fan clutch pulley

[92x]

I want to replace my fan. I know ford has a tool to hold
the pulley but I don't think it would be likely that my dealership would have it in stock. I also heard a strap wrench would work but it doesn't seem to be a very common tool in the stores. I found one but it was plastic, expensive, and looked like it would break. Does anybody know of a clever way to hold the fan clutch pulley still so that the fan clutch hub nut can be loosened?

 

[MARTY196]

What I did when I had to take mine off (but you'll need two people) I took a large flathead screwdriver and sqeezed it between two of the bolts that hold the pully to the water pump (did this from under the X) then got a big cresent wrench and the other guy from on top turned the clutch nut while I put pressure on the screwdriver in the other direction that he was turning and it came off really easy. you might have to take off two of the bolts holding the pully to the water pump so you can get the cresent wrench on the nut good. anywhay thats how I did it good luck .

 

[IgotTwo]

I saw the tool at pep boys $20? Check out swap meets if you ever go.......I always see em there... cheap..but I know you need it now.

 

[garebel]

parts stores around here let you " buy" them and return them after you use them as long as it looks new when it comes back, but we live in the backwoods. i get other stuff there so that may have a little to do with it.

 

[2001ExpSport]

If you have a flat piece of metal about 8" long or anything flat and about that long will work. What you want to do is use the metal piece to brace one of the bolt heads of the fan pulley against the A/C pulley. The fan has standard threads so left is loose. With one hand I braced the pulley and with the other hand I used a pair of large channel locks and a short hollow bar that will slip over the ends of the channels locks to keep it closed on the fan nut. Mine came loose with one quarter turn and then did the rest by hand. Comes right off anfter that.

I used a cheap lift shackle from discount auto I had sitting around for the 8" piece of metal.

 

[IgotTwo]

What a deal!
Ga. must have fine Americans.....nothing wrong with the backwoods!

You may know this:
You may try to slip a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator. "My friends at Ford" did a professional job dinging up the fins when they did my cam guide recall.
Cardboard is cheap!

I should not have to tell trained mechanics at Ford that!
.....of course they looked dumb and dumber when I mentioned it. I don't why I even bothered, they have extensive training in "plausible and total denial."

Just something, if you didn't think of it.

 

[92x]

Thank you everybody for the suggestions. After wedging various things in there to hold the pulley still I finally gave up and went to get a tool. I found one that I can use on various car models. With the tool it still took almost an hour before the nut broke loose. I think it was really stuck. I then got out my universal 2" fan spacer and found that it was not universal. The pilot hole was much too small. It seems that explorers need an unusually large pilot hole in the spacer. I measured everything and had to special order a spacer with a 1.25" pilot hole from the auto parts store. Everthing is back together in original form now. I should finally be able to put my flex-a-lite fan on when the part comes in. I expected this to be 50 bucks and an hours worth of work. When I'm done I will have spent 100 bucks and 8 hours working on it. The nut should come off easy next time at least.