Couple of questions (fan & ticking)

[dhracer]

1) Should my fan run all the time?

2) It's missing a blade, will the unbalanced nature of this cause any problems?

3) Loud ticking from engine after spirited drive. Gone when started from cold the next day. Anything to worry about?



Sorry for the briefness of the post, but the forum just lost what I typed and I don't have the time to type it all out again!

[MaxxChris]

The mechanical fan behind (i.e. closer to the engine) the radiator should be running all the time. I believe its speed is controlled by the fan clutch but I'm almost positive its always spinning at least slowly. The missing blade is a very big problem and probably indicates a cooling system that need attention. If you are still unfamiliar, the cooling systems in these cars tend to be a weak point. For instance, your unbalanced fan can explode and cut radiator hoses and damage other things under the hood, often resulting in total and almost instant coolant loss and overheating and sometimes warped heads. You will want to replace the fan and the fan clutch at the very least ASAP if you have no records of when it was last replaced. If you don't have any maintenance records, I recommend a full cooling system refresh:

Water pump
Fan
Fan Clutch
Thermostat
Thermostat housing
Coolant flush
Hoses
Radiator

A search on the forums will reveal a lot of information regarding the cooling systems in these cars and there are many DIY's out there to help you. If you have some mechanical skills this is likely a job you can tackle yourself.

Im not sure about the ticking, but it sounds oil related, I have heard of similar noises due to oil starvation in the top end after Auto X and similar hard driving.