I am trying to get to the water pump on my '03 Disco II. I have watched the bulls*** videos on how to get the fan off, done a search, yadda yadda yadda. When I try to use the video method with the correct tool the fan And the pulley just spin. I can't find anywhere to brace the pulley to keep it from turning. Do I just wedge a pry bar behind it or what? Pi**ed off and getting frustrated. Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

I think I just locked down a set of vise grips on the pulley to stabilize it.

 

You need to get a wrench onto the nut.
I use a tall crescent wrench that goes above the fan blades.
Get a 5 pound hammer and knock the top of the crescent wrench from the left side to the right side.

The "shock factor" ie inertia of the pulley in place getting a hard whack with the 5 pound mallet via the thick crecent wrench usually works.

 

Ditto to that. I have a huge wrench just for my fan. Use a rubber mallet. It will come off.

Your viscous fan clutch may be weak... makes it spin more freely.

Worse comes to worse you can also put a socket on the tensioner pulley, have someone put extra pressure on the belt, then try again.

It will come off.

 

Wait, wait, JFall you say 'left to right'. Is that looking from front to back? The videos show right to left standing in front, looking toward rear of vehicle. Is the '03 Disco different (even more)? Coors, to what did you clamp the grips? I tried the adjustable wrench before getting the fan wrench but am unable to get leverage on the pulley.

 

Looking toward the vehicle from the front you want to turn counter clockwise.

Also, I amended my post while you were posting... see above Re tensioner pulley.

Coors was putting a crescent wrench on the actual pulley, I think. The metal. Coors is a stud at all things Rover but I'd be too afraid of damaging my pulley that way.

 

Turn the nut counter-clock-wise to loosen like every other nut and bolt. The trick is to break it loose with the belt still on the pulleys and use of big tools. Finding a wrench is the easy part. If you cannot locate a pulley holder then stuff a thick rag or towel in between 2 other pulleys to create even more tension and like they guys said, use a good hard whack to the wrench with a heavy hammer or mallet. I made a fan wrench and pulley holder at work cut on a CNC laser out 1/4 plate but I never had to hold the pulley as i busted it loose on the first shot with that plate wrench and regular old framing hammer

 

Okay I'd never seen a pulley holder. So I googled it. Thanks, Chubbs. Now I know.

But OP you should be able to get that nut off as described above.

The first time I took mine off... it had been in place about a decade... it took a very long time to get it off. Like 30 mins. But if you keep repositioning your wrench and wacking it, it will come off.

 

With a well-fitted wrench and pulley-holder combo you have absolutely no excuse to break that nut. Seeing as how I had a spare water pump with pulley, I took it to the shop and drew up my own tools to hold the pulley in place if it came to it, as well as a solid wrench that would both fit snugly and clear the space sandwiched in the location of the nut and the fan blades above so that I could hit it. I will try and post a pic

 

These are my 12 gauge prototypes