Clutch fan issue!!!

[RITTER]

This afternoon I started the "simple" task of replacing the water pump on my 3.8...after removing the 4 nuts holding the fan on, the fan would not move at all. After a lot a hammering and prying and finally cutting the studs between the fan mounting plate and the pulley with a hack-saw the fan was still not coming off. So I took the hammer to it again and the water pump shaft ended up snapping. :x

Has anyone ever encountered a water pump shaft seizing in the fan?
:?:
It ended up being a 4 hour water pump change. :x

 

[GrandPrixJamie]

I have had it happen to me once before a couple of years ago. what a project that became. It isn't a real common problem though. I have repled quite a few water pumps on that motor

 

[RITTER]

Yeah hopefully I won't have this engine in there long enough to put another water pump on it!

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Sometimes you need to walk it off the snout of the pump by wiggling it back and forth. To make it easier in the future, try putting some anti-seize compound in the hole where it slides off.

 

[RITTER]

Yeah I totally just put a spacer and a flex fan on it. So I don't think I'll run into that problem again. Besides I wasn't about ready to try and get that shaft out of the fan and reuse it.