There does not seem to be a general consensus on the best way to remove the viscous fan so here is how I did it. This only works with the belt on. These pictures are after the fact so keep the belt on. Also the Wrench is a 36mm wrench from Northern Tool, it's under $15.

1) Make a simple tool like this out of a piece of steel bracket and a bolt thin enough to fit in the spanner holes on the pulley then cut the bolt short:




2) Turn the pulley so a spanner hole is on the right side. Then put the spanner tool in the hole and put the wrench over top of it. Then clamp the spanner on the PAS pulley with a vise grip.




3) Now whack the wrench to the left with a rubber mallet:

 

There is a special tool made specifically for holding the water pump pulley.
It is a "U" with holes in it that go over top of the bolt heads, then you use the fan clutch wrench and remove the fan.

Your way looks like it works well and it alot cheaper than the tool kit.

 

I was going to buy that tool from difflock a while back but it was too expensive. If I had some more bracket material I could have built a real spanner erector set style but this is the material I had at hand.

 

Nice,
I think I put a wrench on mine & slapped it with a hammer to get it off, then I reinstalled a pair of 12" electrics.

(& I think I gained a couple of hp's)

 

I wish I would have seen this a month ago before I paid 300 to have this done....

 

I only charged my buddy 80 but i felt bad cause of the look on his face when i told him his heads were leaking

 

10" adjustable wrench & 8" pipe wrench ... check this forum, dweb, or LRO for a pic of how to place the pipe wrench 90 to the flange ... post title "Finally got my nut off"

 

sorry to hijack here , but are your fans on all the time , or dash switch or ?

 

Ah. *That's* how they *expect* you to hold the pully.

I have a strap wrench around somewhere; I think it's big enough to go around that pulley. Will a standard 36mm open end fit in there, then?

 

Yes any 36mm wrench should fit, the Northern Tool wrench is beefy but fit. My large craftsman adjustable wrenches are too thick to fit. It is pretty hard to get a strap wrench in there because there are pulleys all around, remove the PAS pulley and idler pulley and that will probably work with a strap wrench though you may need a 2nd set of hands.