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Serpentine belt replacement DIY, fan not removed. Hello,
Here is DIY for replacing serpentine and ac belts. I did not remove fan. I had to remove upper radiator hose. I did not take pictures - my hands were dirty and I did not have too much time.
The car I was working on is 2003 530i. I did not replace pulleys as they were replaced during my cooling system overhaul and the still look good and do not make any noises.
The main reason I did not want to remove fan is that I do not have tools for that. I checked various sources - forums and youtube - and every DIY instruction includes fan and fan shroud removal. Well, I did not remove the fan and fan shroud.
Time needed - 45 min. This includes thinking what to remove and what not to remove, as I did it for the first time. I am sure that I would do this in 15-20 min now.1. Lift the car, place jack stands. Remove plastic engine shield from the bottom so you can access ac belt.
2. Release tension of ac belt tensioner using 55 torx and remove belt.
3. Remove upper radiator hose so you can access serpentine belt tensioner. Place bucket under your car for coolant.
4. I did not release tensioner to remove serpentine belt, I just cut it with a knife. Don't forget to draw belt diagram before, but if you do forget-not a biggie, you can find it online.
5. Now you have to take your new serpentine belt and put on the fan, wiggling around fan blades. It took me about 3 minutes. Be careful to not damage fan blades.
6. Place belt around pulleys checking your diagram. Release tensioner using 16mm socket and put the belt on the "last" pulley. For me the last pulley was alternator.
7. Check if belt sits properly in the groves. Get under the car to check everything.
8. Reconnect upper radiator hose. Top off your coolant and bleed the system
9. Get under the car and place the new AC belt on the AC. You will need 55 torx ( or 60, I don't remember exactly) to release tensioner. Check if the belt sits in the grooves.
10. Place the engine shield back. Put your tools back to where they belong (tool box in my case).
11. Wash your hands. You are done.Sorry for the mistakes - English is not my first language.
If the moderators can move this to the DIY section, I think many members would use this.
Last edited by sdbmw; 03-18-2013 at 10:32 AM.
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Thank you for taking the time to post this. Let's vet the DIY before moving it.
Did you remember to top off your coolant and bleed the system?
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Thank you for correcting me, James, added that
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Thanks for posting. I will probably end up going this route as I can't remove the fan clutch nut as per every tutorial I found.
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I don't understand what's so tough about removing the fan clutch. Buy the proper tools.....
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
- And once you do remove it put some antisieze on the threads of the fan clutch nut and you can whack it off with a wrench and hammer.
Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty 
I don't understand what's so tough about removing the fan clutch. Buy the proper tools.....
- Right. I have the actual wrench and locking wrench from Matco. It's a freakin piece of cake. What is so hard ??? I can do the stupid belts in 10 mins, that includes getting a beer from the fridge. Oh well, nice to know you can do it with the stupid fan on the engine. Not that I'd ever do it that way. Sorry OP didn't mean to harass your thread. Originally Posted by crazy4trains
And once you do remove it put some antisieze on the threads of the fan clutch nut and you can whack it off with a wrench and hammer.
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
- LOL, OP hasn't logged in since 2016. Probably sold their BMW by now. Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty
Sorry OP didn't mean to harass your thread.
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Ahh F@ck, vampire thread got me, see what happens when you become nice? Screw it, I should revert back to my old ways.... No more Mr nice f@ckin guy.... - - - Updated - - -
Another thing, screw the OP.
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
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[QUOTE=BimmrMeUpSnotty;30329640
Another thing, screw the OP.[/QUOTE]He's probably driving a Lexus now...
I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch
The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.
If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.
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Ahaha Snotty I spent an hour with this special took kit, no luck!
Tried PB blaster for 24 hours prior. Tried hammering on the wrench, nothing.
https://youtu.be/73dOJ7lEb-Qhttps://ibb.co/mScbdTC
https://ibb.co/PjbPzjM
https://ibb.co/qngRXtWOne other idea that I'd like to try, maybe, is attaching the water pump with a chain:
https://youtu.be/6bqg1TosBQENot sure where best to attach is.
