crankshaft pulley

drpau · Post by **drpau** » 10 Nov 2004, 21:11

Tried changing my crankshaft pulley on sunday - what a nightmare, that pulley bolt just wouldnt budge- I had took it on a 15 min run to get it warmed up as well. I think my problem could have been the length of my socket tool and not enough torque- as I was doing it on axle stands and not a ramp there wasnt much room so that was all I could use. What do people normally use for this? Im gonna take my new pulley and bolt to my good old local mechanic cap in hand for him to sort it out [V]

drpau · Post by **drpau** » 10 Nov 2004, 21:13

also, how long does everyone think it should take, I would say 5 mins to get belt off then 20 to remove pulley and refit new one then another 5mins to put the belt back on, is that fair? How much do you recon for it then?
Cheers
Paul

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 10 Nov 2004, 22:01

What I have done for years, which never fails, is to wedge the socket and bar into position on the nut, and against the floor, chassis, wishbone, or whatever's near, and give a quick turn of the starter (not enough to start the motor though....)- the engine will then un-do the nut for you!!!
Its a common method in the trade.
Just make sure you know what way everything is going to rotate and keep out of the way in case anything flys off.
The same method works for hubnuts as well-an assistant holds the socket on the hub, you slowly drive the car, the bar wedges against the floor, and the nut wii undo.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 10 Nov 2004, 23:03

This is also what I do - but when I put it on this forum a few years ago, it came in for a lot of critism from a safety point of view. Let's see what happens this time around!!

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 11 Nov 2004, 00:51

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Dave Bamber · Post by **Dave Bamber** » 11 Nov 2004, 01:37

An 18in Machine Mart Breaker Bar does it for me. I tend to use the starter motor method as a last resort as it can make a mess if extreme care isn't taken. If you can get an 8m/m bolt or rod in the timing point above the starter you can lock the crank. It makes undoing the bolt alot easier.[:D]
I recently did a timing belt on a Land Rover, the bolt is tightened up to 250lb/ft with buckets of thread lock. To undo the pulley bolt I had to resort to a 24in 3/4 drive breaker bar and a 6ft scaffold tube, with 18 stone of me dangling off the end. It was bloody tight![:0]

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » 11 Nov 2004, 01:44

Hmmm, i once nearly rotated the whole dyane round a rear hub nut, If you have never seen one they are amazing things, 44mm and done up to, if memory serves, 250 lb's ft.

beezer · Post by **beezer** » 11 Nov 2004, 02:16

As a precaution, you could disconnect the wire to the stop solenoid to prevent the engine starting if using the starter to loosen the nut.

drpau · Post by **drpau** » 11 Nov 2004, 15:41

Cheers for the replies fellas,
Yeah, Ive heard of the cranking the engine thing but I didnt have the balls to do it!
I did a rear hub nut with a 3 metre steel pole as leverage- at first i thought- 'this is like a knife through butter' until I realised I was actually shearing off one of my tools. Got a new one and then it came off no worries! If only I could have enough access to get my 3 metre pole in there!
Any ideas on a cost for it then? Just as a basic idea?
ta Paul

rg · Post by rg » 11 Nov 2004, 18:19

I hate to say this, but bolts have been known to shear. Are you there, D.J. Woollard?
How about heat, or some of that "pipe freezing stuff" on the bolt head?
rg

David W · Post by **David W** » 11 Nov 2004, 18:28

Funnily enough rg, after a fair break, I am.
Oh that sheared crank bolt...my biggest disaster ever. Mind you the bodged on replacement with the high strength stud lock lasted at least 12K without problems....then the owner sold it on OhBoy!!
David

beezer · Post by **beezer** » 11 Nov 2004, 19:07

I managed to get a Renault bolt free by using a 3/4 drive socket on a long breaker bar. I made up a contraption to lock the flywheel and pulley (Renault locks the crank on the shaft rather than flywheel so would not risk using this method of locking to loosen bolt). The vehicle (van in this case) was jacked up and I set the socket and bar with the end of the bar touching the ground. As I let the jack down the weight of the van pressed on the breaker bar and the bolt came loose. This was with a cold engine too.

drpau · Post by **drpau** » 11 Nov 2004, 20:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by beezer

I managed to get a Renault bolt free by using a 3/4 drive socket on a long breaker bar. I made up a contraption to lock the flywheel and pulley (Renault locks the crank on the shaft rather than flywheel so would not risk using this method of locking to loosen bolt). The vehicle (van in this case) was jacked up and I set the socket and bar with the end of the bar touching the ground. As I let the jack down the weight of the van pressed on the breaker bar and the bolt came loose. This was with a cold engine too.
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hmm, theres nothing quite like getting a few tonnes of force behind something eh![:D]

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 11 Nov 2004, 20:09

A good way of bending / breaking something is to apply a force that it isn't designed to resist to it. e.g. proping the front of a van up with a breaker bar. This sort of thing really is stupidity.
Using the right tools for the job and a bit of common sense means things don't get broken or bodged.

beezer · Post by **beezer** » 11 Nov 2004, 21:27

The van was not propped up as the jack was SLOWLY eased down enough to shift the bolt. Proof of pudding is the job got done without damaging anything. The right tools obviously don't always work if you read this forum. I would think that using the starter is more risky than lowering with a jack but both methods can obviously do the job. What tools and method would you use Kowalski - given that without high lift ramps you have not much clearance to use a 30 foot scaffolding pole?