling
with a clean one from a junk yard. At this time I noticed the had a slight
'unhappy' feeling when I turned the blades by hand, but I reinstalled it
none the less. Less vibration, but still droning.

Yesterday I replaced the fan with a beauty I pulled from a Vanagon at my
local junkyard; it sounded great, by the way, when hooked up on the bench.
But after install, the same loud droning (enough to make other drivers take
a look around).

Am I missing something? I am reasonably sure the thing is rotating in the
correct direction, and I know its not touching anymore. I didn't mess with
the balancing weights, either. Does the position of the spare have anything
to do with it? Am I doomed to rock and annoy passerby forever.

>       [Brad Anderson]
>       Noisy 87 Vanagon Syncro
>