Fish13 Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Stuck! I've been trying to undo the viscous fan on my '88 clasic and have been turning the bolt clockwise as it's supposedly left hand thread. It makes a squealing noise but doesn't undo, it just turns. Do I need to brace/turn against the water pump pulleys or is something wrong here? When I turn the nut, it turns the pulley, so if I need to brace against the pulley, what can I use to stop it moving? Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 I thought that I posted on this a while ago, but b@ggered if I can find it! I made a tool to hold the pulley: a bit of 20mm angle iron, two 1/4 holdes to line up with the pulley mounting bolts and a cut-out to clear the body of the pulley. With this and the correct tool from Halfords it came straight off will minimal effort. Easy-peasy! TwoSheds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish13 Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Thanks Two-Sheds - is it definitely turn the bolt to the right to remove? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_d Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 If you drop the belt off you could use a strap or chain wrench on the pulley. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sparkes Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Re the correct direction to turn the fixing. You say 'bolt', do you mean a male bolt, screwing into a female thread? The fan VCs I've come across have an internally threaded female nut on the back of the VC (back = furthest from the radiator, closest to the water pump). In these cases the shaft of the pump has an external thread, and takes the place of the 'bolt'. Thus, with a LH thread, and if your 'turning to the right' is as viewed from the front of the car, then I'd say you are turning the nut in the correct direction. However, Left and Right are always open to mis-interpretaion, depending if you are viewing from the front of the engine, or viewed from the UK convention of 'from the drivers seat'. I prefer therefore to say you always undo the nut in the same direction the fan normally rotates. ALWAYS. In order to create the neccessary self tightening functionality, the designer will decide on the basis of the belt run which direction the pump and fan will turn, and therefore the 'hand' of the thread, so these are givens. The rule 'loosen in the same direction the fan rotates' applies whatever decision the designer made. If your VC is retained by a bolt, then I'm not sure what 'rule' will apply, because I can't immediately see how a self tightening design can be incorporated with a bolt style retainer. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 If you drop the belt off you could use a strap or chain wrench on the pulley. I tried this with a strap wrench and there was too much give and I couldn't hold it effectively, and you have two awkwardly placed tools trying to work in opposition in a very limited space... Might work with a chain-wrench but would still be awkward I fear... I prefer therefore to say you always undo the nut in the same direction the fan normally rotates. ALWAYS. What he said /\ /\ TwoSheds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discojmz Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 to be honest, when ive done them in the past, ive never needed to 'lock' the pulley at all. the tension applied by the belt has always been sufficient. put a (22 i think) mm spanner behind the fan blades and onto the hexagonal 'nut' which forms part of the viscous coupling casting, and give it a good solid whack with the heel of your hand. pulling progressively has never done it yet, but that method has equally never failed. once you crack it, it just comes off by hand hope that is of some help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bishbosh Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 give it a good solid whack with the heel of your hand a FOB hammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintman Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 A large piece of cloth jammed in the belt may help. But as previous posts have said you need to give the end of the spanner a good whack (I use a lump hammer) which usually works. Just be careful the spanner doesn't go for a flight when you hit it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malpasman Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I was interested in this thread as I had the same problem. I used the rag on belt method as suggested by Paintman and off she came. Took longer to get rag back out of the belts. Well done that man. Regards Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiglad Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I've always found that the first time you try to take the VF off it's difficult but after that, it's straightforward. For the first time I use a std VF coupling spanner and a lump hammer and just give the spanner a sharp tap - and that's usually enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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