removing viscous fan from Td5 - which way ?

I'm changing the radiator in my 01 Td5 but can't get the viscous fan off .
I presumed it is the same as the 300Tdi - as you look at the engine from the front you turn the nut clockwise to loosen it . I've had no luck so far using an adjustable spanner which works fine with one of the pulley bolts removed . Hit it - the adjustable - with a hammer but no budge .
Have tried both ways in fact so decided it was time to ask the experts before I do damage .
Looking from the front is it anti-clockwise or clockwise ?

Isnt it a normal thread on a TD5? seem to remember a post not long ago with people saying it was. Not got a haynes or rave?

opposite way to the 300Tdi and the stamp on the spanner...

looking from the front on... anticlockwise (normal thread)

Thanks guys - had gone through a lot of threads last night but no definite answer.
Will have a go again tomorrow - but it will be fairly tight now as I have been trying to put it the other way .

I cursed and swear'd at mine for a long time, even after knoking up a tool out of a bit of flat bar wiv a couple of holes in it, to hold on to the pulley.

It took heating the nut with a mini (chef's) blowtorch and a whack with a big ol' lump hammer to shift it.

Now it has a tiny smear of grease on the thread.

you can pick up the spanners from halfrauds for about a tenna, worth getting hold of one so you can get in to hold the pully still.


I changed the RAD on mine... while you're there flush the intercooler out.

Success - got the fan off tonight .
Gave it a few taps with a cold chisel and then put on the adjustable and hit it a few times with a hammer and it loosened - thankfully . I just couldn't go any further until I got the fan off .
Of course it helped that thanks to battenberg I was turning it the correct way to loosen it .