Pulley install problem
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
Pulley install problem Well I tried to install my underdrive pulley today. I decided to do it from underneath since there's a lot of room (relatively) to work with and so I wouldn't have to take the radiator out.
So I get the car up high on jack stands, take off the belts, and get a long wrench on the balancer bolt (with the car in 1st gear). Thing won't budge. I get a LONGER wrench, still won't budge. All that's happening is the pulley is turning with the wrench. So then I hook up my impact gun to my air compressor at 90psi and the highest power setting, and the bolt STILL will not come loose. The pulley didn't turn with the gun on it, but it didn't break loose the bolt. I tried with the car in 1st and 4th gear.
The only thing I can think of now is to take it to a shop with a real lift and try either a more powerful gun or a super long breaker bar. Do you guys have any other tips or tricks to break this bolt loose? Is there a reason the pulley seems to be turning too much?
So I get the car up high on jack stands, take off the belts, and get a long wrench on the balancer bolt (with the car in 1st gear). Thing won't budge. I get a LONGER wrench, still won't budge. All that's happening is the pulley is turning with the wrench. So then I hook up my impact gun to my air compressor at 90psi and the highest power setting, and the bolt STILL will not come loose. The pulley didn't turn with the gun on it, but it didn't break loose the bolt. I tried with the car in 1st and 4th gear.
The only thing I can think of now is to take it to a shop with a real lift and try either a more powerful gun or a super long breaker bar. Do you guys have any other tips or tricks to break this bolt loose? Is there a reason the pulley seems to be turning too much?
I had mine in 4th and just used a long torque wrench (about 18") with another 18" pipe on the end of it that I bought at the hardware store. This let me put some crazy torque on that bolt with basically a 36" wrench! The pulley moved a little but it will not just keep turning since the car is in gear.
DON'T TAKE IT TO A SHOP!! YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF!!! I was having the exact same problem with my pulley, and my 650lb earthquake impact gun wouldn't budge it. I went to home depot and got a 15 dollar propane torch and heated the crank bolt up for about 3 minutes and then hit it with the impact wrench and it came out like butter 
. Hope I got to ya before you take it somewhere!
. Hope I got to ya before you take it somewhere! Trending Topics
I just used a 18 inch torque wrench and all the chest muscle's i had. It took like 5-6 tries giving it all i had before it broke loose. I had a ratcet with a breaker bar but like you said the pulley still turns to a cetain extent which made the breaker bar it the fender or the ground so i was forced to use the torque wrench. I though my chest was about to burst doing it. I'm alittle guy only 125lbs so it took all i had. I'm sure if i had a lift and could have gotten under it and used my legs or a big breaker bar it would have been cake.
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crank bolt removal If you take a breaker bar and a 6 point deep socket only, and a 4 ft 3/4 inch pipe. I mean the threaded heavy water pipe type, and raise the car up enough to get under it, and hold it against the ground (as facing the front of the car "to the right") and hold the socket perfectly tight and flat to the bolt head. Have someone just tap the starter and it will pop loose perfectly every time. Just make sure you are out of the way and at arms length while holding it, bar in right hand socket in left, bar straight so it wont go off to an angle. If they just tap it only you are totally safe it will only move alittle. Dont be scared my son. I would not heat it,the balancer is mounted in rubber and it already is not a very good one, harmonically speaking.
crank bolt
Originally Posted by JonB
Yeah i read about that way after i did mine. Should't you unhook the plugs wire's or something for safety so it does't fire up on you.
