Loosening Fan Clutch Nut
 

Any tips on loosening a stuck fan clutch nut? I know it's a left hand thread, and to loosen it I should turn it clockwise. I can't seem to budge it. I've tried to stick a screwdriver between the pulley bolt heads, but I can't budge the thing. I'm using a 36 mm fan clutch wrench I borrowed from NAPA.

I've had good luck with locking chain pliers (vice grip type) right on the fan pulley, with a good rag under it to protect pulley. Smacking the edge of the nut with a long chisel to loosen it (cw) can help free it up. Cheater bars/pipes can be your friend too.

If you have access to an air chisel, place the tip on the edge of the nut, pointed in the correct direction, and a very short burst usually cracks it loose without any damage.

Great suggestions both. Thanks gents.

Buy, or make yourself, a clutch fan wrench set.

Once the one wrench is on the clutch fan nut, I smack it with a hammer, which releases it.

I made my own set from scrap steel, but I've seen them for sale on eBay or Amazon for about $25

I borrowed one from NAPA and climbed up on top the engine and put my whole weight on it while holding the pulley with a screwdriver and I still couldn't budge it.

With a screwdriver, I couldn't get it to work either. When I did my KDP , I was replacing my fan clutch, and I used an impact gun. It damaged the clutch fan nut, but I didn't care.

If the nut is that tight, you will need the big mouth wrench for the pulley bolts, and the smaller wrench for the nut. Smack it with a hammer, and it should come off. Try heat before might help. The threads will most likely be clean, once removed, unless something screwy went down

See here. https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...y-92-a-305946/

A solid whack with a brass drift will usually make it a simple task to take off. The sharp vibrations usually break the bond.

Thanks Pat. I'll try that.

Yeah, thanks Pat!

I use this tool works great removing and installing

Takes any fan off in 2 seconds.

I posted a picture of that pneumatic set a while back. It works better than any thing else I have used and best of all you don't run the risk of destroying the nut with an air chisel.

I have had some that still took some taps with a ballpean hammer before the air tool set would take them off.

Very true, have used that before as well. Someone sure came up with a brilliant invention.

Those pneumatic sets are expensive little buggers. I think I'll make my own. Thanks for the great idea. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Wondering why you would tighten a fan nut with a tool? Are they not self tightening the moment you start them?

No, it was tightened by my mechanic when he replaced my radiator three years ago. I'm trying to LOOSEN it now, to replace it.

I know you are trying to remove it. I was wondering about the above post?

Robert I thought you had your fan off in December when you were looking for your serpentine belt squeak?

Oh, I see. Thanks Deere C. for clarifying that.

I think I said then that I was going to take the fan off, but I've never been able to loosen it. I did take the fan belt off many times then. But I'm still hearing the tick, tick, tick noise. The scraping noise went away when I replaced the water pump, but not the tick, tick, tick.

I would always give them a quick rap with the tool to tighten them. Sure they tend to tighten when the engine starts, but think about how quickly our engines stop when you shut them off, quick enough to make the belt chirp as the momentum from the driven accessories keeps them spinning. I figure there is enough energy there to easily unscrew a fan clutch as the engine stops, if it isn't fairly tight.

Tools are ******* junk, metal too soft and they just spread out ,round off
the nut

Tools are ******* junk, metal too soft and they just spread out ,round off
the nut

Fan Nut
 

When I did my KDP I tried to get the fan off but could not get it loose. I put a narrow pipe wrench on the nut and smashed it with my impack wrench and no go. I ended taking off the fan as an assembly which was a pain in the ***.