DIY Crank Pully Bolt Remove

[ECU-MAN]

Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!


Aim: Get that f@%king tight bolt off

Required: Air Compressor, Decent Air Impact Gun, ( or an Electric Impact Gun ). 17 or 19mm socket, 1/2 inch Breaker bar, Big ass bar.

There is no pics for this DIY, just a video. I felt you cant describe this in pictures.



This Method is based on you having Air Tools. If you find your self in you back yard with a cheep tool kit, dont bother, your just going to break a lot of tools. you need a compressor and an Air Impact ( Rattle ) Gun.



Click Here for the Video (http://ecu-man.com/diy/crank-bolt/crankbolt.wmv)2.8Mb



Steps: 1 support the engine from the sump with a Jack, undo the top engine mount to allow the engine to be lowered so you can access the pulley.


Step: 2 remove the splash guard to gain access to the pulley.


Step: 3 first try to undo the crank bolt from with the rattle gun, you never know you might get lucky. you will soon find out that it tight.


Step: 4 place your socket on the breaker bar, place the socket and bar on the crank pulley, turn the engine anti clockwise till you hit compression stroke, stop turning when your fighting the compression. ( make sure your spark plugs are in. )



Step: 5 Allow your bar to swing ( :) ) downwards. make sure you have clear area around the low hanging swinging bar.



Step: 6 Using your jack handle or a piece of pipe, take a fair swing at your breaker bar. make sure the bar doesn't go air born. it may fall off, but it should just fall on the ground. BE CAREFUL HERE

Step: 7 Now use your rattle gun to try and undo the bolt. I sometimes wait till my compressor has finished compressing, as this is when I have the most power at my finger tips.



the bolt should now just come undone with the rattle gun. if it does not, repeat steps 6 and 7 till it does.



I have used this method for over 10 years and I am still using my original breaker bar, Im not suggesting your breaker bar will not get damaged, but you don't need to whack the phyuck out of it. still be prepared to brake a tool.



just a quick note. Honda C series engines turn clockwise, so you can jam your breaker bar on the pulley and on a suspension component, and crank the car over ( so it wont fire up - REMOVE THE LEADS ) the breaker bar hits the suspension bits and stops there, the engine keeps turning and the bolt comes loose. DO NOT DO THIS on a NSX, as you could damage the aluminium bits and pieces around. just use the correct tool to lock the pulley and undo the nut.



Click Here for the Video (http://ecu-man.com/diy/crank-bolt/crankbolt.wmv)2.8Mb

Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!

[bennjamin]

noice video John :)

Im thinking to attempt to remove my crank bolt with my new little electric impact wrench for fun ! ( its rated at 200nm...im sure it will make a dent in it atleast -)

BTW in theory , cant you keep the rattle gun on the bolt and this impact will loosen it off eventually ? OR will the gun burnt out etc ?

[ECU-MAN]

hmm electric one might burn out,

with an air gun, you can do it all day, but adventually it will break

if the gun cant do it while the compressor is fully charged in 1 min of rattling, I dont think its going to budge.

I try for 10 to 20 sec, then get the bar out

[Paul1985]

great write up john :thumbsup:

i love step 6

[michael_antoi]

just watched the video

so u basically smacked the breaker bar to loosen the bolt then use the air gun to get the bolt off

would it still be possible to get it off with the wrench?

[Paul1985]

what about putting it back on.
And when jacking up under the sump its a good idea to put something like a plank of wood on the jack to protect the sump (for people who dont know)

[ECU-MAN]

ok
you dont loosen by whacking, it cracks the thread, the gun loosens it. fat chance with a wrench.

a jack will not damage a sump, the weight of the motor wont damage the sump. you can put wood if you want, I find with my jack wood is fiddly and makes the sump slip on the jack. as long as you dont try to lift weight with the jack from under the sump you will be fine, the weight of the engine is about the most you want to jack up from under there. I have never damaged a sump this way.

[VTi-R Civic]

Very nicely done video. Very concise and straightforward.

Thanks for going to the effort to put this together for us. Much appreciated. :thumbsup: :)

(Tech feedback left for you too. :thumbsup: :D )

[wynode]

Awesome writeup again John

+PQ points for you!

So when doing it up.....you just torque it upto spec (120NM was it?)

[ECU-MAN]

doing it up is also a problem Wyn, coz if you dont have the crank pully lock tool, you can use a torque wrench, I just lube the thread of the bolt with oil, and the inside of the pully just lightly with oil, then use my air rattle gun to do it up. never had one come off.

[ECU-MAN]

Very nicely done video. Very concise and straightforward.

