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F-250 7.3 litre diesel fan clutch


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Swooshski
User

Dec 29, 2007, 4:28 PM

Post #1 of 5 (4367 views)
F-250 7.3 litre diesel fan clutch Sign In

I've got a 96 F-250 7.3 litre diesel that needs a new water pump. I bought the pump but can't find the right wrenches to remove the fan clutch. I've rented 2 different sets of clutch wrenches from area auto supply stores but nothing seems to fit. I am the original owner of this truck so I know nothing has been messed with previously.

I see found some wrench sets online but I'm afraid to order ... based on my experience today with the kits not having the correct sizes. I have never messed with a fan clutch before and found this to be very very frustrating. Can someone give me some advice on this?

Also, the sticker on my fan shroud says "right had threads on fan clutch". If I understand it correcly, that is just normal threads and the nut needs to be turned counter-clockwise to losen the clutch (one I find some way of holding the pulley).

My only other option at this point is to return the kits & pump to get my deposit back. Put the thing back together and take it to a dealer .... I really don't want to do that.

Any advice?


way2old
Veteran / Moderator
way2old profile image

Dec 29, 2007, 7:09 PM

Post #2 of 5 (4363 views)
Re: F-250 7.3 litre diesel fan clutch Sign In

We use very large channel locks to hold pulley and another set to loosen the clutch.



Being way2old is why I need help from younger minds


Tommy Tucker
New User

Dec 29, 2007, 7:57 PM

Post #3 of 5 (4362 views)
Re: F-250 7.3 litre diesel fan clutch Sign In

Hello, Right hand threads means that to take off the nut, ( loosen ) You TURN THE NUT TO THE RIGHT , CLOCK WISE TO TAKE OFF, JUST THE OPPOSITE OF NORMAL, this is because the motor turns CLOCK WISE and if the nuts came off COUNTER CLOCK WISE they would get Loose by themselfs ! ! Now to hold the Fan from turning on You, there are two ways that I know of, well there are more then that, but these two work most often, have two wrenches of the size of the nuts, hold the one wrench to keep the fan from turning and use the other to take off the nut, or I believe there are 5 ( five ) nuts on Your Fan Clutch, put a wrench in an angle between two nuts on oppsite sides of each other, make it long so it will ( the Wrench ) CATCH it self on some other part of the motor when it does, it will hold the Fan Still, as for the right size wrench for the job, Get CHANNEL LOCKS FOR YOUR WRENCH, and REMEMBER to TURN IT CLOCK WISE., PRETTY SURE THAT WILL WORK, I'VBE DID IT MANY TIMES, Tommy T.Wink


Swooshski
User

Dec 31, 2007, 7:19 AM

Post #4 of 5 (4353 views)
Re: F-250 7.3 litre diesel fan clutch Sign In

Thanks, but I eventually got the darned thing off.

Even though there is a sticker on my fan shroud that says "fan clutch has right hand threads" they were not. Thank you Ford.

What I found was the tool kits available for loan from the auto parts did not have the proper size wrenches for the 7.3 diesel, even though the labels on the kits said they would. Again, thank you to the manufacturer.

Neither of the suggested means were feasible or practical. I was able to use a tool out of one kit that held 2 of the bolts on the pulley, but had to weld me up a 'wrench' that was thin enough to fit between the pulley and the clutch itself. Once I figured out that the clutch did not have right-hand threads on it things moved along OK and I'm back on the road.

Thanks to those that replied.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Dec 31, 2007, 8:03 AM

Post #5 of 5 (4352 views)
Re: F-250 7.3 litre diesel fan clutch Sign In

Thanks for the followup on this. I've never touched the diesel for water pump or clutch but have the other Fords that were different there than most. All were what I call "LEFT HAND THREADS" meaning the nut or bolt will advance or tighten turning it counter clockwise. The brand name "Channel Lock" made pliers that did work for this. Before that they were nick-named "water pump" pliers.

It was mentioned already but I expound further. Thread that are left handed have been for a reason especially in items that spin. The resonance of the spinning will urge a fastener to either tighten or loosen depending on the direction it spins.

Lug nuts and bolt used on left side of cars and even some bearing nuts in hubs were purposely made left handed such that if not tight enough they really didn't get looser by themselves. Chrysler, some Olds and others made whole lines of cars like this but the trend wasn't univeral so a lot of snapped lug nut/bolts resulted and the practice has ceased.

The left hand threaded items still exist. Now I find most are for electric motors for fans and the squirrel cage type fans for blower motors.

Just for the interest of it I'll try to post some pics when I can get some good pics of some nuts and bolts that are embossed right on them with the letters L.E.F.T. Smile - we couldn't do this today and fit in three or more different languagesWink

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