I lost three hours fighting with mine. First hammer on wrench, nothing. Then pull the entire thing off the car and try crappy huge rented open end tool with bolts in water pump pulley, nothing (busted knuckles and cranked shoulder). Then staring at it for 25 minutes did not work. Threatening with physical violence did not work. I found that taking a nap did nothing to help remove the fan clutch. Then your video, bolted it back onto truck, one hammer whack on the wrench and she was loose. It came off so easily I thought I broke the chain or something. Brilliant.
I have to say, this little hack turned my 2+ hours of torture in getting this damn nut loose into a 5 minute job. Thank you!!! Chained it up as described, a few blows on the crescent with a sledge and it came loose. Sweet!
Thanks, I used your technique and it worked perfectly. Nut was crazy tight. This is the first time I’ve had one that I couldn’t just loosen with hammer.
DUDE! I never comment, but i had to this time. - Thank you. You ever find yourself in Canada, I owe you a beer. 1998 GMC Sierra (chevy) and she wasn't budging. - you saved me an ass load of time and cursing. Gary and Kyle - lefty losey my friends... (at least with my pickup anyways).
I'm an old guy and have done all my own work on my older vehicles for years and I just want to say that your method is original gangsta. I tip my hat to you, sir. This did not occur to me.
Sir i wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart i would not have a running truck right now if it weren't for this, just wish i would have found this before i decided to bust out the vice grips and nearly strip some nuts haha you saved my ass on a last minute repair
Thanks! This saved my ass last weekend! Nut was totally rounded and the chain plus vice grips worked. I had tried for hours with the autozone wrench and got nowhere.
Thank you thank you thank you! I struggled for an hr on that fan.. Was going to head over to auto zone to pick up the wrench when i came across the video.. set it up with the chain and bolt and the fan came lose in a couple minutes... Thank you again sir! FYI, 99 dodge Ram 1500 v8 5.2--- counter clock wise to loosen the fan
Thank you so much helped on the '98 Blazer, never comment or leave a like, but I had to come back because we broke our strap wrench and couldn't get anything done
Thanks for the great video! I didn’t have any chain, but it inspired me to get creative after fighting the nut in a crazy awkward spot. I put a piece of wood (1x2x13 1/4) under one of the pulley nuts down to the tie rod and knocked it free with a pipe wrench and hammer after soaking it with wd40. Worked for me on a old Chevy s10, hope my comment saves someone a busted knuckle and sore wrists! Thanks for the inspiration!
6/11/2017 1:30 pm The chain worked! Thank you so much!! Getting the top hose and clamp back on took me over 1 hour, 1 dent from temper and much cursing!! I wonder what stupid ass came up with that idea? I am 66 and these are getting harder as the years pass. Buz
that is genius! we ended up using a strap around the black belt housing pulley, and tool box liner for the grip of the strap and strapping it to the side frame. thank you for this idea to keep in mind though.
I was going to use your method on my 99 wj jeep but then i thought what if i remove 2 bolts on the pump side, 2 bolt on the fan side, then loosen the 2 bolts remaining on the pump side, stick an open ended ring spanner ring end over the loose nut and lock the spanner shaft behind the other loose nut then lock another ring spanner in the end for extra leverage. Voila pumps locked not moving wrench around the clutch nut and its all free no chain needed. Tools needed 13mm 14mm open spanner and small pipe wrench. Thanks for the inspiration when all was feeling lost.
GREAT! was trying forever with an OTC strap wrench. Actually used a 'strong tie' building joist strap. Highly recommend replacing the water pump and coolant at the same time. Shop around, found a motorcraft unit for about $50. I also did the tensioner and the idler pulley and the belt. At 11 years and 177k miles it was time. so cheap if you do it yourself too, this was the hardest part!
You are a goddamm genius. been struggling for 2 hours and literally took 2 minutes to do it this way. thanks for the video. Liked and subscribed. the people that gave this a thumbs down are turds.
Awesome. Im doing an aftermarket electric fan and didn't want to spend more money on tools. it only took a couple minutes to get the dam clutch off. Thanks for the info.
Worked great! Would have broken whatever tool O'riely auto parts rented me getting that thing off. Might have been easier if I had had a wrench that big. Good thing I had that old huge crescent wrench I never use. Great post. Thanks a lot for the idea.
I ended up using two pipe wrenches. One to grab two of the bolts on the water pump pulley, and a smaller one to grab the nut. After nearly two hours of fighting it, it came off easily.
