Hey guys, I've been gone awhile working on my Toyotas, but a buddy hosed me - sent an urgent request for me to bail him out of jail, which I did to tune of $4000, only to find out he has no way to pay me back in the foreseeable future. $&%#%#_#

So, now I need to get my truck in shape to hit the road again, and it has a few problems. It leaks freon, but I can add a can or two every week until the weather cools and chalk it up to a cost of doing business, so not worried about that so much. More urgently, it's leaking fluid(s).

Not sure where, or if it's oil or coolant, but I think it's both. I see a small drip on the crankshaft pulley and more on the transmission lines back at the bell housing and don't see how those could come from one leak. If it's coolant, it doesn't leak very fast. Checking the coolant level has always been sketchy for me - the cold level changes day to day, I assume because of slight changes in the street level - I park somewhere different every night when working but it also doesn't seem to be consistent on the street at my house. I've just been adding some whenever it gets too low - maybe once every week or two. Invariably after doing that, it'll show being too high the next day.

Ditto with oil - it doesn't leak much, no more than a quart every 5k, and I usually just change the oil at that point.

My guess is that oil is leaking from the valve cover - I remember getting frustrated and giving up when trying to tighten that back bolt on the passenger side with the wrenches I had the last time I had the cover off. That would be the fluid on the tranny lines. It's the drips off the crankshaft that I'm concerned with. That fluid is dark, like oil, but not as thick. I'm hoping it's just coolant that gets dirty by the time it gets to the bottom of the engine to drip, and not the front seal. But, if it's the seal, I'll just keep adding oil for now.

If it's coolant, would there be any other source than the water pump in that area? I don't see leaks from the topside. Since the truck has always seemed to run hot (delta around 15, but this is an F450 with a heavy flat bed and I'm always pulling a loaded trailer, so who knows?), I want to go ahead and replace the water pump when I tear it down to find the leak. I'd planned to do all this at the same time - basically take everything off the top of the engine and replace the oil cooler at the same time, but now I'm short on cash and just need fix what I need to make money and prevent any damage to the truck.

The Problem: that fan nut. I did get the Toyotas out of my garage so I can get to my air compressor, and I have a cheap Harbor Freight air hammer. How much hammer do I need? I bought this one to break some spot welds connecting the core support to the fender apron on another truck, but it didn't work that good. I assume they make hammers with more power. And where do I find an attachment long enough to reach the fan nut? Or, where do I find the manual tools to remove that nut, and would a weaka$$ old man like me be able to break it loose with those tools?

I hate to pay a shop to do it since it's a pretty easy job other than the fan nut. And, of course, I can't just pay them to bust the nut because it won't drive there and back with everything I'd have to take off to do that.

I hate having to half-a$$ this job, but I gotta make money and have no choice.

 

This is the tool set I used. Pin the holder against the alternator and throw a breaker bar on the wrench, iirc.


GEARWRENCH 2 Pc. Fan Clutch Pulley Holder Set for 6.0 Liter Ford Powerstroke - 3950

 

Thank you, sir. Exactly what I need - if I can get a long enough cheater bar. Does that nut have reverse threads?

 

I think it was right hand thread.

 

Haven't done it yet myself but like you, It's in my near future. I have heard some guys just put a pry bar in the pully slot then put a but pipe wrench on the nut. I have both in my tool box so that's the route I am going to try first. You can always slip a piece of pipe over the wrench for more leverage if needed.

 

The impact gun makes it really nice. Unless something was installed wrong, you don't need much of one to get it off.

Remove by turning the direction of the motor rotation (pneumatic hammer on the passenger side and hammering downwards)

 

When I pulled mine, I used a screwdriver in one of the holes on the pulley and a pipe wrench on the nut. Worked great once i was able to get the screwdriver to hold on something. I have also broken the nut loose with an air hammer - mine is just a cheap off-brand one, so I don't think you'd have issues with yours.