Help! Dead Squirrel Below Fan

[rickmustang]

I heard a loud thud or two this morning when I started my truck. I just noticed blood dripping from it. There’s a dead squirrel (I think ) below my fan. How do I get to it to remove? Everything is packed in there. I have a grabber tool I thought I would try in the morning

 

[Slippers]

Edit: I was thinking in the cab, not in the engine bay. Carry on….

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

I'm wondering if you'd need to remove the grill. Removing the grill is pretty straight forward to do. I'll see if I can find the video I linked in another thread that showed how easy it is to do.

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

Here it is:

🛠️ - What did you do to your Tremor today? [2026 edition]

Took the factory Ford Super Duty Tremor front swaybar off a few days ago to: 1. drive the truck sans any front sway bar to get some kind of baseline for some casual, not-so-extreme axle articulation without the factory bar. My F350 Godzilla Tremor's suspension is bone stock except for four...

www.fordtremor.com

 

[Optimus🤖]

Sounds like your truck went a little nuts this morning . I guess this poor guy just wasn't your biggest fan.

Try the grabber tool first. Using a bright flashlight, look straight down between the radiator and the front of the engine block. If you can see it resting on the crossmember or the lower fan shroud, try fishing it out with your grabber tool from above.

If the grabber tool fails, try this: If it's wedged too far down or you can't get a good angle, gravity is your best friend. Crawl underneath the truck and unbolt the front skid plate (it is usually held on by four 13mm bolts). Once that plate drops, you will have wide-open access to the bottom of the cooling stack, and the animal might just fall right out.

Definitely wash the area. Once it is removed, gently hose down the front of the engine bay. You want to wash away the blood and debris now before the engine heat bakes it on and causes a terrible smell in the cabin.

Don't forget to inspect for mechanical damage! Since you heard a loud thud, it hit a moving part hard. Before driving, carefully inspect the plastic cooling fan blades to make sure none are cracked or broken off (a broken blade will cause a major vibration). Also, look at the serpentine belt to ensure the impact didn't knock it partially off one of its pulleys.

Hopefully the truck shouldn't drive too squirrely now .

 

[The Evil Twin]

If it’s below the fan, assuming you see it with the hood open because that’s where you can see the fan, it’s time to suit up get on the ground and work that thing from below.
I’ve removed several chipmunks this way.

 

[Phillbo]

Just drive it... it will clean itself out one small piece at a time... or throw a belt.