You could always just get you a flat metal bar from Home Depot or any hardware store..... Dremel or cut a half moon and drill two holes.... Now take the same bolts on the pulley and put the bolts through the bar hold that with one hand and wrench it with the other..... A home made crank yanker!
Thank you me and a friend tried everything we could think of couldn't get it to come off for like two hours....tried your way and it was off in like five minutes
Good method...but I just did a water pump on my truck and just left the serpentine belt on and took a pipe wrench to the nut. One whack with the hammer and she was free. Mint!
I just did this on ford e 250 van and it worked great. This guys method works fords special tool from auto parts store was a waste of money and did not work just tug untill lose after you do what this guy did 5 star advise
THIS - when you live in the boonies and the nearest "official tool to remove part' auto parts store is a 4-5 hour walk away! I may have forgotten a part I need but chain - THAT I got. Thanks for one obvious answer no one could see! Edit: Sad part is that this idea won't work if you don't have enough room to extract those stupid bolts holding the fan to the pump... so... Here's another idea that did work: I had enough room to place a full-size (narrow/standard) crowbar straight down & wedge (gently!) the flat prying surface between the clutch fan megabolt and one of those fan-to-pump bolts. Using a large adjustable / Crescent wrench it popped right loose - came loose so easily I thought I'd broken something. Definitely adding the chain idea to the arsenal, though.
This same method worked for removing crankshaft bolt also.. Chain is the way to go so simple and hours saved trying special tools that are a joke and take from car parts buying.
Thats a great way to stop the pulley, but the problem on mine is the "rented removal wrench" rounds off the corners! Im cutting a slot through the nut, and hitting it with penetrating oil. Wish me luck!
This works, but I wouldn't use the timing cover bolt! Mine was so tight I cracked the timing cover where the bolt hole is machined through. Wish I'd used the control arm stud nearby, I wouldn't have had to break out the JBWeld.
HEY GUYS. MOST NUTS VERY PER VEHICLE. DONT WASTE TIME RENTING THAT DAMN TOOL THAT NEVER HAS THE RIGHT SIZE WRENCH. I TRIED THIS AFTER AN HOUR OF GETTING PISSED OFF. WORKS PERFECT. IF YOUR GOOD YOU CAN REUSE FAN CLUTCH IF NEED BE. JUST DONT CHEW UP THE NUT. GREAT TIP!!! 60 SECONDS OR LESS.
+Gary Burrows just look at your NEW part and run your fingernail around the thread to see where it picks up... if it picks up counter clockwise you are of course going to loosen it WITH the clock and vise versa.. i tend to use new parts to kinda tell me the STORY on how to set up old part removal works great on break rotors etc
Thats what I needed right there. I had to hunt down a couple of bolts, I think they might have even been from a chevy. but a piece of chain, a couple bolts, a big cresent wrench and i had this bitch off. new part on. Truck running Awesome!! thanks. new sub~~i did squirt it with some liquid wrench first... thanks for the tip...
Even easier just ask to borrow the tool when you pick up the water pump. Autozone had the OEM tool available for only a small refundable deposit. Same with ball joints ask for the tool.
ok everyone says this is good but what do you do after the chain is hooked up --you did not show the bolt coming off. what do you do after the chain is applied Help please my friend tried for 4 hrs and said it wouldn't budge this is the last chance before cutting it off and expense of buying another
Naomi Taylor turnnit the other direction. It’s reversed threaded. Righty loosy lefty tighty. You can tell by which direction the fan blades are pointed.
Way too much extra work. Just put a c-clamp on top of the fan belt. Place the screw end on top of the belt that runs from the belt tensioner to the tensioner pulley, then tighten down till it makes contact with the belt that wraps around the water pump pulley, then fully tighten the clamp to both belt surfaces to the water pump pulley. This prevents the belt from moving and in turn, the water pump pulley and fan from moving. A wack or two counter clock wise will loosen it right up. I just did this yesterday to my 16 yo suburban and its the first time the fan has ever been removed and I thought because of the age it would be a difficult task, but it came right off pronto!
I lost three hours fighting with mine. First hammer on wrench, nothing. Then pull the entire thing off the car and try crappy huge rented open end tool with bolts in water pump pulley, nothing (busted knuckles and cranked shoulder). Then staring at it for 25 minutes did not work. Threatening with physical violence did not work. I found that taking a nap did nothing to help remove the fan clutch. Then your video, bolted it back onto truck, one hammer whack on the wrench and she was loose. It came off so easily I thought I broke the chain or something. Brilliant.
