I left the fan on when I took off the old harmonic balancer and LPOP. I have the new LPOP in place and the Fluidampr was just dropped off by UPS. This thing is twice as thick as the factory one (and twice as heavy). With it being so thick now I have to undo the fan so I can get the 3/4" of clearance I need to install it.

How in the heck do you break it free. I put a C clamp on the pulley and BFW on the nut and hit the wrench with a 4pm hammer and the pulley just spins. I tried taking the 4 bolts that hold the pulley on but can't budge them with a two foot cheater on the wrench. Any ideas.

 

I was able to get vise-grips on the edge of the pulley, the edge towards the water pump.

 

In lieu of having the proper tools....

An air hammer with a chisel tip will take it right off. Seriously. Stick the chisel end on one of the "corners" of the large nut and hammer away in a counter-clockwise direction.

If you don't have that, use a long pry bar and stick it between the hub and one of the four bolts while turning the nut with a wrench.

 

I used a strapwrench on the pulley and it worked out great.

 

Spun mine off using a air hammer/chisel...

 

This is what you need, Autozone has a tool loan program and this is what I use.OEM/5 pcs. fan clutch wrench set (27141) | Fan Clutch Wrench | AutoZone.com

Don't get the two piece set the wrench is to small .

 

^^^^^This air chisel idea works surprisingly well. You will have to figure out a way to hold onto the water pump pulley though. Maybe you can use the serpentine belt to hold it somehow?


However, at this point what you really need are these two tools from Autozone. One holds onto the water pump pulley bolts and the other onto the fan nut, work them like scissors and the nut will come off. I had to squeeze really hard but it did work.

Photo courtesy of Robin (PaysonPSD)

 

Isn't that nut a left-hand thread? That way with the engine running and the resistance of the fan the nut won't come loose.

 

Nope, right hand thread.

Pulleys that rotate counter-clockwise (from the front) will all have right handed threads just for the reason you specified.

 

Thanks guys, I wound up unbolting the the fan from the clutch. That apparently is the least of my problems. I boogered up the threads that are inside the crank for the dampener bolt. Went to NAPA and ordered a 16mmX2 tap and it will be in tomorrow morning. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Not sure about your truck, but mine says "right hand thread" right on the fan shroud.

 

OK, I'll eat crow on this one. It's been a few years since I changed a water pump. Guess I'll have to take a refresher course, but certainly not wanting to......


Mike, hope the threading goes well for you today. Know how deep the threads are and measure on the tap so you don't break it off in the hole.

 

The Old Body Style trucks have right had thread on the fan as do the Super Duty F450/F550. On those trucks they have the addition of a belt driven vacuum pump unlike the electrical ones that our trucks have. So the belt routing is different and the water pump turns the opposite way.

Needless to say, you are both right.

 

Thanks, that's good to know.

 

Did you use the stock bolt to try and pull the damper on? I know some people say to use the stock bolt with a thinner washer, but I think their crazy. Much better off buying a longer bolt and making sure you have solid thread engagement for pulling that sucker on their. Not sure how the Fluidampr fits, but the ATI I just installed pressed right now without much effort.

I used an installer tool and didn't have any issues at all. Sorry to hear. Just make sure you get that tap started straight and you should be fine. Any idea of how much of the threads got messed up?