Someone PLEASE respond with an idea I need to do vanos seals valve cover gasket spark plugs & ignition coils before the day is over and I can’t put a damn electric fan in with this huge ass clunky clutch fan in the way I’ve literally broken all the blades off trying to remove this PITA

 

You are going clockwise, right? Reverse thread there.

 

Yes trust me I’ve followed everything step for step

 

I have in the past used a wrench the attaches to an air hammer. If you have compressed air, perhaps your local parts place has this tool you can rent/borrow. Really slick and works a treat. Good luck.

 

Try some real penetrating oil. PB blaster for eg. Wd40 is useless for that.
While I have the old bav auto tool, I think you can put an closed end wrench on one bolt and lay it over the next bolt to lock the pump hub. Just dont tighten the bolts.

 

Agree with penetrating oil...and also, using a longer handle. You know they make tools that'd make it easier to hold the bolts still while you crank.

...and make sure you 'are' cranking the right way...nothing personal.

 

Um yeah this is making me irritated… I used wd40, pb blaster, fan removal tools… a thicker wrench because the crappy cheap wrench broke, a rubber mallet to smack the hell out of it and it’s still on. I’ve wasted tons of money and I could’ve just cut it off and replace the water pump now I damaged hundreds of dollars worth of stuff dealing with this clunky ass fan.

 

I've read some threads, not here, where people used a Sawzall to cut it off.

That's pretty extreme. If nothing else is working though, may be your only option.

 

Now don't get snappy, but you are turning it clockwise, right? Viewed from the front?
How have you locked the pump hub?
Try using a real hammer closer to the middle of the big wrench.

 

Now don't get snappy, but you are turning it clockwise, right? Viewed from the front?
How have you locked the pump hub?
Try using a real hammer closer to the middle of the big wrench.

I think he IS trying to turn it the correct direction...Look at the power steering reservoir. You don't damage a reservoir like that if you are swinging a hammer counter clockwise.

 

I would completely remove the (now broken) fan from the clutch fan...

In the past I have used a mapp gas torch (yellow) to heat the nut behind the fan clutch.

I think I have also seen people remove the four bolts that hold the water pump in and remove fan clutch with water pump. But I haven't tried it...

 

I would completely remove the (now broken fan) from the clutch fan...

In the past I have used a mapp gas torch (yellow) to heat the nut behind the fan clutch.

I think I have also seen people remove the four bolts that hold the water pump in and remove fan clutch with water pump.

I've removed a water pump with the fan before. Not on the e46 though. It's not ideal, but possibly one way.

 

I used a Sawzall on the shaft after removing fan blades, it was the only way for me, new water pump at that point

 

Yes, it appears going in right direction, but Just looked at the pic - looks like you got the hub lock tool upside down. The little holes go on two bolts on hub, if memory serves.

 

And although hitting it with a mallet might work...usually slow breaks fewer things. Find a pipe to fit over your wrench handle to make it longer...and ditto with the tool holding the wp bolts...you'll magnify your torque. You'll probably never need to do this again...I don't believe the torque is stupid high for that nut as it's self locking...I presume. Good luck!

 

So I'm not struggling next time I need to pull a fan clutch, I don't even tighten them down. They tighten up with just the engine running.

 

If you're still "in the market" for penetrating oil, 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF is the champion of penetrators.

Otherwise, heat it and muscle it out or cut it off.

 

A rubber mallet will not "shock" anything. The key being is is RUBBER. Use a METAL hammer.

 

Or at least a dead blow hammer.

 

It no longer matters. I’m returning all of these useless tools and buying a new water pump lmfao whoever bothered this fan before me is a joke…

 

Sure, why bother doing it right...

 

Someone before you may have tried to get the fan off for something else nearby, tightened it by wrong direction, then just decided to work around it. Agree on the shock. A brass hammer is ideal as you can get the shock of metal but it won't distort steel fasteners. And WD40 application only filled the airspace with the wrong product so subsequent use of a true penetrating oil will no longer work as there is no air space to draw the product in where you need it. WD40 is not a penetrating oil. It's not even a lubricant.

 

A brass hammer is ideal as you can get the shock of metal but it won't distort steel fasteners.

You're hammering the wrench, not the fasteners...

 

The bolts on the water pump are NOT evenly spaced. You need to rotate the water pump such that the desired bolts line up with the openings in your tool, otherwise you will have a hard time keeping the water pump stationary.

 

yes, good point. Forgot about that. Havent pulled one in a few years, but prob done two dozen over the years without drama.

 

It's a left handed (reverse) thread. You can wedge a screwdriver on the small bolt heads and hold the pulley, then use the appropriate wrench to remove the nut on the shaft of the water pump. It's a PITA to hold the pulley with one hand and loosen the the nut with the other, but that's what you have to do. The nut is reverse threaded so there is no need to put it on tight, the engine rotation makes it tight. You can spin the nut on by hand and give it an 1/8th to 1/4 turn and walk away. Honestly, you can spin it on by hand and leave it when it stops spinning.

 

Nothing is ever easy working on my car and removing the fan clutch was no exception. What had finally worked for me was using the serpentine belt method with a big wrench:

 

Nuts nuts nuts..... why would anyone crank on that nut to tighten it? You're just making it hard for the next person to remove it.

 

A plastic faced dead blow would work great here. Whatever force is given up by the face of the hammer is more than made up for by the inertia of the shot filling the head.

<---has never seen a metal-faced dead blow hammer.

 

If you have access to an air chisel with a long bit that will get it off. If not a long chisel and big hammer will knock it loose.

 

Can have a life shortening effect on the water pump.... FYI

 

Would this be better taken off with the water pump and dealt with on a bench? If it’s been hammered as much as it seems maybe all new parts is best as it could be damaged or cross threaded?

 

Seems to be a common problem, the easiest way I'd think is to just remove the old pump and fan as a complete unit, after the battering you've gave it's probably shot anyway, sling it and replace with new parts.

Maybe more costly but a whole lot less hassle.

BMW E46 Water Pump Repair - 1998-2006 3 Series - All Models

Out of curiosity is it only North American cars that have this set up ?? My 325 has an electric fan and it looks stock and not an aftermarket thing that's just be thrown in.

 

Seems to be a common problem, the easiest way I'd think is to just remove the old pump and fan as a complete unit, after the battering you've gave it's probably shot anyway, sling it and replace with new parts.

Maybe more costly but a whole lot less hassle.

BMW E46 Water Pump Repair - 1998-2006 3 Series - All Models

Out of curiosity is it only North American cars that have this set up ?? My 325 has an electric fan and it looks stock and not an aftermarket thing that's just be thrown in.

Manual cars have electric fan and auto car have clutch fan.

OP: Looks like a perfect time to pickup an electric fan so you’ll never have this issue again

Cheers, E46Envyy


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The pulley has 4 bolts located unevenly, so you need to hold those 2 bolts that far apart, not the pair that closer, using the locking tool.