I have NEVER commented on a video before, but after fighting this thing for over an hour I found this. simply amazing!!!!!!
I have to say, this little hack turned my 2+ hours of torture in getting this damn nut loose into a 5 minute job. Thank you!!! Chained it up as described, a few blows on the crescent with a sledge and it came loose. Sweet!
Thanks, I used your technique and it worked perfectly. Nut was crazy tight. This is the first time I’ve had one that I couldn’t just loosen with hammer.
DUDE!
I never comment, but i had to this time. - Thank you.
You ever find yourself in Canada, I owe you a beer.
1998 GMC Sierra (chevy) and she wasn't budging. - you saved me an ass load of time and cursing.
Gary and Kyle - lefty losey my friends... (at least with my pickup anyways).
I knew there was a way to get it out with out buying or renting the tool.. I just couldn't figured it out my self.. Thank you for posting!..
I'm an old guy and have done all my own work on my older vehicles for years and I just want to say that your method is original gangsta. I tip my hat to you, sir. This did not occur to me.
Fantastic! I destroyed the rental special removal kit. The 48mm spanner is now about 58mm. Thanks for this, helped a bunch.
BRILLIANT AND EASY! Thank you Thank you! Done in 5 minutes after screwing around with this for hours with other stupid tools.
I used this method today and it worked fine. Thanks so much for the tip.
Thank you so very much I watched like 5 videos and everybody was like the tool the tool. You showed me how to do it in my garage I appreciate it!
Southern bro ingenuity! Big thanks again. I was stumped and losing my 70 yo temper trying to figure it out.
Sir i wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart i would not have a running truck right now if it weren't for this, just wish i would have found this before i decided to bust out the vice grips and nearly strip some nuts haha you saved my ass on a last minute repair
Dude...all I can say is thanks. Nice simple solution, worked great for this seized up old rust bucket I regret offering to fix.
Sir, You are a Damn Genius!!! Thank you! Went to Home Depot bought some chain, sprayed a little WD-40 ... off in 30 seconds!!!!
Thanks! This saved my ass last weekend! Nut was totally rounded and the chain plus vice grips worked. I had tried for hours with the autozone wrench and got nowhere.
I tried your way and probably works on lower mileage trucks. Had to resort to the chain method. Good idea and thanks for posting.
Thank you thank you thank you! I struggled for an hr on that fan.. Was going to head over to auto zone to pick up the wrench when i came across the video.. set it up with the chain and bolt and the fan came lose in a couple minutes... Thank you again sir! FYI, 99 dodge Ram 1500 v8 5.2--- counter clock wise to loosen the fan
Gonna try this method tomorrow on my F150. Ill keep you posted.
Thank you so much helped on the '98 Blazer, never comment or leave a like, but I had to come back because we broke our strap wrench and couldn't get anything done
Thanks for the great video! I didn’t have any chain, but it inspired me to get creative after fighting the nut in a crazy awkward spot. I put a piece of wood (1x2x13 1/4) under one of the pulley nuts down to the tie rod and knocked it free with a pipe wrench and hammer after soaking it with wd40. Worked for me on a old Chevy s10, hope my comment saves someone a busted knuckle and sore wrists! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you! My water pump pulley had sheered off and this was the only way I could get my fan off. Worked perfectly. Thanks again!
Here try this Guy's method, he does it even faster than I do, LOL : th-cam.com/video/73dOJ7lEb-Q/w-d-xo.html
Great idea. Spent an hour messing with different techniques today. Ill use this method tomorrow and I know it will work
6/11/2017 1:30 pm The chain worked! Thank you so much!! Getting the top hose and clamp back on took me over 1 hour, 1 dent from temper and much cursing!! I wonder what stupid ass came up with that idea? I am 66 and these are getting harder as the years pass. Buz
I here you Im 70 and single and have to do repairs by seat of my pants, but YT is a life saver!
Thank you!! He has tried to get that thing off for hours! Now maybe he can get it. You rock!
Thank you so much for the video!!! Worked like a charm, no stupid tool needed, AWESOME!
that is genius! we ended up using a strap around the black belt housing pulley, and tool box liner for the grip of the strap and strapping it to the side frame. thank you for this idea to keep in mind though.
I was going to use your method on my 99 wj jeep but then i thought what if i remove 2 bolts on the pump side, 2 bolt on the fan side, then loosen the 2 bolts remaining on the pump side, stick an open ended ring spanner ring end over the loose nut and lock the spanner shaft behind the other loose nut then lock another ring spanner in the end for extra leverage. Voila pumps locked not moving wrench around the clutch nut and its all free no chain needed. Tools needed 13mm 14mm open spanner and small pipe wrench. Thanks for the inspiration when all was feeling lost.
