Special Tool/Stroke when removing Fan nut/Pulley?

[Bimmer360]

My water pump leaks coolant and i need to replace it soon. After reading a couple of threads here, some owners seem to have a hard time removing it and some are just a piece of cake effort. What is really the deal? Does the screwdriver method works? I also looked up a tool in bavauto as mentioned by a member but couldn't find it.

For those of you who have successfully replaced water pump and thermostat, want to share your experience and is it really a royal pain to do this? I got all the parts i need from autohausaz.com and i have the tools and the wrench for the fan nut (reversed thread) except the special tool. Does the pulley need special tool as well? Any help is appreciated.