So it went like this : Recently I ordered some toys from RiffRaff. Got the Sinister coolant filter kit, a new coolant tank, thermostat, and billet housing for it. Just put new hoses on last month, with a new block heater element. Went to pull off the old housing, and snapped off a rusty old bolt in the water pump. So now it's time to replace the original water pump. But, I didn't have the Ford tool to pull off the fan, so this is what I did:
Pulled the serpentine belt, and wrapped a ratchet strap around the pulley, and snugged it to the frame of the truck. Got my biggest crescent wrench, put it on the big nut, and tapped on it with a sledge. It came loose, so I pulled the shroud and the fan as one unit. That's the only way it would come out, with the radiator still in. My air ratchet took the bolts out of the pulley, then I took off the strap. Easy money ! Took the sensor and the heater hose pipe out, and then pulled the pump. Now I just have to wait for my new pump from RiffRaff. Only posting this in hopes that it might help someone else down the road. It's easy to find a strap laying around, not so easy to go get the super-special and spendy fan tool. Now, if I just don't break anything else, I should be okay. Damn rusty old bolts ...

 

Congrats on sticking with it and working through the problems. It is irritating how one lousy bolt can cause so much trouble. Have fun with the install!

 

I have done it that way then I discovered the Harbor Freight Pulley Spinning tool, works GREAT.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...esnt-suck.html

 

Thanks. It took a little figuring, but it worked out. The install should be a lot more fun. Probably should have planned on replacing the pump from the start, hindsight being what it is. 17 years is good service life from a water pump. Saved me from having to do it down the road, I guess. Learned something new. I just need to find the torque specs for the pump and pulley bolts, so I don't break off any more !

 

Nice ! Gonna go get me one of those tomorrow. For sure ! Even tho I might not need it, someone else might, and it will be good to have in the box. Thank you very much for that. Harbor Freight ... Who knew ???

 

The water pump bolts are 18.

 

Thanks Whitey. The bolts still look okay, after wire brushing and oiling, so I will probably re-use them.

 

Do you also know the torque specs on the four WP pulley bolts ?

 

Harbor Freight no longer carries that tool. Lucky me. Guess I am back to the ratchet strap. Unless I can find it somewhere else ... ?

 

I used one like this that I borrowed from a friend and it worked great. This was my first time ever removing a fan clutch or even using a tool of this nature and I had zero problems. I used a pipe wrench on the big nut because I did not have a wrench to fit it. Pushed one way on the pipe wrench and the other way on the pulley tool and off it came.

 

I just clamped a vise-grip on the back edge of the water-pump pulley let is stop the pulley from turning & put a pipe wrench on the nut.

 

I didn't know HF quit selling them. They probably didn't sell very many as who knew what a "pulley spinning tool" was anyway, why didn't they call it a "pulley holding tool???) I even scratched my head as I was buying it trying to figure out how it was going to work. Only reason I bought it was after reading about it on the Mercedes diesel forum. Anyway I see some sellers on ebay have them now for 3X the price http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/141460804316?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

This tool would be really easy to make with just a few metal working tools, drill press, file and welder.

 

Yeah, the name had me wondering what the hell, too ! Still, if I had to do that job again, I would pay $20-$30 for that tool. The Pulley Holding Tool. It would save a lot of dinkin around.