fan clutch

[Dav]

what holds the fan clutch on a 2.9? i have the bolts out of the pulley. thought that held the clutch but it doesn't. saving it is not important; i am yanking a 79 motor to save for rebuilding for my 88. bought the truck just to get the later heads

 

[Dirtman]

Its threaded to the water pump shaft with the big goofy nut. There are special tools to remove it.

 

[adsm08]

Its threaded to the water pump shaft with the big goofy nut. There are special tools to remove it.

View attachment 38519

Since when are hammer and chisel special tools?

Also, the 2.9 fan clutch uses left-handed threads, so turning it to the left will tighten it, turning to the right will loosen.

 

[Dirtman]

I originally posted you could use an air chisel but edited my post because if you've never done it before you can destroy the water pump doing it that way... was trying to give the "safe" method. You can rent the wrench/pulley holder at advance or autozone for free.

 

[Dav]

looking at the diagram, it looks like i will need to put the bolts back in the pulley to use that tool. will try to get a loaner from one of the local parts stores, use it and duplicate it (the square hole for the 1/2 inch drive will be the hardest part) and return it

 

[Dirtman]

Yes, pulley needs to be reattached. You hold the pulley with one tool and turn the nut with the other. Like adsm said, reverse thread. I "think" its 36mm for the nut? But im not a 2.9 guy...

The other method, you still reattach the pulley, put the belt on as tight as you can, and then use an air hammer or a hammer and chisel and litteraly just wack at the edge of the nut to break it loose. I have broken a water pump shaft doing it this way though but eh... and if your gonna replace the water pump anyway. Go for it.

@adsm08 is a waaaay better mechanic than me though so id take any advice he gives before mine lol.

 

[adsm08]

Yes, pulley needs to be reattached. You hold the pulley with one tool and turn the nut with the other. Like adsm said, reverse thread. I "think" its 36mm for the nut? But im not a 2.9 guy...

The other method, you still reattach the pulley, put the belt on as tight as you can, and then use an air hammer or a hammer and chisel and litteraly just wack at the edge of the nut to break it loose. I have broken a water pump shaft doing it this way though but eh... and if your gonna replace the water pump anyway. Go for it.

@adsm08 is a waaaay better mechanic than me though so id take any advice he gives before mine lol.

Well he said the engine is only needed for the heads.

Honestly the last few times I had to remove a 2.9 fan clutch it was so hopelessly stuck I pulled the radiator out and removed the fan, clutch, and water pump as an assembly.

 

[Dirtman]

I think I first tried the hammer method on a 300 inline. This was before YouTube so it was an old trick I heard some old timer tell me. I guess i hit the nut too far into the center and ended up bending the shaft of the water pump which was perfectly fine before I got to it. I ate the cost of a new water pump (like 25 bucks).

Ive since done the hammer method successfully many times. But i dunno, I try not to give the "secret quick tricks" when they have a risk vs just using proper tools. Id hate for someone to learn something on here from me or anyone and mess up their truck. I have tons of easy methods of doing things id never recommend. Im sure you have got where you are through some tough trial and error. Sometimes that "simple" method seems easy now but took some practice. There's a TON of stuff I do simple and quick with great results but I've done a million times so im an expert at doing it "wrong".

 

[adsm08]

I think I first tried the hammer method on a 300 inline. This was before YouTube so it was an old trick I heard some old timer tell me. I guess i hit the nut too far into the center and ended up bending the shaft of the water pump which was perfectly fine before I got to it. I ate the cost of a new water pump (like 25 bucks).

Ive since done the hammer method successfully many times. But i dunno, I try not to give the "secret quick tricks" when they have a risk vs just using proper tools. Id hate for someone to learn something on here from me or anyone and mess up their truck. I have tons of easy methods of doing things id never recommend. Im sure you have got where you are through some tough trial and error. Sometimes that "simple" method seems easy now but took some practice. There's a TON of stuff I do simple and quick with great results but I've done a million times so im an expert at doing it "wrong".

Yup.

For example, I can take the trans out of a Focus, Fusion, or 2wd Escape without removing the axle shafts from the bearings. But it took a few torn axle seals to get it right.

 

[sgtsandman]

I've just used a small pipe wrench or a Ford Wrench in the past with success but that was only a couple of times and I may had just been lucky.

 

[franklin2]

If you can find a wrench (usually adjustable or the pipe wrench above) to fit the nut, you can find a flat piece of metal and drill a hole in one end that a pulley bolt will fit through. Undo one of the pulley bolts and bolt this flat piece of metal to the pulley and then let it swivel around till it hits something and stops, and then use the wrench you found to loosen the nut. Usually you have to hit the wrench with a hammer to break it loose. And after all that, if it's left hand thread don't forget to go the wrong way. I have spent 20 minutes trying to get a fan back on only to realize I was turning it the correct way, you have to turn it backwards with a lefthand thread. What a dummy.

 

[Shran]

The hammer/chisel method works but when you can rent the correct tool, why would you risk damaging the water pump? Speaking from experience, fan clutches are also quite a bit harder to remove once you've got that nut all buggered up with a chisel too.

 

[wildbill23c]

When I did the fan clutch in my Bronco 2, if I recall I used a crescent wrench with a cheater pipe on it, let it rest on the frame, and pulled the coil wire off and hit the starter for a second...came loose really easily that way. Just make sure you put the wrench handle/cheater pipe on the right side, otherwise you'll just tighten the nut up more. Yep left handed thread so it unscrews to the right instead, confuses the crap out of a lot of people though LOL.