1996 Accord Radiator Fan Replacement Procedure?

Hi,

I have a 1996 Accord LX 4 Cylinder which has been overheating in stop
and go driving over the last week. The issue appears to be caused by
the fact that the radiator (passenger side) fan is not turning on even
if the A/C is turned on. The A/C condenser fan on the drivers side is
working properly. I swapped the cooling fan relay with the power
window relay to rule out a bad relay. I then jumped the connector on
the fan control switch at the thermostat housing. I could hear the
relay activate and also could hear the fan motor attempting to start
but the fan never turned. The weather here has been warm enough that
the fan should be triggered. So my guess is that the radiator fan
motor is dead.

Now I've seen aftermarket replacement units online for $50 or less
with complete shroud housing, motor, and fan blade. But how difficult
is it to replace this fan? Are there any DIYs out there? Specifically
does the radiator itself need to be removed? I see the two bolts on
the top holding the fan housing in place. Are there also bolts on the
bottom? And my biggest concern is can the fan clear the A/C tube
during removal?

Just trying to figure out what I'm getting myself into on this one

Thanks in advance!

 

OEM fan motors are awfully expensive ($400 for my car) and very rarely
fail.

Before you condemn the fan motor, try feeding battery voltage directly to
the motor, bypassing the relay entirely. Provide your own ground as well,
to make sure that's sound.