Obviously, a good penetrating oil and soaking go a long way (we recommend PB Blaster). If you have tried that without any luck, here are some tips we have gathered.
Alternator Pulley:
This is a standard right-handed thread on most American automobiles. Use a box end wrench to hold the pulley nut and then us an Allen key on the alternator shaft. This works best if you have an Allen key that fits on a socket - that way you can get more torque on the alternator shaft. If this doesn’t work or if you strip the Allen key, try wearing a heavy leather glove and hold the alternator fan, while spinning off the nut with an air impact wrench. Put the belt on the pulley and then put the other end of the belt in a vise, clamping the belt tight around the pulley. Once the pulley is secured with the V-belt, have a go at it with the impact wrench. If none of these ideas work, or you don’t have an impact wrench, remove the alternator from the vehicle and bring to your local auto parts store where they should be able to help you out.
Power Steering Pulley:
Keyed On: This is a standard right-handed thread on most American automobiles. The center nut can be removed using a box end wrench on the nut and an Allen key (similar to the method used for the alternator pulley). If that doesn’t work, you can try to get a good grip on the pulley with a leather glove and try an impact wrench. If you have trouble holding onto the pulley with a gloved hand, you may want to use an old V-belt to hold the pulley.
Pressed On: You will need a power steering pulley puller. Do not use a standard three jaw puller, for it will damage the pulley. This puller can cost between $40 and $100 so if you don’t have a friend who has one, we recommend renting one from your parts store (typically they offer fully refundable tool loans). Some parts stores may even remove the pulley for you.
Crank Pulley:
This is a standard right-handed thread on most American automobiles. Our best recommendation is to remove the radiator and use an air impact wrench (an impact ratchet wrench may fit with the radiator). If the crank pulley is stuck on the crank, you can use a generic puller to remove.
Water Pump Pulley:
This one is pretty straightforward. The toughest part is slicing up your knuckles on the radiator fins.