E30 Zone

Save my sanity, someone.

The Bentley and Haynes manual just say 'Remove Viscous Fan Coupling nut with a short quick push'.

I've soaked it in WD40 and it will not budge off it's thread. The big central nut appears to be seized and so in turn rather than loosening it just spins the fan belt and other pulleys etc.

I know the nut is opposite thread - clockwise to loosen.

Please help, I seem to be getting into 5 min jobs that end up lasting 5 days all the time these days...

Put an old belt on it and hold it around the pully with a pair of mole grips.

You mean to stop the pulley spinning right?

Excuse my ignorance too - Mole Grips?

If that doesn't work I drilled 2 holes in a flat bit of steel and bolted it to one side of the water pump pulley, so I could lock the pump, then it was easy

James

I like the sound of that - the simplest ways are usually the best!

Just have to get the 2 pulley bolts I stripped the heads off out of there now!

jamesc - Biggup yourself.

Give the wrench / spanner or whatever you're using a quick tap with a hammer or other suitable encouragement tool.

Hammer and chisel

Mole grips are lockable pliers, you can try the hammer trick but the water pump is made of ally and have a tendancy to crumble to pieces when they are corroded.

The hammer idea is a no-go. The whole issue I'm having at the mo is that it just spins so no amount of manhandling will have any effect.

I gotta lock the pulley to give me some resistance.

The funny thing thing is, I can do most jobs but it seems that the shit that really makes you a good mechanic is knowing to fix the problem that's not letting you fix the problem.

You gats me?

Just bear in mind that the more resistance there is, the more chance of damaging a fragile water pump. Hence the clean, quick, tap.

it's actually not that hard just not with pushing you do it by hitting the wrench in a series untill it lets go