Benji17

Ok so I'm trying to change out my opti. I can't get the freakin pulley off to save my life. I tried the autozone pulley pullers, I've tried hammering, I've tried man handling that bitch off. It's still the stock opti, so my guess is the pulley has never been removed. I'm going home on leave next wednesday amd need to get the car running. Someone please help!!!

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Spray some PB blaster on it and let it sit. Repeat if needed.

Benji17

Do I need to remove the center bolt that's in the pulley or no?

WhistlingZ

No, center bolt is for the crank hub. Its probably rusted on.

Benji17

Ya I just sprayed it with some PB blaster and I'm gonna let it sit overnight.

I tried the 3 jaw puller, and another puller. I tried a hard mallet, and I tried a regular hammer. I tried jist yanking on it. Nothing I did worked. Hopefully the pb blaster will help. I'm about to just say screw it and pull the motor to start my LS swap. Haha

Benji17

Ya I just sprayed it with some PB blaster and I'm gonna let it sit overnight.

I tried the 3 jaw puller, and another puller. I tried a hard mallet, and I tried a regular hammer. I tried jist yanking on it. Nothing I did worked. Hopefully the pb blaster will help. I'm about to just say screw it and pull the motor to start my LS swap. Haha

shbox

If you pull on it straight, it's gonna come off.
http://shbox.com/1/pull_pulley.jpg

There is no car information given, but if it is a later model pulley, it has holes in it for using a conventional balancer puller.
http://shbox.com/1/engine_front_diagram.jpg

Benji17

My car is a 94. I tried pulling straight out on it. It doesn't budge AT ALL, no matter what I do.

Badazz 97 TA

iTrader: (18)

Are you sure your pulling on it right, like not on the hub itself. just on the pulley using the middle bolt as a pushing point.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

Let's clarify something here:

Are you trying to remove the pulley off the hub leaving the hub on the crank

OR

Are you trying to remove the pulley AND hub off the crank like it was a single piece old school small block Chevy balancer?

Benji17

Trying to remove the pulley. I'm replacing the opti, and all the write ups I see just say remove the pulley, but some pictures look like just the pulley, and other look like the pulley amd the hub. I just need enough room to replace the opti. But I can't break the pulley loose. No movement out of it, whatsoever.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

Three bolts hold the pulley to the hub. After that, you'll need to pull it off like old school SBC but the center point of your puller should be pushing on the hub bolt into the crank.

This will leave the hub on the crank.

The pulley is just a press fit onto the hub.

Benji17

I tried two different pullers. The stud for both pullers just spun around on the center bolt. I haven't tried sticking a socket over the center bolt amd trying the puller that way. I'll try again tomorrow when I have better lighting. Haha

RamAir95TA

iTrader: (2)

No offense but it honestly sounds to me like you're not familiar with how a puller works. The center stud is supposed to spin - that's why you use a socket, so it doesn't gall up the bolt and keep the screw centered.

Many times it takes a good amount of force - perhaps more than you think. But the LAST thing you want to do is beat on it with a hammer. You need a good puller, lots of PB Blaster, and even leverage on the forcing screw. An impact gun works wonders on forcing screws. You also have to make absolutely sure the claws of the puller are on the pulley and not the hub. Check the shbox.com link in case you haven't already (I see you're on a cell phone):

Benji17

That's how I had it. I tried again this morning, nothing. I couldn't tell last night, but the threads on the forcing bolt are pretty worn down. I'm gonna see if they have another one I can rent out.

Benji17

They have another one. It's a 2 ton puller, which should be enough. And it's brand new, still in the wrapper. Hopefully this one works

ckyconan2003

iTrader: (2)

I feel like this ends with you breaking something...

I always removed them as one piece by loosening the center bolt, thread it in a few rotations then used that as the pullers leverage point. Let us know how it goes!

Benji17

Good news!!! I used the new puller they gave me. Used the short socket as a guide for the forcing bolt. In guessing the problem was the bad threads on the old one cause this one pulled it right out. My bad guys. Haha

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Gently run some emory cloth around on the ID hole of the balancer before reinstall. I did this on my ASP pulley and I can actually seat it by hand and it comes off with ease the next time.

Gojira94

iTrader: (4)

Most will tell you putting stress on the crank snout threads either way isn't a good idea. pulling off the hub as you've described stresses the outer threads of the crank snout. Putting one on by essentially doing the same in reverse and using the center bolt to pull the hub on is just as risky. Socket on the fully seated crank hub bolt (bottomed out in the crank, no stress on the threads) with a 3-jaw puller is the way to go. for installing the hub, 7/16" 20-pitch threaded rod bottomed out into the crank threads like this is safe"

http://members.***.net/gmarengo/Misc/Misc.htm
http://members.***.net/gmarengo/Misc..._assembled.JPG

Here's mine in action:

EDIT: the links seem to be broken... thread the rod all the way in, put some big washers on, put a nut all the way down against th washers. put 2 on the rod somewhere behind the 1st (closer to the hub is easier) and turn them opposing so they bind slightly against each other. Turn the nut against the washers ("#1") clockwise and middle one ("#2") counterclockwise at the same time. Pushes the hub on instead of pulling it on with the crank threads.