Fan clutch removal help with nut - Fullsize 5.3L v8
 

So I need to change the water pump on my full size 04 5.3L. I tried using a large adjustable wrench with a breaker bar and giving it a few dead blows, but the nut wont break free because the pulley moves with it. Yes I left the belt on.

So what tricks do you use? Any special tool that works well besides using air tools which I don't have access to where I'm at.

Thanks,

Short of using the actual tool...

You can remove the belt, tape the long end of a tie down strap to the water pump pulley and wrap the strap around the pulley. Place the hook of the tie down strap on the alternator bolt/bracket, and then give your large adjustable wrench a whack or two with a hammer. Wrap the strap the other way and use air conditioner compressor to reinstall.

This idea is not mine, but it works. I think I saw it on the Chevrolet forum...

Loosen two of the pulley bolts, and stick a long heavy duty screwdriver flat against the pulley to bind up the pulley, couple whacks on the crescent wrench and it's loose. Should unscrew by hand once you loosen it up. It has right hand threads, (counter clockwise to loosen).

Hey Captain, not sure what you mean by pulley bolts. the pulley attached to the water pump is the smooth version that has the holes in it, no bolts. This is on my 04 full size truck not my blazer.

Ahh, my mistake, sorry. The method that CWBDDSPC described in post #2 will work fine. A strap type oil filter wrench accomplishes the same task. The idea is to bind up the water pump pulley so you can loosen the fan clutch. The nut is 36mm, and an open end wrench works well too, not as bulky as a crescent wrench.

I use a long cold chisel using the corner of the cutting edge on the outside of the flat (about 1/4" from the edge) and give it a few hard whacks with a hammer.It loosens the nut really easy.Basically unscrewing the nut with the chisel.Once it's loose,it spins right off.