The fan that attaches to the pulley. How do you get this thing off. I have the 4 bolts off but this didnt remove any thing, i'm not sure if its stuck or what. The 1 1/4'' inch nut behind it spins freely with the pulley.

 

Are you pulling off the fan or the pulley?

The fan pops off -carefully- after you remove the four small bolts on the front of the pulley. They often get stuck, walk it off with some finesse as not to crack it.

You need a tool (a pin) to lock the fan pulley. The pulley itself comes off by locking it against the block (there's a hole to put a tool in on the pulley itself and it locks to the notches on the bracket) and removing the nut on the back end of the pulley.

You can try using a punch or long screw-driver, but it will likely snap. Get the tool if you can borrow it.

And P.S.: Stop using English system tools on your car, you'll strip something!

 

The fan is removed with one reverse-thread nut. I got it off by locking the pulley using a hex key and loosening with an adjustable wrench. There might be an easy way to lock that pulley, but I just sort of had to experiment to find how to slip the Allen wrench through in such a way that it would keep the pulley from spinning with the fan when I applied pressure. There are a couple of DIYs that describe the process (but the best instructions are inside of an A6 timing belt thread). Try AudiWorld or maybe audidiy.com.

 

I took the 4 small fan bolts off but the fan itself won't come off the pulley. I guess i'm not sure what is supposed to happen after I remove those small bolts. Should the fan 'pull' off the pulley.

Don't worry i'm using metric, I was just using an adjustable crecent wrench that is american.

 

You don't own an adjustable metric wrench? :P

Yes, the fan should just pull off after you remove the bolts. Walk it off gently, you can try tapping it from behind (heh, that's dirty) with a screwdriver, but do it evenly.

 

That's because it is attached to the pulley with a single, enormous, reverse-thread bolt.

 

I too ran into this problem although I'm doing it with the front of the car on trying to replace my alternator....I can't get the nut on the fan off to remove the fan to pull the lower alternator bolt out. I just jams on the fan. I can't get it into the dealer for like 3 weeks.

So you take the bolt off clockwise??? What kinda wrench can you get in there? My adjustable ones are too thick...I tried useing channel locks but it's not deep enough

JON

 

I PB blasted the fan. It was stuck on the clutch. I had to 'peel' it off of the clutch.

This might be difficult to understand but I got a crecent wrench and put it between the blades and torqued the fan off the clutch. (after taking the 4 bolts off). Once the fan was off it was much easier to get to the big *** bolt.


Timing belt was fairly easy after that.