Fan clutch nut refuses to budge

[Rus]

Hello everyone!

I would like to dip into the vast knowledge base of this board in hopes of finding a solution to loosening my 535i's fan clutch nut. I made my own tool to hold the pulley in place and it works wonderfully (thanks again for this forum's information). I've even gone as far as to make the handle on the tool extra long. I am using an adjustable wrench on the nut itself. The nut however, does not appreciate all the effort put into trying to loosen it and doesn't budge at all. I've hammered on the wrench with the locking tool braced against the chassis of the car and the nut still refuses to move. At this point I'm afraid that I will not be able to loosen it at all. Its been mentioned before on this forum that the pump can be taken off with the fan unit attached. Could this be my last resort? Is it possible to lockup the pump once its out of the car and then apply some insane amount of torque to the nut to break it loose? To top this whole ordeal off, the fan clutch is less than 500 miles old. I would hate to have to buy a new fan clutch and water pump pulley just because I can't disassemble the parts. Thank you in advance for all and any advice.

[Dan in NZ]

Hello everyone!

I would like to dip into the vast knowledge base of this board in hopes of finding a solution to loosening my 535i's fan clutch nut. I made my own tool to hold the pulley in place and it works wonderfully (thanks again for this forum's information). I've even gone as far as to make the handle on the tool extra long. I am using an adjustable wrench on the nut itself. The nut however, does not appreciate all the effort put into trying to loosen it and doesn't budge at all. I've hammered on the wrench with the locking tool braced against the chassis of the car and the nut still refuses to move. At this point I'm afraid that I will not be able to loosen it at all. Its been mentioned before on this forum that the pump can be taken off with the fan unit attached. Could this be my last resort? Is it possible to lockup the pump once its out of the car and then apply some insane amount of torque to the nut to break it loose? To top this whole ordeal off, the fan clutch is less than 500 miles old. I would hate to have to buy a new fan clutch and water pump pulley just because I can't disassemble the parts. Thank you in advance for all and any advice.


Did you know the fan clutch nut has a reverse thread? ;)

[Kalevera]

Did you know the fan clutch nut has a reverse thread? ;)
Ditto :D

[GS535i]

Did you know the fan clutch nut has a reverse thread? ;)


.... so fit your thin face 32mm wrench on the nut and try to turn the engine over when in gear/park/emergency brake on/etc .... that is clockwise rotation when facing the car: comes loose every time when I rotate the engine this way when adjusting valves :( .... no holding device generally needed, engine compression is just enough ( with plugs in).

[Javier]

thread info before putting all that effort to loose it, it should be quite hard to loose now. Hopefully, you did not damage the fan clutch threads.

Javier

[Rus]

Yes I am aware of the fact that the nut is reverse-thread. The engine is technically not locked up in the Park position as the torque converter still spins...thus that trick doesn't really work. Trying to loosen it without the holding wrench merely results in the pulley turning over with the belt anyway...as in turning over the engine. This nut seems to be torqued to a rediculous amount. I see no reason why it should not come loose with the amount of force I've applied to it. Its currently being soaked in PB Blaster, but that has not given any positive results the last few times I've applied it to the nut. Thank you all for the responses...I guess at this point I really need to know if I can take the pump off in assembly with the fan and then somehow lock the pump up and try to spin the nut off when its out of the car. Is that possible? Once again, thank you.

[Javier]

fan attached, which doesn't mean it is not possible, but I guess that if having the pump hold in place to be able to grasp the home made pulley retaining tool, is not enough to loose the fan, it will be more difficult to do with the pump in your hand fooling around.

Be sure you have the proper wrench for the nut to avoid damaging the hex, and tiny enough as to slide between the clutch and the pulley, then increase the torque capability by extending the tools handles with tubes.

Next time you assemble the clutch, remember that engine rotation makes impossible to loose it, so no hard torque needed to keep it in place.

Javier

[Rus]

fan attached, which doesn't mean it is not possible, but I guess that if having the pump hold in place to be able to grasp the home made pulley retaining tool, is not enough to loose the fan, it will be more difficult to do with the pump in your hand fooling around.

Be sure you have the proper wrench for the nut to avoid damaging the hex, and tiny enough as to slide between the clutch and the pulley, then increase the torque capability by extending the tools handles with tubes.

Next time you assemble the clutch, remember that engine rotation makes impossible to loose it, so no hard torque needed to keep it in place.

Javier

Is there any online source for these thin hex wrenches? I've checked every bicycle shop in my area and nobody has the correct size tool. The one that I've found from ParkTools appears to be pretty short, which in my case wouldn't do much good. Doesn't seem like any pipe would fit over that kind of wrench. I just tried using my wrench with a 3 foot extension and I definitely need a solid wrench instead of the adjustable as this one flexes too much threatening to slip and round off the nut. I've also managed to take off the plastic fan so there is more room to work now.

[Jimbo]

Is there any online source for these thin hex wrenches? I've checked every bicycle shop in my area and nobody has the correct size tool. The one that I've found from ParkTools appears to be pretty short, which in my case wouldn't do much good. Doesn't seem like any pipe would fit over that kind of wrench. I just tried using my wrench with a 3 foot extension and I definitely need a solid wrench instead of the adjustable as this one flexes too much threatening to slip and round off the nut. I've also managed to take off the plastic fan so there is more room to work now.

I actually found that a 32mm Craftsman wrench from Sears will just fit into the space between the pulley and fan clutch (the Snap on wrench I already had was just a bit too thick). A wrench that big is pretty long as well, which made it a piece of cake to get the nut off last time I did it.

[winfred]

mine wouldn't budge on my 535 and i had to remove the pump with the fan atached i then beat the pump apart so i could apply ass directly to the shaft, i can't remember what i ended up doing to secure the shaft as it would just spin in the vice being smooth, i suppose you could ether weld the shaft to something or grind flat spots on the sides to give a vice something to grip, i do remember i broke a 32mm wrench (and ****ed up my hand) on that bastard but i kicked it's ass and saved the almost new clutch the previous owner installed

[632 Regal]

patented *Ork* removal tool stolen from Winfres lair*

*copied and developed in conjunction of Winfreds estate

http://www.bimmer.info/~regal632/Fan%20removal%20tool.jpg

[tim]

The chicken way is to put a strap wrench around the pulley, and the spanner on the fan nut. From the driver's side, pull with your left hand, and push with your right.

[Mitch90535im]

The one that I've found from ParkTools appears to be pretty short, which in my case wouldn't do much good.

Park makes a short-handled and long-handled 32mm. You really need the long handled wrench. I found mine in a bycicle shop, but I think I'e seen them online too.

[winfred]

the bastard i described couldn't even be removed with this holder, i think the prick used locktight and with all of that surface area it didn't wanna let go

http://members.cox.net/wdixon27/fc%20tool%201


patented *Ork* removal tool stolen from Winfres lair*

*copied and developed in conjunction of Winfreds estate

[632 Regal]

I used a crescent and the Ork tool, just about lost my whole arm when it let loose.