Pulley removal

[T.Hanson]

Is there a trick for removing alternator and power steering pump pulleys ?

Both spin freely, seeming to want to be stuck in a vice to use an impact wrench. If it's a tough nut, I'm not thrilled about tightening the vice on the pulley or jamming a screwdriver in the alternator fins.

[Mike W.]

You called it, an impact wrench. It may seem counter intuitive, but you can hold the pulley against an impact wrench, it hits it hard and often, but doesn't impart much rotation. Use a rag maybe, but you can hold it. Now if you don't have an impact, I'd try using a box end wrench and hitting it with a hammer to give an impact effect. Not like the real thing, but it might work.

Or, if it's still on the car, put it in gear and adjust the belt tight, I've accidently loosened the alt nut more than once trying to turn the engine

[T.Hanson]

Perfect. Thanks. My mistake was using an angle, smaller impact wrench. Switching to the larger one ( get a bigger hammer ) zipped 'em right off. Right again, the pulleys didn't need that much holding.

If you're reading this, lots of grease between the PS pulley hub and bearing, where the circlip holds it in. Bearing seems fine, smooth spinning, sealed, so I don't see why anyone would pack the cavity, or grease would escape the seal.

In the car, before disassembly, I think the top hose/clamp was leaking. Small puddle around the nut of the top tube. Is that nut, tube, where it joins the pump body a leaker ?

[Peter Florance]

I have seen that joint leak.
It supposed to be an inverted flare IIRC