The water pump pulley on my 1999 Dakota (5.2L) sheared off. I’ve tried removing the fan as I’ve read about in the Haynes manual, but the nut just turns and turns. How can I get it off, and am I going to have to replace the entire water pump?
You will need to find a way to keep the impeller shaft from turning to get the fan off. This is often done by using a special wrench set that attaches to an air hammer, and is done with the belt on the engine to keep the impeller shaft from turning, although this doesn’t seem to be an option for you if the pulley is broken. A spanner wrench can also be used to lock the shaft so the fan can be threaded off. If that won’t work, you will need to find a way to hold the impeller shaft still so the fan can be loosened. See if there is some way to wedge a pry bar behind what is left of the pulley or something like that. If not, removing the water pump may help you find a way to deal with it (the old one can be reinstalled with a new gasket if it’s undamaged), but this type of issue is usually easier to resolve with the pump bolted to the engine. Also, double check your manual. Many of these fans are left hand thread. If yours is, it should be noted in your Haynes manual. If in doubt, look at the pitch of the blades to see which way the fan runs. You turn the nut in the same direction the fan runs to loosen it.
Thanks, Mark9207. There’s no way I’m going to wedge anything behind the pulley, it sheared off in the center and is just floating loose around the shaft. I think I’m just going to have to remove the pump. One I’ve gone that far, it would probably be just as well to replace it all together.
If you have the early type water pump without the four flange bolts holding the pulley on you will have to replace the water pump as the pulley was pressed onto the pump shaft.
I think that in 1999 they all had flange bolts, you can wedge a pry bar between two bolts and the shaft to hold the pump. Next use a 36 mm wrench to loosen the fan nut. It won’t loosen easily, strike the end of the wrench with a hammer in a counterclockwise direction.
To easily remove the fan/clutch from the water pump shaft requires a tool set such as this. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00994230000P?sid=IDx20070921x00003d&srccode=cii_13736960&cpncode=26-47559334-2
The long tool with the slots on the end prevent the water pump from turning by hooking onto the bolts that hold the pulley to the water pump flange. Then one of the wrenches is used to turn the nut for the fan/clutch.
Tester
Thanks Nevada and Tester. Unfortunately, it is definitely the older type pump without flange bolts. I’ve disconnected the pump and I’m going to jam a long screwdriver into the impeller blades and try and break it loose. Fortunately, I have another car, so I can hold off working on it so I can spend my Sunday watching football.