A heavy duty strap type oil filter wrench will sometimes hold a flat pulley
while unbolting it.
I've wrapped an old piece of flat belt around a flat pulley and then held it
with a large pipe wrench while unbolting it if the pulley is not too large.
The belt has to be thick enough such that the teeth of the pipe wrench won't
penetrate it.
I've also wrapped an old flat belt around a flat pulley and pinched it tight
with one or more vise grips, then held the vise grips while loosening the
bolts.
Rubbing the pulley and the old belt with violin rosin (that's the only form
of rosin I know of that's easily obtainable) will often keep it from
slipping. The rosin can probably be removed from the pulley with turpentine
or other solvents once it's off.
I've never worked on a w201 so I'm assuming it has a flat pulley.
Good luck,
Gerry
------------------------------------
I'd asked this a couple weeks ago but got no replies, has no one ever
replaced a w201 power steering pump?
I have no idea how the hell to get the thing out. I *think* the pully has
to come off, looks like 3 bolts, well I sure as hell can't get 'em off.
I figured I'd get 'em off the replacement tonight to prove thats the way
it goes. Well here I am snorting and fighting with the thing when it
occurs to me I'll have to get 'em off the one actually in the car. Theres
absolutely no way I can hold that pully tight enough to get the bolts off
without seriously mauling the pully. I'd bet with a c-clamp on it I could
pull 'em or with an air gun but theres no place to put the gun in the
engine bay. Maybe with 2 wrenches at the same time?
I'll have to get growing that extra arm!
-Curt
