Rounded Fan Clutch Nut

[RoundHead]

I have a 1991 Ford Aerostar 4.0L. (I realize this is a super coupe forum, which is why I'm here. As a forum for sportscar experts, I presume that there are a number of very knowledgeable mechanics likely to see this post.)

I was "helped" by someone recently who decided to assist me in the removal of the fan clutch from my van. He made the assumption that the fan clutch bolt had a left handed thread, and turned it to the right (while facing the vehicle). I had indicated that I would prefer to wait until I had the part that would confirm the proper direction to turn the nut. He tried to go further, and started to round the heads after completing roughly one third to one half of a turn.

I have the fan clutch removal tools rented from AutoZone for this vehicle. The open ended wrench that is part of this set of two tools (in addition to the water pump pulley holding tool) seems to be a little too large and a little too inclined to open up. The fan clutch nut (which is an integral part of the fan clutch) is also fairly rounded from attempts to use it while applying substantial torque.

I've had a few suggestions with regard to how to get this rounded fan clutch nut off of the end of the shaft that connects it to the engine.

1. Use a plumber's wrench. (This won't work because by the time one loosens the pulley bolts to get the pulley holding tool over them, there is barely a quarter to half an inch of width in which to place a wrench to turn the now rounded fan clutch nut.)

2. Use a 1 5/16'' open ended wrench instead of a 1 7/16'' open ended wrench, as provided with the fan clutch removal kit for this vehicle. (I haven't tried this yet as I don't have a 1 5/16'' inch wrench and getting one requires a vehicle and another trip out and down the long road into town. I've done this three times this week trying to get this vehicle repaired, and would probably be done by now were it not for the "help" that I received). I believe the 1 7/16'' wrench may have been slightly too large, contributing to the rounding of the heads when place under considerable torque.

MY QUESTION IS THIS: How to I get this fan clutch off of my van? The radiator has been removed as another cooling system item that was damaged by the disintegration of the cooling fan at speed. Getting the fan clutch off is the key to finishing this job, but the heads are rounded. OPEN ENDED wrenches (or something like them) are the only things that will work for this application. I have no pneumatic tools. I am seriously considering the 1 5/16'' potential solution, but would like to hear any other valid advice that this forum's members may have to offer in terms of solving this problem.

Thank you very much in advance for any assistance that you might offer.

[68COUGAR]

Originally Posted by RoundHead

MY QUESTION IS THIS: How to I get this fan clutch off of my van?

Normally I'd suggest this:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...+Taps+%26+Dies

But this particular set doesn't go up to the size you need. Check with Sears, Maybe they have larger sizes than what's in the above set.

68COUGAR

[68COUGAR]

Originally Posted by RoundHead

MY QUESTION IS THIS: How to I get this fan clutch off of my van?

Slightly smaller Impact socket, & a BFH. Hammer the socket onto the nut & use an air impact wrench to spin it off.

68COUGAR

[Mike8675309]

Don't know what fan clutch you have. On my Ranger it took two special wrenches. the fan clutch had a long shaft with a hex shape machined into it that attaches to the snout on the water pump. One wrench fits over the bolts holding the pulley to the water pump snout.

Then the other wrench fits over the hex design of the fan clutch shaft. Rightly loosey on this thing.

[rlong]

i mostly use great big channel locks , maybe you could use vise grips or grind down your pipe wrench to make it thinner

[AsScLoWn]

~~~, that nut is like 1" wide, how the hell do you strip the entire thing , get a mini sledge and beat the side of the nut with a center punch, if that doesnt work use a torch till it basically melts then beat it off

[Greasegun]

Use an air hammer and a long chisel to break it free. make sure the belt is still on to help hold it.

[FrankenBird]

soak it in pb-blaster or ZEP and try and get one of those tight space air impact wrenches onit...or buy a stripped bolt kit and wack the best sized one onto it and have at it, but again after the zep or pb-blaster soaking to clean up the threads...

[terralex]

You may need to pull the water pump off. Once off it's easier to work on and as a last resort you would need to order a waterpump, pulley and clutch.

+1 soak in PB Blaster.

I've had quite a few of them turned in for core credit this way and except for a few we managed to get them apart. BUT, there were a few we couldn't get apart no matter what we used. Minnesota road salt = parts rusted (fused) together

If there is still anything to get a wrench on:
There is a fan clutch kit that uses an air hammer. Might try to get that one on loan from Pepboys, Autozone, Oreilly ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU_cpAoNvdA

[SuperCoupe]

I'd think he got it off by now...it was 8 years ago!

[FrankenBird]

lol.....back from the dead thread...we can only hope hes gotten it off, or maby hes rounded every front accessory bolt by now...

[SuperCoupe]

Originally Posted by FrankenBird

lol.....back from the dead thread...we can only hope hes gotten it off, or maby hes rounded every front accessory bolt by now...

Or crushed and recycled by now! Lol hey I was just about to suggest vise grips and PB as well!

[terralex]

OR CRUSHED !!!!!

Oh, wait it's a Windstar, you can crush that.

[dave377]

I have had a few that I had to heat up before
I could get them to come off