D3 V6 Petrol - having trouble removing original Denso AC pulley

[drifterman]

Hi,
I'm tracking down a whine at around 2k rpm when the car is either stationary in neutral, or moving in gear and I've tracked it down to the ac pulley bearing.


Problem is I just can't seem to remove the pulley bolt - this is what I've tried so far..


I tried first cracking the bolt with the serpentine belt on, but I end up just turning the whole belt (I spent most of my effort in the clockwise direction to release?).
So I bought a 3 prong tool as I saw a few people use these on youtube - the 3 prongs don't seem to go far enough into the holes and it doesn't seem to cover the central ac bolt either, so the whole pulley just spins as I turn the wrench (see pic - green pen shows the unexpected gap).


Am I using it correctly? or any thoughts on what my next steps should be please?
Should I get an oil filter wrench and wrap the pulley with that then just try removing the bolt directly?

Thanks,

pics below shows the gap between the tool and the bolt.

ac-release-tool-on-pully.jpg

ac-release-tool.jpg

[shack]

All the best with this, I've tried to pull them on the bench before with zero success, and I've been doing this stuff for 40 years.

I'm wondering if they are loctited on.

[BradC]

It was my understanding you need to hold the pulley using a strap wrench or your 3 pin thingo and wind the drive plate off the center bolt (which is actually the compressor drive shaft). Sounds like an epidemic of these in the last week.

[drifterman]

Tried with a strap wrench today, and sprayed a little wd-40 penetrant on the bolt too, still no luck.

Went for a drive after putting everything back.. and I'm sure the noise is a little quieter!

Suppose I just need to keep watch, and hopefully it holds out until the actual compressor dies.

[BradC]

Did you try the shaft in both directions? Given the rotation of the belt it'd probably make sense if it was a left hand thread.

hopefully it holds out until the actual compressor dies.

My bitter experience with pulley bearings is the additional vibration they generate as they fail adds stress to the front shaft bearing and seal on the compressor, accelerating its demise. It's entirely possible if you replace the pulley bearing the compressor will go on for years.

[drifterman]

Thanks BradC for making me persevere.
I bought a different 3 prong tool that allowed me to put my socket wrench through the middle of it. Held the 3 prong in place with a spanner and it came undone easily (righty loosey!)

Spinning the old pulley when off the vehicle you can really feel the roughness. Glad I changed it.

[BradC]

Awesome news. I really need to do mine before something bad happens.