Removing that vicious viscous fan

[FrenchAudi]

I'm sure there are those on here who know better, but according to both the Haynes and the Bentley manuals, the viscous fan assembly is removed by blocking the drive pulley with a 5x60mm bolt while loosening the mounting bolt with an 8mm Allen key through the mounting bracket.
Following this advice, I had to use a length of pipe on the Allen key, and considerable force, which resulted in a badly bent 5mm bolt; I'm also worried that the pulley may have been distorted.
Via Google I found many solutions to the problem, the most bizarre, I think, being a guy on Youtube in a garage in the US, who used a huge pair of slip-joint pliers to hold the pulley, which would surely make it oval.
Then I noticed that, in Mr Haynes' book, in a note four paragraphs above the instructions to use a bolt to jam the pulley, he suggests a peg spanner, Audi tool no. 3212 should be used.
No-one I previously found had mentioned this, but I quite easily found suitable tools at pretty reasonable prices, from this "adjustable pin wrench" on Ebay:Adjustable pin wrench.JPG
To a deluxe adustable tool, Facom 117.B

facom-117b-top-hole-nut-spanner.jpg
I have ordered the first one, for £9.22, and will post on here if I have any problems with it.

[Crasher]

The VW version of those, tool 3212, are made by Gedore, Facom is French, urghhh....

The AEB engine just needs a long pin punch of about 5-mm pushing through from the back, the tool is required for diesels

[FrenchAudi]

The tool I ordered is made by Laser tools, the adjustable one I showed as a reference is Facom.

But why should I prefer a German tool to a French one when I live in France? It doesn't sound as if you know much about France nor French tools.

I mentioned the "pin stuck through the pulley" method at the beginning of my post, and also how using it bent a HT bolt and possibly damaged the pulley.

I have also seen reports on various forums of the lugs on the mounting bracket being snapped off, so do not think yours is always the best method.

[Crasher]

But why should I prefer a German tool to a French one when I live in France? It doesn't sound as if you know much about France nor French tools.

ohh merde, humour/language failure-perhaps Brexit is a good idea for the future after all.... for 35 years I have only used Facom Palm Control ratchets as they are the best there is, I prefer them to Snap Off, Anglais humour again probably defeated by a language barrier... I don't go on continental sites as I known my English will not work via a translator...

[FrenchAudi]

Guess I missed out a couple of's

In fact the holes in the pulley on my engine are a hair less than 5mm, so I used a 4mm bolt. I think I'll drill them out to 5mm, just in case. I saw the pin punch suggestion somewhere, but it didn't work for me.

Besides being relatively soft steel, my pin punches are too long and their shafts are too fat to fit between the lugs, and I didn't feel like making a trip to town to find a suitable one or gubbering mine by grinding and cutting it down. When I have time I might make up a better tool on that principle as a standby.

I posted the alternatives as suggestions for others struggling with a tight bolt - mine had probably been in there for over 20 years.

[zollaf]

i use a pair of oil filter pliers and a length of old belt to hold this bad boy still.