How to Install an Electric Fan on a Trailblazer

Chevy Trailblazers come with a fan clutch installed; this clutch forces the radiator fluid through a water pump, cooling the engine. However, you may prefer to have an energy-efficient, electric fan instead of a clutch. These fans use much less horsepower than other types of radiator fans. To install an electric fan in a Trailblazer, the clutch fan will need to be pulled out first.

Things You'll Need

  • Wrench
  • Pliers
  • Phillips-head screwdriver
  • Container
  • Electric fan
  • Bolts
  • Coolant

Removing the Clutch Fan

  • Remove the intake air baffle by first removing the bolts and pushpins using a wrench and pliers, respectively. The intake air baffle is located in the radiator support. Some models of Trailblazers don’t have pushpins, so if there aren’t any visible, the model being worked on may not have them at all.

  • Disconnect the transmission cooler lines, found at the engine bracket and the fan shroud. Some Trailblazer models make it easy to remove the transmission lines by hand, while other models require a Phillips-head screwdriver. The fan shroud’s electrical connector needs to be disconnected as well; this can be found at the electroviscious clutch.

  • Disconnect the hose clamp of the upper radiator hose from the radiator. Since coolant will spill, there should be a container positioned under the radiator to catch the liquid. Alternatively, let one gallon of fluid drain from the radiator before disconnecting the hose clamp to prevent messy spillage.

  • Remove the fan clutch hub that’s on the water pump by turning it counterclockwise.

  • Remove the fan and shroud by unclipping the fan shroud from the radiator and tilting both the condenser and radiator forward. Lift the fan and shroud up and then out of the engine.

Installing an Electric Fan

  • Remove the negative battery cable from the battery; check that it’s entirely disconnected before proceeding.

  • Secure the fan and shroud to the electric fan by tightening bolts into the bolt holes. The electric fan that’s being installed should have a shroud that’s already attached to the provided fan.

  • Connect the wire labeled “positive” to the positive part of the battery.

  • Connect the negative terminal on the fan to the thermostat switch, routing it through the thermostat itself.