GREAT! was trying forever with an OTC strap wrench. Actually used a 'strong tie' building joist strap.
Highly recommend replacing the water pump and coolant at the same time. Shop around, found a motorcraft unit for about $50. I also did the tensioner and the idler pulley and the belt. At 11 years and 177k miles it was time. so cheap if you do it yourself too, this was the hardest part!
thanks for this idea. worked like a charm after other methods had failed and expletives yelled
You are a goddamm genius. been struggling for 2 hours and literally took 2 minutes to do it this way. thanks for the video. Liked and subscribed. the people that gave this a thumbs down are turds.
Yours was the only way i could do it. Thanks
Very clever sir, very clever. I just might try that
Awesome. Im doing an aftermarket electric fan and didn't want to spend more money on tools. it only took a couple minutes to get the dam clutch off. Thanks for the info.
This worked great after struggling with other methods.
Worked great! Would have broken whatever tool O'riely auto parts rented me getting that thing off. Might have been easier if I had had a wrench that big. Good thing I had that old huge crescent wrench I never use. Great post. Thanks a lot for the idea.
I ended up using two pipe wrenches. One to grab two of the bolts on the water pump pulley, and a smaller one to grab the nut. After nearly two hours of fighting it, it came off easily.
Thanks Ryan, that worked a treat! 👍🏻👍🏻
If you don't have a spanner wrench available. This works great. Thanks for the tip.
Perfect perfect perfect. Just saved me a ton of time.
Thanks for the tip! Saved a ton of time.
You could always just get you a flat metal bar from Home Depot or any hardware store..... Dremel or cut a half moon and drill two holes.... Now take the same bolts on the pulley and put the bolts through the bar hold that with one hand and wrench it with the other..... A home made crank yanker!
Good idea too!
Fricking BRILLIANT!!! Thank you for posting!
YESSSSSSS! Thanks man. Holy shit I was losing my mind 😆 A trip to HomeDepot and $3 in chain later, fans off in 2 minutes.👌
Thank you me and a friend tried everything we could think of couldn't get it to come off for like two hours....tried your way and it was off in like five minutes
you're are the man i recommend this technique
Yessss..... Worked first time. Thank you sir.
Slick. Hadn't thought of this one.
Thanks for sharing this!
Works great thanks a whole bunch!
looks like its going to work. thanks man ! 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
the chain work great! thank you.
Good method...but I just did a water pump on my truck and just left the serpentine belt on and took a pipe wrench to the nut. One whack with the hammer and she was free. Mint!
I just did this on ford e 250 van and it worked great. This guys method works fords special tool from auto parts store was a waste of money and did not work just tug untill lose after you do what this guy did 5 star advise
Thanks for this, was really struggling to get mine off, then tried your method and bam, came right off really easy. I appreciate the post
Just saved my ass in the cold! thanks!
Worked great! Thanks for the tip.
i will try this tomorrow after fighting for hours today.
Quick question. Out here now. Thread's counter clockwise or clockwise?
THIS - when you live in the boonies and the nearest "official tool to remove part' auto parts store is a 4-5 hour walk away!
I may have forgotten a part I need but chain - THAT I got. Thanks for one obvious answer no one could see!
Edit: Sad part is that this idea won't work if you don't have enough room to extract those stupid bolts holding the fan to the pump... so...
Here's another idea that did work:
I had enough room to place a full-size (narrow/standard) crowbar straight down & wedge (gently!) the flat prying surface between the clutch fan megabolt and one of those fan-to-pump bolts. Using a large adjustable / Crescent wrench it popped right loose - came loose so easily I thought I'd broken something.
Definitely adding the chain idea to the arsenal, though.
thank you thank you thank you!!! i contemplated setting my car on fire till i watched your video!!
Worked like a charm!
AGAIN! Worked on the harmonic balancer too!
I've used a strap wrench like a large filter wrench before as well.
Thanks brother! Great trick! Cheers
If my fan is facing the opposite way is it righty loosey
This same method worked for removing crankshaft bolt also.. Chain is the way to go so simple and hours saved trying special tools that are a joke and take from car parts buying.
Thats a great way to stop the pulley, but the problem on mine is the "rented removal wrench" rounds off the corners! Im cutting a slot through the nut, and hitting it with penetrating oil. Wish me luck!
you just made my day.... thanks...
