Need help with my 98 Chevy Blazer 4.3

[Renthorin]

Water pump went out on me. So I have it off the truck and a replacement eagerly waiting to take its place but HOW in the HECK do you get the fan/clutch off the waterpump?

There are 4 small screws that hold the pulley for the belt in place but the shaft the fan/clutch is on seems to be threaded onto the water pump.

There is a HUGE nut/bolt on the shaft but for the life of me I can't turn it. It is hard enough to keep the water pump from spinning but it just won't budge.

Suggestions?

[David65]

You needed one of these to loosen that huge nut that's part of the fan clutch. http://www.toolweb.com/pics/SCH61500.jpg Probably would've been easier while it was on the truck. You got the pump off without removing the fan/clutch first? Wow... The wrench has a couple of raised places that fit into 2 of the 4 holes in the front of the pulley. Hold that while turning the large nut to the left, it'll spin right off. I used a large crescent wrench on the nut. Instead of one of those wrenches, I took out 1 of the 4 pulley bolts and put a long flat piece of metal under the bolt to hold it. Worked fine. Funny, I just did my pump a couple months ago. Make sure to put sealer on the 4 water pump bolts when installing. When putting the fan/clutch back on the new pump, I don't think that huge nut has to be super tight as it tightens as the motor is running.

David

<edit> Might try Autozone for a loaner tool...

[Renthorin]

Hey David...thanks for the help. I am using a set of vice grips to hold the impeller wheel in place but for the life of me I can not get the nut to budge. I am using channel locks and I am off to the hardware store to get a wrench in that size so I can really get some leverage.

[Renthorin]

Ok....got a HUGE wrench, the type that is probably used for removing the lugs from school bus wheels :-)

Nut came off pretty easily with that kind of torque.

Water pump is going back on. Thanks for the help