The accessory belts drive the cooling fan in your S-10, unlike electric fans that mount against the radiator. Although the fans mount in different locations, they both must perform the same job without flaw. Cooling the antifreeze within the radiator effectively is the fine line between a smooth-running engine and total mechanical failure. The most common sign of a defective cooling fan is the smell of hot coolant. The temperature gauge in the dash cluster will also rise well above the halfway point. You can remove the cooling fan from the 4.3L engine in your 2000 Chevrolet S-10 right at home in no more than 20 minutes.
Lift and support the hood on your S-10. Loosen the negative battery cable completely with a socket wrench and then remove the cable from its post. The top of the battery case should clearly identify which of the two cables is the negative. The battery should also have a plus and minus sign engraved into its case as well.
Open your fan clutch wrench set. Take out the fan clutch wrench and the holding wrench head. Attach the holding wrench head to your 1/2-inch drive breaker bar. Stand on the passenger’s side in line with the tire so that you can see behind the cooling fan. The pulley that the fan mounts against has four bolts holding it in place.
Place the holding wrench down over the four bolts on the pulley behind the fan. The holding wrench will stop the pulley from turning. Place the fan clutch wrench around the large nut that you see at the back of the fan.
Loosen the nut at the back of the fan by turning it counterclockwise with the fan clutch wrench. When you get the nut loose, remove the fan clutch wrench and begin turning the fan--itself--by hand until you free it. Remove the holding wrench from the pulley and lift the radiator cooling fan out of the engine compartment.
Set the fan face down on the ground so that you’re looking at the large nut. The fan’s clutch sits recessed within the circular portion of it. Remove the four bolts that sit around the nut with your socket wrench. Wiggle and pull the clutch away from the fan blades.