Thanks for going to the effort to put this together for us. Much appreciated. :thumbsup: :)

(Tech feedback left for you too. :thumbsup: :D )

no problmes dude, this is why we have this section :)

[bennjamin]

will the special key still stay ontop of the crank side once you rattle the bolt off ? Or is there a small chance of it falling out into the lower guts of the engine there ? What about when re-installing ?

[wynode]

Well if you had the gearbox off and locked the flywheel........wouldn't that be enough to do up the bolt to 120NM? (given you can do up flywheel bolts this way)?

[ECU-MAN]

you can lock the crank that way, but be carefull, you can damage threads, or snap bolts. again my air rattle gun is my freind :) set it to FT and go for it, always be sensible, there is no need to sit there for ages tightening them.

[michael_antoi]

wat sort of air compressor should i go for?

would 2hp be sufficient?

[ECU-MAN]

hp of the motor doesnt mean much, you want to look for the output of the compressor in CMF
mine is a 15 CMF, 12 or better would be nice,

go for something belt driven, these direct drive ones look like toys

[bennjamin]

wat sort of air compressor should i go for?

would 2hp be sufficient?

you are looking at $800+ for a decent setup ( compressor + hosing + basic 1/2 inch ratchet gun etc - please dont get one of those super cheap auto or bunnings "packs") - myself and the boss have been looking around quite abit. I have settled for a compact electric impact wrench - rated at 200NM and fantastic for anything short of this "DEVIL" bolt lol ( well , i really dont want to burn it out on this lol). Looking at about $500 for unit BUT not as versitile as a compressor can be.

[wynode]

you can lock the crank that way, but be carefull, you can damage threads, or snap bolts.

How so?

I've done a few clutches/flywheels by wedging something between the flywheel teeth and torqued up the bolts to 120nm. So the same should work on the crank pulley bolt yeah?

[michael_antoi]

wow $800 for a decent setup eh

wayy more than i expected it to be

[ECU-MAN]

yeah , but remembet to every action there is a reaction. I have seen blots snap in the back of the crank, gearbox covers snap bolts bend. tools go flying nearly missing customers cars and other people.
just be carefull is what im sayng,

[ECU-MAN]

my rattle gun cost me about $400 when I was an aprentice, thats two weeks pay back then. but its a snap on one. you get what you pay for. and 10 years later, still works a treat. cheep air guns work ok as well, but dont last long. also not as gusty with the same amout of air pressure and volum

[bennjamin]

.....tools go flying nearly missing customers cars and other people.

well that can happen without even opening the bonnet :rolleyes: :D

Also John as I asked before -


will the special key still stay ontop of the crank side once you rattle the bolt off ? Or is there a small chance of it falling out into the lower guts of the engine there ? What about when re-installing ?

[michael_antoi]

so is there anything you could reccomend in terms of air tools for a good price?

i'm not looking for everlasting tools but something that wont break after the first month?

would that still be $800?


EDIT: SOrry to hijack the thread - last question i swear.

[wynode]

Best make a new thread Michael as its going OT

[ECU-MAN]

its ok Michael.

I would rather get a good 2nd hand compressor than a cheep new one. and a $50 air gun will undo the bolt like in the DIY, you may just have to hit it a few more times,

with cheep air tools, its pick of the bunch. I have seen a $50 air gun undo bolts that my snap on gun couldnt undo, but it only had that much balls for its first month of use, then went to normal cheep shit operation :) then you get leemons that wont even undo a wheel nut. all depends on the quality of the tool.

SP make a good airgun for a resonable price.

Wyn. you put the key in the keyway of the crank first, then slide on the Pulley. look to see if the key is there. then start the bolt by hand, once the key is in place with the pulley is on, its not going anywhere. do up that bolt to spec

[destrukshn]

i've onced snapped a crank bolt.
it wasn't pretty i tell you that for sure.
i had to use a reverse thread to get it out.

[wynode]

I've snapped one in half too.......but that was while driving the car (no tools anywhere near the crank pulley bolt).

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=45

[michael_antoi]

whoa....

what happened?

any bad damage?

[wynode]

I went for some hard driving the night before that happened. Apparently it has happened a few times to EG civics based on what my mehc told me.

[michael_antoi]

so the pulley didn't come loose or anything?

[wynode]

It was only suspended by the belts that were attached to it (so no alternator or power steering. I only drove it a few metres (onto a tow truck) though.

[VTi-R Civic]

Stupid question - many efforts with said breaker bar and an air impact gun and the SOB still won't come off. I have considered putting it together and taking it to a mechanic but am refusing to do so at the moment as I have the know-how to do this - if I could only get the bolt off...

