I have never heard of soaking in Bio Diesel, but lubricating the shaft with ATF has done the trick for me. There were some comments on the MB club website that warned about oil as it scould dissolve the insulation on the motor wires. As to your other question the blower is a "press on" and there have been warnings about breakage when removing. I would try penetrating oil, and a lot of patience. I also do not recall any clips