This works, but I wouldn't use the timing cover bolt! Mine was so tight I cracked the timing cover where the bolt hole is machined through. Wish I'd used the control arm stud nearby, I wouldn't have had to break out the JBWeld.
+Brian Petersen I can agree with that. That's what I plan on using I sorta knew that would be a likely outcome.
Worked great thanks for the heads up
Whats wrench size?
HEY GUYS. MOST NUTS VERY PER VEHICLE. DONT WASTE TIME RENTING THAT DAMN TOOL THAT NEVER HAS THE RIGHT SIZE WRENCH.
I TRIED THIS AFTER AN HOUR OF GETTING PISSED OFF. WORKS PERFECT. IF YOUR GOOD YOU CAN REUSE FAN CLUTCH IF NEED BE. JUST DONT CHEW UP THE NUT.
GREAT TIP!!! 60 SECONDS OR LESS.
thank you sir! in using this method now!
Hey chief you say you break it loose counter clockwise? Everyone i ve talked to has told me there reversed threads?? I have a 2005 wrangler jeep.
Hey Gary,
That may be the case for an 05 Wrangler. For my 05 F-150 it does in fact loosen counter-clockwise.
+Gary Burrows thats gm
+Gary Burrows just look at your NEW part and run your fingernail around the thread to see where it picks up... if it picks up counter clockwise you are of course going to loosen it WITH the clock and vise versa.. i tend to use new parts to kinda tell me the STORY on how to set up old part removal works great on break rotors etc
+Kyle Parker Since when is Jeep a GM?
+John Jesus Never said anything about Jeep. I was referring to the direction you crank the nut.
You sir are a god damn genius
Here try this Guy's method, he does it even faster than I do, LOL : th-cam.com/video/73dOJ7lEb-Q/w-d-xo.html
Im going to try it tomorrow thanks
another method I have seen is a piece of flat bar with a hole in it bolted to the pulley. puts all the stress at the pulley.
Wow what a tip!! This saved me hours. Thanks so much!
What if the fan is loose?
Thnx man awesome tip
My volume is turned all the way up and I cant hear you .. But that is one great idea ....
Thats what I needed right there. I had to hunt down a couple of bolts, I think they might have even been from a chevy. but a piece of chain, a couple bolts, a big cresent wrench and i had this bitch off. new part on. Truck running Awesome!! thanks. new sub~~i did squirt it with some liquid wrench first... thanks for the tip...
We just heated mine with a torch and it came loose but I think a air chisel on a wrench would be easier like lisle 43330
Keep belt on and use a pipe wrench on nut. Swing left with hammer, nut will break free. Peace of cake.
Even easier just ask to borrow the tool when you pick up the water pump. Autozone had the OEM tool available for only a small refundable deposit. Same with ball joints ask for the tool.
Thanks, it absolutely worked on my F150 4.2
Snapped off timing cover bolt. Thanks
It's the one reason I would hesitate on this method.
Nice. Smart idea
It normally takes me 30 seconds it can’t be tight if it’s liquid
ok everyone says this is good but what do you do after the chain is hooked up --you did not show the bolt coming off. what do you do after the chain is applied Help please my friend tried for 4 hrs and said it wouldn't budge this is the last chance before cutting it off and expense of buying another
Naomi Taylor turnnit the other direction. It’s reversed threaded. Righty loosy lefty tighty. You can tell by which direction the fan blades are pointed.
nice phaser!
Thanks, my AMAZING $130 SNAP-ON tool nearly tore the damn thing in half, this worked perfectly.
car running but fan not turning what is it
The clutch of the cooling fan is bad. If you buy on ebay or Amazon it is much cheaper.
Easier to put a box end wrench on one of the pulley bolts with a small pipe on it and loosen up the fan nut with a pipe wrench
damn why didn't I think of this your alright
It worked! I was at wit's end ready to pull my fucking hair out! I even used crappy brass chain used for light fixtures that i had laying around.
Way too much extra work. Just put a c-clamp on top of the fan belt. Place the screw end on top of the belt that runs from the belt tensioner to the tensioner pulley, then tighten down till it makes contact with the belt that wraps around the water pump pulley, then fully tighten the clamp to both belt surfaces to the water pump pulley. This prevents the belt from moving and in turn, the water pump pulley and fan from moving. A wack or two counter clock wise will loosen it right up. I just did this yesterday to my 16 yo suburban and its the first time the fan has ever been removed and I thought because of the age it would be a difficult task, but it came right off pronto!
Hallelujah thank you
Thanks bro
Brilliant.