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Author: Subject: crank pulley bolt stuck
snippy

posted on 23/4/16 at 08:56 PM Reply With Quote
crank pulley bolt stuck

I`m in the process of servicing a 2003 1.25 Fiesta for my lad. All was going fine until I started on the task of changing the timing belt. It hasn`t been done and it`s over due so needs doing. I can`t undo the crank pulley bolt though. It`s stuck fast. I`ve had my breaker bar on it with no joy. Anyone had the same problem and how did you undo it?
I can`t use the `breaker bar against the ground and turn it on the starter` method because it`s an non keyed crank pulley.
I also can`t hold the crank pulley with any tool to prevent it from turning because the pulley has no holes in it.
I`m gonna try removing the starter motor tomorrow and see if I can jam the flywheel. Alternatively I wondered about lowering the engine so the pulley rests on a concrete block. The weight of the engine on the pulley may hold it enough to undo the bolt?

Any idea`s?

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Daf

posted on 23/4/16 at 09:05 PM Reply With Quote
My brother in law had one (think it was a 1.4 so I dont know if its the same engine) and they couldn't shift it no matter what or how they tried apparently other people had the same issue - in the end it had to be taken off with a rattle gun.
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Mash

posted on 23/4/16 at 09:20 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by snippy
I`m in the process of servicing a 2003 1.25 Fiesta for my lad. All was going fine until I started on the task of changing the timing belt. It hasn`t been done and it`s over due so needs doing. I can`t undo the crank pulley bolt though. It`s stuck fast. I`ve had my breaker bar on it with no joy. Anyone had the same problem and how did you undo it?
I can`t use the `breaker bar against the ground and turn it on the starter` method because it`s an non keyed crank pulley.
I also can`t hold the crank pulley with any tool to prevent it from turning because the pulley has no holes in it.
I`m gonna try removing the starter motor tomorrow and see if I can jam the flywheel. Alternatively I wondered about lowering the engine so the pulley rests on a concrete block. The weight of the engine on the pulley may hold it enough to undo the bolt?

Any idea`s?

Surely the breaker bar on the ground and turn the key should work a it's the crank that the bolt is bolted into not the pulley? So your trying to turn the crank, but the bolt and breaker stops it?

Used that method on my defender Td5 (non-keyed pulley)a month ago, pretty scary, but it worked. Thought it hadn't but then tried just the breaker bar on it in gear before I gave up, and it came loose easily as the turning key method must have loosened it.

Worth a shot I reckon, but don't blame me if something goes scarily wrong

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Smoking Frog

posted on 23/4/16 at 09:43 PM Reply With Quote
A big hammer always worked for me but I remember a tip of threading rope through a spark plug hole to jam the engine. Did not seem a good solution to me. Also you have to make sure the piston is on compression stroke to ensure no damage to valves, maybe someone's tried this method.
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britishtrident

posted on 23/4/16 at 09:46 PM Reply With Quote
Yes the old method no longer works for obvious reasons.
You will have to lock the flywheel with the proper tool that bolts into the starter mounting and use a very long breaker bar or a really butch rrattle gun.





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02GF74

posted on 23/4/16 at 09:52 PM Reply With Quote
Put it in gear.

Put 4x2 wood in front or beind front wheel and tie down using straps or chain the wishbone.

As you turn pulley, car will want to move say frowards and over the wood but it cant go over due to straps/chain holding it down. Note. this is fine using front axle eg land roverwhich a far stroinger than wishbone so dont blame me if anyrhing breaks or bends :p

Probably wanna be using a 3/4 in socket set, a 1/2 socket on breaker bar starts to bend in a worrying fashion.

But try rattle gun first.






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daviep

posted on 23/4/16 at 09:56 PM Reply With Quote
You need to make a tool which holds the pulley using the three big slots in the pulley like this,



Needs to be atleast 3ft long, the tightening torque when putting it back together is pretty high.





