The immovable crank pully bolt and the unstappable rage

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 03 Jan 2011, 16:40

Ive tried everything now, putting her in gear and having a go..nope

1.Heating the hell out of it and having a go..........nope

2.The starter trick......nope

3.Heating the hell out of the bolt and the starter trick.nope

4.heating the hell out of the bolt, whacking with a hammer and the starter motor trick.......nope

5.heating the hell out of it, nhitting with a hammer, blasting with ice spray and the starter trick......nope

6.making the car lift off the axle stand with the jack under the end of my breaker bar

............nope

Is a rattle gun really going to do what i cant with brute force? ive used them before but ive put proper pressure/heat on that bolt now and its not moved one bit, any suggestions welcome because after a whole afternoon its Dean 0 Pulley bolt 1

D

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 03 Jan 2011, 16:54

Been here myself and wasted whole days getting apoplectic!

I'd worry the crank pulley and crank seal won't take too well to being heated.
It ruined a two piece pulley on a 2.0i 8v which I didn't realise had a rubber
joint between x2 parts until it was too late...

What finally worked was the starter off and the ring gear locked in position
with a locking toothed tool bought for the job. THe crank bolt still needed
an impact socket on a slight extension to clear the wheelarch onto a
breaker bar and a trolley jack handle where it let go with a sickening OMG
it's sheared loud 'snap'.

Andrew

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 03 Jan 2011, 17:00

i cant get on the flywheel Andrew, there is no 'window' in the Activa's gearbox

The Pulley is indeed dead yes but in not worried anout that as she will be getting a proper solid pulley put back on when im done, i think i need to think bigger in terms of force

D

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 03 Jan 2011, 17:08

Hi Dean,

like I said, take the starter motor off and you will have access. I realise access to anything in a TCT Activa engine is a bit pants, but hey, needs must.
Good move going with a solid crank replacement.

Andrew

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 03 Jan 2011, 17:17

will let you know how i get on tomorrow, just need a scaffold pole a locking tool and a helper and all should be well then, may have to get a new bolt after this though

.

?D

HDI · Unread post by **HDI** » 03 Jan 2011, 17:20

An impact gun is your friend, I don't even bother with anything else !!

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 03 Jan 2011, 20:31

The crank bolt on my latest HDi was "F" tight but finally gave way with a breaker bar and a long scaffold pole, for the first time the starter trick didn't work so give it some welly!

spider · Unread post by **spider** » 03 Jan 2011, 21:01

I've had the odd one that's very tight. A eight foot scaffold pole 'assisted' though.

It is rare to have 'real' problems though with a decent (and decent air pressure) gun to undo them...

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Jan 2011, 22:09

Deanxm wrote:i cant get on the flywheel Andrew, there is no 'window' in the Activa's gearbox
The Pulley is indeed dead yes but in not worried anout that as she will be getting a proper solid pulley put back on when im done, i think i need to think bigger in terms of force

D

The "window" ref to the Activa's gearbox got me thinking, and there is something that can be used that gives a high output without a high input.

It's called a torque multiplier, and if you click on this link you can see a picture of one.

They can be bought, or hired note the size of the input torque wrench, and the step up in size to a larger drive big impact socket.

They can be used in confined space, and where you don't want to slip off, and do yourself an injury (been there done that) reading the details on one of them, stated it had a multiplication of 5 to 1 so an input of say 100nm is multiplied five fold, so I would say if a bolt is FT it won't be after one of these has been on it!

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Jan 2011, 22:22

Here's one in use with an air gun, which will ensure that if the air gun is having a hard time of releasing a FT tight bolt, and it can happen!

Then this will ensure that the air tool lasts longer, and that at home you do not empty your compressor tank quickly as the gun is suddenly much more powerful, and the neighbours don't have to put up with the impact hammer blows from the gun, and the compressor both working overtime, and they won't hear any loud swearing too, as one is less liable to lose the rag with this efficient method.

HDI · Unread post by **HDI** » 03 Jan 2011, 22:24

Surely an air impact gun is easier and more convenient ?!
Every DIY mechanic should have one, they aren't expensive anymore and neither are hobby compressors.
It is my tool of choice for any potentially stubborn fasteners and it massively reduces the potential for damage and or injury.
Crank pulley bolts shrink in fear when an impact gun approaches

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 03 Jan 2011, 22:39

HDI wrote:Surely an air impact gun is easier and more convenient ?!
Every DIY mechanic should have one, they aren't expensive anymore and neither are hobby compressors.
It is my tool of choice for any potentially stubborn fasteners and it massively reduces the potential for damage and or injury.
Crank pulley bolts shrink in fear when an impact gun approaches

I agree, but was also supplying more info to help out, I have had to deal with bolts that have had lots of loctite smeared on them at the factory, and on bolts/ fasteners in the commercial sizes I.E. 70mm sockets, and larger as well as on cars with their smaller sizes.

I remember a friend undoing a 36mm hub nut with a five foot long scaffold pole, on the end of a Snap on rachet it did it, we were at his house, and it was late and he was tired it did the job, but when something can make it easier then it does help.

Also if you are away from home, and need to undo something and the compressor is not mobile, then a torque multiplier certainly is!

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 04 Jan 2011, 07:14

ive looked at a impact driver and they are super cheap (£25 ish for a 1/2") but would something this end of the market be any good? last air tool i got was a snap-on air ratchet and that is brilliant for stuff like manifold bolts and otherhard to reach stuff.
I will have this bolt off tonight but then i will have to look into something more suitable, any recommendations as to what to buy?

D

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2011, 07:56

Can you afford the Snap-On cordless impact wrench? Awesome piece of kit - I've seen it in action plenty.

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 04 Jan 2011, 07:58

i have not had the plesure of an ACTIVA crank bolt as yet, but i always use an inpact socket, 2 half inch drive extentions, a 2 foot knukle bar with a 4 foot scafold tube and the outter end of the extention's sitting on an axle stand, also an assistant locking the fly wheel with a long lever,

mind you only use constant presure and no jerking/bounceing on the scafold bar, as this will shear the knukle of the breaker bar,

works every time for me even on the very stubon little BBBBB's,

regards malcolm