I was trying to install a "recycled" ceiling fan/light fixture and when I took the old fixture off I saw 3 white wires bundled together. The white wire from the old fixture was attached to that bunch and the black was on black. When I test the wires, 2 of the white wires run the electricity on the 2 opposite walls but only work when bundled with one of the other white wires. When I attempted connected the celing fan/light I tripped the box. My basic connection was black to black and white to 3 whites. A friend told me the ceiling fan was wired wrong itself, should I believe him? If I buy a new ceiling fan and do the same connection will I trip the box again?

I don't quite understand the bundle of white wires, and only one black wire. It is fairly common to run the feed from the breaker box to one device in the circuit, and then to other ones like the white wires seem to be. Where are the black wires for the opposite walls? Is the wiring black and white wire pairs in a non metallic jacket, or single wires in a conduit(metal pipe)?

However that works, may not be the problem. It sounds like you don't have the wires for the fan properly identified. Are you sure the fan is in good operating condition? I think most fans have a white wire, and a black one that runs to a switch. From the switch, a multiple speed fan or fan plus a light will have several wires going out. If something is wrong with your fan, and you buy a new fan, the new fan should work OK.

I went back and found 3 black wires bunched together. Do I leave them alone? I also decided to reconnect the old light fixture to make sure everything was okay. I connected the light just to the one black wire and the one hot wire and the light goes on but stays on no matter what I do with the light switch. Did I fry the black wire? I'm I in too deep?

Thanks

It now sounds like you have the light wired up to a wire that is always hot.
Here is where I would start.
Go to your switch. The wire that is hooked up to the bottom of your switch is normally your switched leg. This wire should turn your light on and off. Find the wire that runs from the bottom of your switch up to your light. Once that wire is identified... hook it up to your black wire on your light. The white wire on your light should tie into the bundle of white wires.
Now, try turning your light on and off... If it works correctly, then we just identified your wires.
With this identified... hook up the switched wire (from the bottom of the wall switch) to the black wire on your fan. The white wire on your fan should go to the bundle of whites.
Now see if the fan works... If it is still popping the breaker... I would guess that the fan is bad... If you know how to use a ohm meter... you can ring the motor for shorts or grounds and get a good idea if the motor is good or not!
Hope this bit of info helps...
Cory

Ok, first of all all white wires get connencted together.

The bundle of blacks from the light sockets connect to ONE of the blacks from the pullchain.

The other black from the pullchain connects to the light lead wire which is usually either red, black, or striped. It goes all the way through to the ceiling.

What make is the fan?

Ceiling fan wiring - Ceiling Fans N More

The blacks together need to stay together. All whites go together and fan white. Whites are not switched. Hopefully you have a single black wire or yellow or some other color from switch. Disconnect one wire from switch(Hot could be top or bottom on switch) Light should go out, If it does, Replace switch.
When light is stuck on, will fan work with pullchain?
What color wires at fan
Usually white is neutral, black is fan, and black/white or blue is light.
Breaker tripping was a bad move. If breaker resets, likely OK.

Not ALL the blacks together, since two are from the pullchain.

If I understand your posts, you removed an old light fixture (no fan) and found 1 single black wire going to light, one white wire from light joined to a group of white wires, as well as a bunch of black wires joined together. If this is correct, then follow advice earlier advice about checking which wire is the switched hot wire. It should be the single black wire. If so, then certainly leave the white wires all joined together as original, and the original black wires joined together but not with the single black wire.