Been busying myself with a brake change and other stuff in the interim but I want my car back on the road!

I am not a newb to doing my own mechanical work and this is getting ridiculous. These things DO come off in an anti-clockwise direction, right???

[ECU-MAN]

yes they do undo anti clock wise,
are your spark plugs in when you whack it with the bar ?

[krasyvy]

I didn't know they made a difference...?

[ECU-MAN]

they stop the compression from leaking out when you turn the engine.
so the whack on the bolt is more effective.

[VTi-R Civic]

yes they do undo anti clock wise,
are your spark plugs in when you whack it with the bar ?

Yes they are.:(

I give up. I do my own work because I enjoy it but I am over this. I'll put it back together and take it to someone so they can do it for me. It's frustrating because I am so close to removing the part I need off to complete the job but it just doesn't look like it is going to come off through conventional means. I suspect someone has overtorqued the bolt in a major way last time this was done.

I could probably get it off with a bigger (ie: HUGE) bar but I've spent enough on tools because of this sort of thing already and I have spent way too much time trying to get this thing off already.

Thanks for your help ECU-MAN, it is appreciated. :)

[michael_antoi]

yeh i'm having the exact same problem

just gonna take my block to the mechanic so they can take the bolt off with an air compressor gun and do the rest myself basically.

[BiGANG]

Yes they are.:(

I give up. I do my own work because I enjoy it but I am over this. I'll put it back together and take it to someone so they can do it for me. It's frustrating because I am so close to removing the part I need off to complete the job but it just doesn't look like it is going to come off through conventional means. I suspect someone has overtorqued the bolt in a major way last time this was done.

I could probably get it off with a bigger (ie: HUGE) bar but I've spent enough on tools because of this sort of thing already and I have spent way too much time trying to get this thing off already.

:)

im having the exact same problem. I spent more than 5 hours today trying to ful this SOB bolt off. I tried everything, the method shown, rattle gun, i welded up a ghetto bracket to try to hold the harmonic balancer. The last way is the closest i got, when I tried to crack the bolt with the breaker bar and a big mofo pipe on it, I snapped the 1/2" extension that i had on the socket/breaker. I have never seen a 1/2" drive anything snap before so I am thinking, I'm gonna put it all back together tomorrow, take it to my cousins worksop on monday (truck mechanic) and get him to see if he can loosen the mofo with his 3/4" drive rattlegun then nip it, bring it home and finish the job.

But its pretty depressing, whole day for one bolt. My mate was with me was a mechanic and he was cracking stupid jokes like 'i forgot to tell you i failed bolt removal fundamentals at tafe' and so on. but yea. LONG DAY

[krasyvy]

yeh man, that was the most depressing thing about my swap - getting that thing off..


but i mean, at this point, just stop trying.

I took it to a workshope and took them 10 seconds.

Dont break anymore equipment - like i did. :)

[OZ#227]

I had the same Prob, even with a rattle gun. I eventually took the Starter motor off. Cause putting in First,with it jacked-up, wasn't doing anything. Jammed the Flywheel teeth. Finally came off, with a bang. I thought...Shit...Was that Teeth on the Fly wheel?...But it was just the Bolt letting Go.

Good luck.

[BiGANG]

yeh i put it all back together and am going to buy a BIG MOFO rattlegun. My 1/2" one is useless. Only good for wheel studs and other softcore mech. work. I'm gonna get the magnum rattlegun, do a clint eastwood. 'do u feel lucky punk.. well doya'

[michael_antoi]

trying to get the crank bolt off.

i bought a 2hp compressor and hired a gun from kennards which didn't do the job after constant smashing the breaker bar to loosen it and using the gun too.

the engine is running and on its wheels and drivable but it's leaking to much oil to drive it down to the mechanic to get him to remove it.

do lube mobile carry air compressors / impact wrenches?

I would call them but they are closed atm.

and what size compressors?

maybe they can get the bolt off.

if not does anyone have any further advice for me?

[ECU-MAN]

my compressor is a 15cmf, your 2 HP compressor is probably arount 6 to 8 CMF, just wont cut the cheese,

try using a bigger bar and hit it harder. the hit it with a bar method works, trust me, you should be able to loosen the bolt enough so your compressor will get it out. you just gotta be persistant.

some are easy, one whack and the gun will do the rest. ( like in this Video )

some are real biuches, have to beat the crap out of it before it will give. ( like in the Cambelt Video )

how heavy and long is the bar your using.

