Anyone got any good suggestions on how to remove the cooling fan after you've got the belts off and taken off the alternator and air pump etc. I can't break the nuts loose from the mounting bolts that hold the fan to the water pump. Yeah, I know I should've read the how to's before I started but too late. I'm a guy and I only read the directions or ask for help after I've screwed up.

 

i used pb blaster. he's my best friend when these problems occur.

 

i think i know what your talking about. You mean the 4 10m bolts on the clutch fan right? well if you do its really simple ... all you have to do is get a wrench, i used a craftsmen flexhead ratcheting wrench (i love these wrenchs) and put it on the bolt. once you do that get a long sturdy scewdriver or mini prybar and use it on the other bolts that your wrench is not on to stop the hub from moving. After you break loose each bolt turn the hub and do the next.

piece of cake, but watch your hands. Thats all

 

`with tools silly

 

bert if you havent gotten it off by friday let me know i can swing over that way and give you a had. are you going with an efan?

 

put a screwdriver inbetween a set of the nuts, to hold the fan still, use some PB blaster let it sit for alittle, then break em loose with a 10mm open end or box end wrench. Done

 

thats exactly what i do, i dont even bother using any penitrant, though... but it would help if they are stuck@!

 

Thanks guys, I hadn't thought of using a screw driver to hold the hub still while wrenching the nuts off the bolts. I did use PB Blaster on the nuts and gave them a final shot last night when I gave up. That should help a lot tonight.

Eric, the water pump started leaking coolant last week and at first I assumed it was the lower radiator hose. When I put the car up on jack stands and checked the lower hose it looked dry but the coolant was running down the driver's side of the engine and dripping off the oil pan on that side of the car. Since there are no radiator hoses on that side of the engine bay I checked further on that side of the car and found the coolant weeping from the water pump seal.

Have had a lot of fun taking belts, alternator, battery, radiator shroud, etc out of the front of the engine bay just to get to the water pump. Still got to get the fan out of the way and the lower pulleys to get to the last bolt holding the water pump housing on. Been without my FC for almost a week and got to get it back on the road soon. Hope I won't still be working on it by Saturday. Hope I'll be driving it by then. I'll pm you if I am still working on it.

I'll let you know how it turns out with the screw driver or whatever I use to brace the fan hub.