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snippy

posted on 23/4/16 at 10:24 PM Reply With Quote
I don't have a rattle gun unfortunately. I can't make a tool as I've said because the pulley is totally smooth with no holes or slots cut into it. Don't fancy the rope down a cylinder idea either.
I've got a couple of things to try for now. Thanks for the suggestions so far folks.

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obfripper

posted on 24/4/16 at 12:22 AM Reply With Quote
Time the engine up, get one of these , remove the starter and timing tools, and bolt into the starter aperture engaging with the ring gear.
You should now be able to remove the crank pulley bolt with a breaker bar.
When you fit the belt and crank pulley with a new bolt, make sure that the cam sprockets can turn freely, as the crank sprocket can turn with the bolt as it is tightened, this doesn't affect the timing in any way and is normal, but will result in a broken belt/cams if the cam sprockets are finger tight with the cam timing bar fitted.
Also, some of the autodata instructions are suspect, especially with regard to these engines fitted to volvo's (2012 book), use the ford tis instructions - even they are no use for crank bolt removal without using a rattle gun (i've had several of these that wouldn't budge with a rattle gun anyway), also i normally leave the flywheel locking tool in place for tightening the crank pulley, rather than relying on the threads in the timing pin hole to hold the crank while tightening up as per tis instructions.

Dave

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MikeRJ

posted on 24/4/16 at 07:36 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by snippy
Alternatively I wondered about lowering the engine so the pulley rests on a concrete block. The weight of the engine on the pulley may hold it enough to undo the bolt?



That won't work, not even slightly. Get the starter motor off and lock the flywheel up.

Relying on the gearbox and brakes to stop the engine turning is a poor idea. With a big breaker bar you can put very high loads through the drivetrain which risks breaking something and it also provides a lot of "spring" as you wind up all the various gearbox shafts and driveshafts etc. which isn't what you want.

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Furyous

posted on 24/4/16 at 09:29 AM Reply With Quote
I tried getting the crank bolt of a 1.6 Zetec SE a while ago but it wouldn't budge.

Tried WD40, an impact wrench (did nothing), starter motor (socket kept falling off the bolt), butane blowtorch (not hot enough), Locked the flexplate (snapped the 1/2" head on my 24" breaker bar).

In the end I cut the flange off the bolt with an angle grinder. It completely wrecked the pulley, but I had a spare scrap engine to replace it with. Once I had most of the flange off I could undo it by hand. Made me laugh how easily it unscrewed after all the trouble I had.

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snippy

posted on 24/4/16 at 07:18 PM Reply With Quote
Spent quite some time today using various methods to undo the bolt but it's stuck fast well and truly. Even a windy gun wouldn't shift it. What a pain in the arse!
Gonna take the car to a garage to try a more powerful windy gun and if that doesn't work the angle grinder is coming out to play!

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Daf

posted on 24/4/16 at 08:47 PM Reply With Quote
If you're not worries about destroying the pulley how about welding a bar onto it?

[Edited on 24/4/16 by Daf]

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Grimsdale

posted on 25/4/16 at 02:20 PM Reply With Quote
I replaced the timing belt on 1.6, used a flywheel lock as shown above, and 1.5m scaffold pole over a breaker bar. Was pretty tight, but came undone
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nick205

posted on 25/4/16 at 03:13 PM Reply With Quote
What about a blow torch and heating?

That might break it free and allow you to remove it with a breaker bar.

As above, be careful with a 1/2" breaker bar/socket - they can and do shear off with little warning.






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rusty nuts

posted on 25/4/16 at 05:42 PM Reply With Quote
There's windy guns and there's windy guns , cheap ones are a waste of time and money. The problem with taking the car to a garage is you won't be able to drive it home.
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Daf

posted on 25/4/16 at 05:48 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
There's windy guns and there's windy guns , cheap ones are a waste of time and money. The problem with taking the car to a garage is you won't be able to drive it home.


Could agree more with that, my old man was chuffed at his 30 quid autojumble one and we had a competition with my expensive one: his tightened a bolt up to the point where it took a bit of effort with a ratchet to remove it - mine tightened it to the point where the bolt head sheared clean off!

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