Maybe you think I'm crazy lol but that nut won't budge
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What direction are you trying to bust it loose? You do know to go clockwise busting the fan nut loose, right?
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
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Put a wrench on it and whack it with a BFH, sometimes takes a few hits. Put down your purse if necessary.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
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Yes I was turning it counter clockwise, toward the driver's side. Or trying to turn.
I tried hitting it with a hammer and with a 15lb dumbbell, no luck. I keep spraying it with PB Blaster every day buy I figure the lubricant is not getting into the thread.
The tool I bought is made from very soft metal and of low quality, as you can see in the pictures. I bought it because it has good reviews and 50s kid uses it as well
https://youtu.be/x5TndvIfygAAs I was trying to turn that wrench, it was actually slipping and turning on the nut. It's very week. You can see from my pictures earlier the damage it got from trying to turn the nut.
I tried using a Husky wrench, it's very strong and someone actually commented in the reviews that they successfully used it to remove BMW clutch fun.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hus...nch/1000774396
Unfortunately it was too thick and I could not put it over the fun nut. There is just no way. Too wide.I will try ordering a different fan clutch kit. It that doesn't work either, I will use the method described in this thread.
The reason I'm removing the fun clutch is because I got this stupid noise after replacing my starter:
https://youtu.be/IqVgioSmztU
I want to remove the belt and see it the noise is still there.
The car goes very slowly and doesn't really accelerate when I give it gas.All other ideas of how to remove the fan clutch are welcome. Or if you know where to order a high quality fan clutch kit (Canada) please share.
- Noooooooooooooooooooooo! Originally Posted by Bmwe39528i1998
Yes I was turning it counter clockwise, toward the driver's side. Or trying to turn.
I tried hitting it with a hammer and with a 15lb dumbbell, no luck. I keep spraying it with PB Blaster every day buy I figure the lubricant is not getting into the thread.
The tool I bought is made from very soft metal and of low quality, as you can see in the pictures. I bought it because it has good reviews and 50s kid uses it as well
https://youtu.be/x5TndvIfygAAs I was trying to turn that wrench, it was actually slipping and turning on the nut. It's very week. You can see from my pictures earlier the damage it got from trying to turn the nut.
I tried using a Husky wrench, it's very strong and someone actually commented in the reviews that they successfully used it to remove BMW clutch fun.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hus...nch/1000774396
Unfortunately it was too thick and I could not put it over the fun nut. There is just no way. Too wide.I will try ordering a different fan clutch kit. It that doesn't work either, I will use the method described in this thread.
The reason I'm removing the fun clutch is because I got this stupid noise after replacing my starter:
https://youtu.be/IqVgioSmztU
I want to remove the belt and see it the noise is still there.
The car goes very slowly and doesn't really accelerate when I give it gas.All other ideas of how to remove the fan clutch are welcome. Or if you know where to order a high quality fan clutch kit (Canada) please share.
The threads are opposite of normal. You need to rotate the nut clockwise to remove it. Turning it counter-clockwise, as you say above, only tightens it.
Last edited by crazy4trains; 09-14-2019 at 01:39 PM.
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I'm rotating it clockwise, that's toward the driver's side.
https://youtu.be/g3c6_T06yho
- Yes, a standard wrench this size is far too thick. I use a big 'ole Craftsman wrench ground thinner to fit. Hasn't failed me yet and that is without the tool to hold the fan. Originally Posted by Bmwe39528i1998
Yes I was turning it counter clockwise, toward the driver's side. Or trying to turn.
I tried hitting it with a hammer and with a 15lb dumbbell, no luck. I keep spraying it with PB Blaster every day buy I figure the lubricant is not getting into the thread.
