Cooling Fan Removal:E34 1995 525i M52 Engine

[Eric Fraser]

In removing the cooling fan on an E34 1995 525i M52 Engine, how do you keep the water pump pulley from turning? Bentley manual says:

Place a 32mm wrench on fan clutch nut. Strike wrench quickly in a clockwise direction (working from the front of car) to loosen nut.

This is not working for me.

Bentley manual continues:

If the nut is difficult to loosen, use a tool to hold the coolant pump pulley stationary. BMW has a special tool for this purpose (..tool no. 11 5 050..)

How does this tool work and can I get it anywhere else other than BMW? Are they any other tricks to removing the fan?

Thanks

Eric Fraser

[walt525tour]

I just did this last week.
first remember the threads are reversed.
there is a special tool that helps hold the pulley nuts so you can keep it still, but like you i didn't have tool

What ever you try to stick in there it has to be thin cause you can't get the big 32mm wrench on the fan nut, if not.

I ended up being able to wedge a small thin bicycle wrench in there. the mouth of the wrench was on one pulley nut and the shoulder of the wrench caught another, the end of the wrench rested on a belt and other pulley so i put a piece of wood there so as not to mar the belt.
took a few tries as it was a balancing act but finally it locked things up enough to loosen the fan nut.

oh and by the way it was not a 10mm bicycle wrench holding one pulley nut, it doesnt work it just unscrews. it was a 13 or 14mm wrench and the trick was to get the mouth on the one nut and the shoulder on another

Good luck

[rickm]

Parktook has a 32mm spanner that will work perfectly, it's cheap and available here.
http://www.parktool.com/store/index.cgi?action=show_products&category=d

[walt525tour]

Parktook has a 32mm spanner that will work perfectly, it's cheap and available here.
http://www.parktool.com/store/index.cgi?action=show_products&category=d

I think he has the 32mm wrench its the other tool that holds the fan pulley bolts to keep it from turning while you loosen the 32mm nut for the fan.

[Eric Fraser]

I did a quick search on the forum which led me to Autozone where I was able to borrow at no charge a Ford Fan Clutch Wrench Set, Part No. 27018. I used the larger wrench to hold the water pump pulley with the handle braced against the power steering pump pulley. Worked well.

Thanks

Eric Fraser