go figure... crank pulley bolt blues

wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
in Engine & Drivetrain
i knew it was coming... so im off to change my timing belt. got everything removed, like the engine mount and stuff. hell even the radiator and bumpers, etc for space.

well i come to the crank pulley bolt. i have my father put my car in gear and also step on the brake to loosen it. but the pulley still turns!! wtf? is my clutch slipping?! soooo that plan was ditched.

next we jammed a screw driver into the crank pulley against the block but it doesnt budge.

also tried Haynes suggestion of jamming a large screw driver into the flywheel ring gears. bulllllll idea whoever came up with that was on drugs.

.....

so now, i am so efkin tired, had a total of 4 hours sleep for the past 3 days... and i dunno what to do right now. i drowned the bolt with WD-40 right now... gonna let it sit overnight. and now im just ranting but seriously, what should i do to get that f***er of?? car is completely immobile now hahaha

Comments

  • KahunaKahuna familEE
    They make a tool that holds the crank pulley.
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    i did a little google research... and i think this is a winner idea...

    Rodger Dodger wrote:
    To get the crankshaft bolt loose, you need 2 or 3, 1/2 inch grade 8 bolts with nuts of any grade. file just enough of the threads of so that you can get them through the holes on the crankshaft pulley. you'll need to jam a steel bar between these so that you can keep the crank shaft from spinning (it's torqued to 119 ft/lbs). you can see how this guy does it here: http://www.cadvision.com/blanchas/54pont... This site was somewhat helpful.

    Oh, and you'll need a 1/2 drive 17mm socket, 2 10-inch extensions, a half inch drive breaker bar, a cheater pipe to slip on the end of the breaker bar, and a jack stand.

    run the extension and breaker bar out past the body of the car and rest it on the jack-stand, so you can put all your weight on the end of the pipe. if it feels like you're going to break something, that's normal
  • genedaddygenedaddy Wagonist
    so jamming the screwdriver in wouldn't hold it? if it does use a breaker bar with a pipe to get added length and torque. otherwise good luck
  • JakerJaker familEE
    I never, and I mean never try this job without making a stop at the local garage on my way home so the big ass 3/4" air gun can have a crack at the bolt before I try and do the job. Just slip them a $20, and ask them to crack it loose, and then "snug" it down for the drive home. Once you're home, it'll come off like butter.

    I know this doesn't help you right now, but it'll help someone that does a search in the future. In your case, you'll likely break a couple power bars if your extension pipe is too long. I know I've broken one or 2 in the past trying this exact thing. Watch the screwdriver through the pulley trick. that's a good way to break the pulley. The white metal cast ones will break apart in the area around the holes. If not, you're taking a chance of breaking a piece of your oil pump, as that is the part of the block that you're jamming the screwdriver into.
  • jb2wheelsjb2wheels Wagonist
    Impact wrench is the secret. If you don't have a compressor, I think you can get electric (AC or 12VDC) or cordless ones.
  • evol911evol911 familEE
    I might be wrong about this but I was under the impression that you could rent tools from Autozone or parts stores like that. I know I've rented spring compressors from Napa before. Might be able to rent an impact too. Something to check into.
  • slammedEEwagonslammedEEwagon Wagonist
    yeah advanced has the tool buy and return its only 40 or around there use a breaker bar on it.
  • rallyrat427rallyrat427 Wagonist
    i was at mine for 3 days ... i broke 3 of my 17 mm sockets ... tried my impact whrench but my crappy little 15 gallon compressor wouldnt do the trick ... i finally towed it to my buddy's shop and used his 60 gallon compressor and it came off like it wasnt even torqued down


    and the honda shop manual rates d16a6 it at 82 lb/ft
  • evol911evol911 familEE
    Don't do this but I've heard of people wedging a breaker bar in there and starting the car. Didn't end well so get it out of your mind!! I shouldn't have even said anything. :?
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    haha^^ don't worry, my car isn't start able anymore :P

    thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate it.
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    SHE'S OFF!!! :D
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    Sit her on the ground in gear (handbreak on) and use an impact wrench. :)
  • evol911evol911 familEE
    wagodizzle wrote:
    SHE'S OFF!!! :D

    What if it was a male bolt? VERY SEXIST OF YOU :evil:
  • lalunettelalunette familEE
    Rodger Dodger wrote:
    if it feels like you're going to break something, that's normal

    This is exactly the kind of advice I LOVE to read 'cause it empowers me to try stuff as a "backyards mechanic".
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    evol911 wrote:
    wagodizzle wrote:
    SHE'S OFF!!! :D