The tool I bought is made from very soft metal and of low quality, as you can see in the pictures. I bought it because it has good reviews and 50s kid uses it as well
https://youtu.be/x5TndvIfygAAs I was trying to turn that wrench, it was actually slipping and turning on the nut. It's very week. You can see from my pictures earlier the damage it got from trying to turn the nut.
I tried using a Husky wrench, it's very strong and someone actually commented in the reviews that they successfully used it to remove BMW clutch fun.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hus...nch/1000774396
Unfortunately it was too thick and I could not put it over the fun nut.There is just no way. Too wide.
I will try ordering a different fan clutch kit. It that doesn't work either, I will use the method described in this thread.
The reason I'm removing the fun clutch is because I got this stupid noise after replacing my starter:
https://youtu.be/IqVgioSmztU
I want to remove the belt and see it the noise is still there.
The car goes very slowly and doesn't really accelerate when I give it gas.All other ideas of how to remove the fan clutch are welcome. Or if you know where to order a high quality fan clutch kit (Canada) please share.
If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
- was just gonna say this..iirc its the equivalent of an 1 1/4", ground it down to fit for the thickness. Originally Posted by ross1
Yes, a standard wrench this size is far too thick. I use a big 'ole Craftsman wrench ground thinner to fit. Hasn't failed me yet and that is without the tool to hold the fan.
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Thanks guys, I like the tip to grind down a good quality wrench.
Do you use a pry bar to hold the water pump or just hammer on it?
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Those who recommend a BFH, don't you worry about damaging the bearings on the water pump or accidentally breaking the pulley/fan clutch or blades?!
Of cos, if you plan on replacing the water pump/pulley afterwards anyway for a cooling overhaul; by all means whack away.
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Yes I do worry about that
But so far I've only heard of people having success with this method but haven't heard anybody breaking water pump
- Question, what are you doing about locking the waterpump hub down, while trying to turn the fanclutch nut loose? Originally Posted by Bmwe39528i1998
Yes I do worry about that
But so far I've only heard of people having success with this method but haven't heard anybody breaking water pump
The proper wrench for the fan clutch is over two feet long, a quarter inch thick, why not go fetch the proper wrench??? I don't understand some of the struggles some of you put yourselves through....Set the controls for the heart of the sun
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Ok, here are the proper tools for the stupid fan clutch. Not 2 feet long, sorry, my memory sucks, but they are a foot and a half long. The wrench is not even a quarter inch thick, it didn't cost me too much money, of course, I can't remember what I paid for them, buy the wrench, you can use a long screwdriver to lock down the water pump by wedging it between the bolts heads, use your brain cells when figuring out how to lock it down, put some meat on the wrench, bust that sucker loose. Obviously probably need to replace the fan clutch if it was locked down that hard, piece of advise, when installing the new one, hopefully an OE branded one, you don't need to go balls to the wall tightening it. It will not come loose. Right tools for the right jobs.
Last edited by BimmrMeUpSnotty; 09-15-2019 at 12:31 PM. Reason: Forgot to put up the pictures.... DOH!!!
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
- Seems obvious in print but as a mechanic myself, I can understand. It's called "target fixation" or said another way, "get home itis…". That means it's so close you can taste it so you don't want to stop for something that seems trivial. That's when we end up breaking something!!! Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty
The proper wrench for the fan clutch is over two feet long, a quarter inch thick, why not go fetch the proper wrench??? I don't understand some of the struggles some of you put yourselves through....
I do not believe in a risk free society where the thrill of living is traded for the safety of existence. Nick Ienatsch
The law does NOT determine "right" from "wrong". They are unrelated.
If you put cheap parts on your car, you will soon have a cheap parts car.
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Ummm Snotty your pictures don't display.
In my previous posts I did say that I used the fun clutch removal kit but it didn't work. I included links to the pictures as well. So using the proper tools was my first step.
Now the person I bought the car from said he removed it a few months ago.
I will borrow his set this week and will try again.
Source: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1970643-Serpentine-belt-replacement-DIY-fan-not-removed
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