How can you get the fan off a 1997 dodge Dakota to get water pump off?

Answer 1

You can get a special loaner tool from Autozone that spans the nuts mention below. Even with the tool, it is still very hard. It took me over 8 hours just to get the fan off of mine.

AnswerI usually get good results using a BIG screwdriver or a crowbar, and sticking it between two of the nuts to help keep the fan from moving, Its just takes a little playing around with answertake a piece of 1/4 flat steel. aprox. 1 inch wide, 12 to 16 inches long... drill a hole in it, a half inch from the end, make the hole the same diameter as the bolt size of the fan... remove a fan bolt and attach the flat steel bar to the fan, by using the bolt... use it as a wedge on the other fan bolts head to keep the fan from turning... take an 1 1/2 inch wrench or a hammer and chisel to "pop" the large nut loose answerI took some wire I had and went through the/a hole in the water pump pulley and up around a bolt sticking out, did that about 4 times, then wrapped some of it around the center for some re-inforcement. This held that still while I used a large channel Lock to remove the fan. I used needle nose pliers to maneuver the wire out from behind the pulley. AnswerI found a way to do this job in just a couple of minutes, and very easily. My Dakota is a '98 but I expect any of the 2nd generation Dakotas with the 3.9 would work this same way. You will need two tools: a large rubber strap wrench (mine is a Sears / Craftsman) and either a wrench or very large channel locks pliers to grab the fan nut. Just FYI, the fan nut rotates counterclockwise, the normal direction, to loosen it. The threads are not reversed.

1. Take the serpentine belt off the engine.

2. Put the rubber strap wrench around the water pump pulley. (I don't know if it matters which way you attach it but if it doesn't work the first way, it will work the other way.) With the strap wrench on the pulley, turn the pulley counterclockwise until the strap wrench bumps into the crankshaft pulley. Now the pulley can't turn any further.

3. Stand by the passenger side fender and put the wrench or channel locks on the fan nut and pull towards you. The strap wrench will keep the pulley from turning and you can gently pull on the wrench a little harder each time until the nut breaks free. I think it took me about three little pulls. After reading what a nightmare job this would be I was more than a bit pleased to find an easy way to do it.

If you have to get a strap wrench, they aren't that expensive and are good to have anyhow. Believe me, you'd be better off to do this approach from the start than to spend hours and hours fighting this issue any other way I've read.