[michael_antoi]

the bar was longer than 1m

me and a mate both spent 30 minutes whacking the crap out of it

used the gun on it today

along with whacking it hard

didn't do crap

[BiGANG]

the bar was longer than 1m

me and a mate both spent 30 minutes whacking the crap out of it

used the gun on it today

along with whacking it hard

didn't do crap

i did round 2 yesterday, thought i would try crack the crank pulley bolt befoore i did anything else just in case i got stuck again..

GUESS WHAT??

THE POS BOLT DIDN'T COME OFF AGAIN!!!!!

I tried everything again man, Im just over it 100%. I've never seen a more stubborn bolt in my life. My dad was sitting with my drinking beer and he was giving me moral support by swearing at it in greek for me while passing me tools. As for the 12cfm compressor scenario. I have a 15cfm compressor and my 1/2" drive rattle didnt even budge it. Im going to borrow a 3/4" drive of a frd of a frd next time and see if we can get this biutch off. Im not gonna give up this is about principles now. Think about it..

'what did u do this weekend?'
'working on the car?'
'oh yeh, what did u do?'
'tried to take off a bolt'

'ohh... ok then.. better luck next time.'

there is no way im gonna let 1 bolt get the best of me.. I would rather attack the thing to the point where i snap the head off the c**t and have to drill the fu**er out.

the mission continues............. stay posted

[michael_antoi]

lol tough luck man

just take it to the mechanic.

thats what i did the first time

took them 10 seconds - literally.

what size air compressor u got?

i was gonna hire the 3/4 inch drive but u need a 10hp + compressor

[BiGANG]

10hp+ really. I was told you only need 150psi to run the 3/4" drive. My compressor pushes that pretty easy so I was hoping i could borrow it. I might just take it to his wkshop and get him to crack it then nip it back till i drive it home like i originally planned.

I cant take the car to a mechanic man, i will feel like i failed, ok if it was something that i havent done before, but a timing belt damn.

you ended up taking it to a mechanic to do the whole job or just take the balancer off??

[michael_antoi]

just the balancer - there was no other way i could have gotten it off

kennards said there is no way my 2hp compressor would be able to power the 3/4" drive

he said i would need something close to 10hp

[Vtec_inside]

just use the breaker bar big long half inch dude and like brace it against a hard component of the suspension or chassis. then unclip the coil cable or like pull out all spark plug leads an crank the motor over a few times. Get someone to help u with the bar holding in place. This way it for sure to get ****ing crank pull bolts off. **** sucker bolt man. Ar... don't loose the lock key on the pully, or else ur f**ked. if it does not crake the nut for sure will loosen it. Then hit it with rattle gun. Com off for sure. If that does not work ur going to need to take it to a mech.

[PJT]

Sorry to revive an old thread. But I just spent two days with this mofo of a bolt. I tried all the above methods and nothing would work. I even made a 50mm hex tool from piping and held it on with a stilson. The pipe bent but the bolt didn't budge. Electric and air tools both didn't move it. Without the special tool, a breakbar just makes the engine turn, even when against the compression stroke. Think I'll have to contact honda and get the right tool to hold it still, or break out the oxy... :P

[PJT]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/27/asa4ege2.jpg

The fail attempt after building my own 'special' tool...

[rossirider]

If you guys are struggling with leverage, put a jack under your breaker bar and pump away.

[ECU-MAN]

Sorry to revive an old thread. But I just spent two days with this mofo of a bolt. I tried all the above methods and nothing would work. I even made a 50mm hex tool from piping and held it on with a stilson. The pipe bent but the bolt didn't budge. Electric and air tools both didn't move it. Without the special tool, a breakbar just makes the engine turn, even when against the compression stroke. Think I'll have to contact honda and get the right tool to hold it still, or break out the oxy... :P


It the method in the DIY did not work for you, chances are your doing it wrong. Its all about leverage, and the whack is to crack the nut not loosen it. You should have the engine just at the start of a compression stroke so the initial whack will use the engine compression to help hold the crank.

[PJT]

Ah, now I get it. Since I destroyed my homemade pulley holder, I've ordered the proper one from t&e tools (honda oz said that they won't ever sell tools and enjoy intimate moments with farm animals). Once I get it I'll try your technique. :)

[wynode]

Glad you searched :)

As ECU-MAN said, the key is to 'shock' and 'crack' the bolt.

[PJT]

I did try it that way again, but no luck. The t&e tool did the trick, along with 2 breaker bars and a 2m pipe! But split timing belt is now in the bin!

[pmk]

I have that tool also :P
I've lent it out heaps for mates doing Honda timing belts. Usually I have no issue with a pneumatic rattle gun though.

[PJT]

Yeah, mechanic told me they would use that. Basically goes so fast, cracks it like ecu-man's technique.