FAN NUT TURNING BUT GETTING NOWHERE FAST

[jaima]

Hi all,
I am fitting a new water pump I have managed to get the "fan nut"
to turn (right to loosen facing car) the belts are not turning as it
should be but the fan nut is not coming off as I turn the nut or spin
the fan blades
Any ideas how I can get the nut off???

Thanks

[white46]

You suppose hold water pump fulley with special tool so water pump doesn't spin with the fan nut.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[jaima]

I held the pulley with the tool and a 32mm spanner to loosen the nut
but now the nut is turning but refusing to come off, like it`s seized to
the pulley threads?

[OptimusPriM5]

Have you backed the nut down, cleaned threads, and sprayed with penetrating oil then advanced the nut a couple of times to work it free? How far does it get down the shaft before this happens?

[jaima]

just returned from the nightmare, I used the special tool and held
2 pulley bolts with it then turned the fan nut clockwise until fan nut
gave way and I gave a few more turns on the spanner then spun the
fan blades and the fan nut spun along with the fan but that`s all it is
doing just spinning the nut and going nowhere just spinning plus a lot
of WD40,
tried hammering the spanner on the nut but nothing?
6 hours and no further forward from the beginning more or less

The nut has not gave way in the slightest by that I mean there are
no pump threads showing at all , the nut spins but it must be seized
and spinning the pump at the same time

Thanks for the replies they are really appreciated

[Scott ZHP]

Uh, mount the holding tool to the pulley and try again. You might have it unfrozen, but not loose enough to spin off the pump snout. If the nut is turning and the water pump flange isn't, its either getting looser or it's stripped.

[jaima]

Thanks for the replies, I think it`s stripped I re-tightened and loosed umpteen
times but to no avail I was at until 10pm last night 9 hours
Loosened the 4 pulley bolts, took the belt off, will lift the shroud tomorrow
see if I can access the blade nuts to get more room without the fan blades on
to try and get both the pump and fan out together, more cursing and sore
hands.

[oldskewel]

It sounds like you're doing it all right. If this is the first time you're removing that nut on this car, I would assume that some previous owner or mechanic did not know it was left-hand threaded, and stripped it, holding it nicely in place, but making unscrewing it almost impossible.

If it is stripped, your best bet may be to (well, first reconsider whether you really really need to remove it) disassemble as much as you can so you can get a better crack at it, and cut the nut off. Or maybe it would be possible if you can get enough clearance, to turn the nut clockwise (as you are doing), and simultaneously try to lever the nut away from the engine with a flat screwdriver. This is basically assuming that the nut has been completely stripped, so there are no threads to pull it off the shaft when you turn it, so you need to provide that levering force some other way.

And in case it helps and you have not tried it yet, I've found on my X5 that a 1-1/4" wrench (= 31.75mm) is a perfect tight fit, better than a 32mm would be.

Good luck.

[jaima]

Thanks for the reply!
I will try what you said with a pry-bar! if all fails I will take the pump
and fan out together as one! then apply heat to the nut, if all fails I
have a new water pump and I will also buy a new fan and make sure
there is ant-seize on the fan nut (prevention being better than cure)
Thanks again I have taken on board and will try it in the morning
Regards
Jaima