    What if it was a male bolt? VERY SEXIST OF YOU :evil:

    let me rephrase... IT'S off.

    and my car runs now. got everything put on and back together :D now i just need a timing light....
  • evol911evol911 familEE
    Hey a real mechanic could time it by ear!! :P
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    evol911 wrote:
    Hey a real mechanic could time it by ear!! :P

    lolz thats how it is right now :P just keep adjusting it a little each time i drive hahha
  • rallyrat427rallyrat427 Wagonist
    just advance it til it starts pingin then back it off a couple degrees :lol:
  • evol911evol911 familEE
    rallyrat427 wrote:
    just advance it til it starts pingin then back it off a couple degrees :lol:

    Adjust to MAX POWER then bring it down a notch! Thats how my timing was set. MAX POWER
  • JakerJaker familEE
    wagodizzle wrote:

    let me rephrase... IT'S off.

    How'd you get it off?
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    evol911 wrote:
    rallyrat427 wrote:
    just advance it til it starts pingin then back it off a couple degrees :lol:

    Adjust to MAX POWER then bring it down a notch! Thats how my timing was set. MAX POWER

    same here, i couldnt handle all the horses so i had to notch it down a bit. typical wagon syndrome.
    Jaker wrote:
    wagodizzle wrote:

    let me rephrase... IT'S off.

    How'd you get it off?

    like in that link i posted... i put two bolts across from each other into the pulley, then a crow bar in between them and rested it on the cross member. then i had my dad put his full body weight against the socket wrench and miraculously it broke free :shock: very happy, needless to say :D
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    Dad got a bit of extra mass to spare? :lol:
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    pure muscle Haydz, pure muscle :lol:
  • WagonWhirledWagonWhirled New Wagonist
    genedaddy wrote:
    so jamming the screwdriver in wouldn't hold it? if it does use a breaker bar with a pipe to get added length and torque. otherwise good luck

    this worked for me but I also used a jackstand right at the neck of the breaker bar to keep it's leverage. the pipe I used for added length was about 5 feet long. when jamming the screwdriver into the flywheel teeth via the starter location, I didn't just jam it in, I turned the flywheel and I looked for a beefy spot and then jammed the big screw driver right on a good angle where it wouldn't move under pressure..not all the spots on the flywheel teeth would hold it down I found, that's my method.
  • NZ-DB8RNZ-DB8R Moderator
    Had this problem on my Type R, screwdriver in the flywheel then power bar with a 2m pipe on the end of it worked, bent the screwdriver though :oops:
  • White&NerdyWhite&Nerdy Senior Wagonist
    Well I'm glad you managed it. I ended up giving up when I tried changing my timing belt a few months back. The fact that mine's an automatic and leaving it in gear didn't work so well just made things worse for me.

    Ironically, a couple of weeks ago we pulled the dead motor out of my gf's CRX Si. Did it at a friend's shop. He handed me his 3/4" impact wrench and said "Here, make yourself feel better - go pull that crank pulley bolt." Less than 10 seconds with that thing did what 2 days in my driveway with lots of effort and swearing couldn't accomplish. :lol:

    The CRX's timing belt was replaced literally a few hundred miles before it started clanking badly, so we pulled it to put on the replacement engine with a belt of unknown age. Actually, pulling that motor from her car made me a lot more confident about working on my own, being the same motor as my wagon. :D I've seen it from all different angles so I really know what's where now.
  • doitdubdoitdub familEE
    Had a hell of a time with the crank pulley today...
    299.jpg
    Impact...
    300.jpg

    but ended up getting it with this method...
    301.jpg
  • StylEmonStylEmon Wagonist
    Hey DoItDub,

    I think having that extension off the ratchet is the reason you twisted your bolt. I twisted 2 extentions that way. You have to get right on the bolt with the ratchet.

    For all those saying that the impact is the way to go, sometimes even that isn't enough. I tried two impacts and neither did it.

    Glad to see you got it off wagonDizzle. One screwdriver didn't work for me, but 3 did!! :D A file would've worked well too.

    503.jpg

    When it comes down to it, the guaranteed way, is to lock up the flywheel, get an extension with a 1/2 drive on the end, put the socket right on the nut and whack it with a sledge hammer.

    I just went through all this... \/

    viewtopic.php?p=76798#p76798
  • sport wagonsport wagon Band Wagon
    I tried all of that and had to have a friend get the bolt glowing red hot with a welding torch and impact it off. His 500 lb. impact wouldn't do it cold. Hope I never have to go through that again.

    John
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