G'day,

I've gotta take my timing belt off to remove my heads to get them overhauled and I can't think of any way to hold the crankshaft pulley still while I'm undoing the bolt. If it was a manual, I'd just put it in gear with the handbrake on and that'd hold the crankshaft still but I have an auto so I can't do that. How have you guys done it?

 

And how can I tell when it is at T.D.C of it's compression stroke?

 

Take your inspection plate off,then use a big flathead screwdriver to stop the flexplate from turning by sticking it in the teeth of the flexplate and then bracing it against the bellhousing...

Or you can use a impact wrench if available.....

 

 

In cyl no.1:
- All valves about closed
- If this is so, and your luck persists, pressure happens

In VG distributor:
- rotor should be pointing to cyl no.1 -wire

 

starter off screwdriver jam in flex plate

 

impact wrench.
If you don't have one, take car to mechanic or lube place.
have them break it loose then put it on gently so you can drive home.

other option... stick breaker bar on bolt. turn engine until bar is just about to touch frame. get in car, tap starter. should knock bolt loose.

 

With my manual VE, I just had my dad step on the brakes while it was in gear. I don't know if it will work for auto, but try the brakes.

The engine is at TDC when all three punchmarks on the crank/cam gears line up with the punch marks on the block. You will know what I'm talking about when you look at the gears.

 

Whats the best way to remove the pulley once the bolt is loose?

Normaly it is tough to get off right any tricks or tips?

 

You need a rent a 3 jaw puller from idiotzone

 

Is that the only way possible?.........

How much to rent?

Thanks MyGreenMax94

 

That is the best and only way i know how to take it off...


They are like $20 to rent...But you get it all back when you bring it back...

 

I didn't know any better, so I wrapped a strap around the pulley with a wet strip of cotton cloth on the inside of the strap to build friction/ grip and then secured one end of the strap to a metal bar secured accross the top of the engine and other end of the strap had a buckle that the rest of the strap ran through and acted like a noose around the pulley. This alowed me to use a breaker bar to loosen the bolt because the pulley was held still by the strap as the strap tightened around it while I pulled with the breaker bar in the opposite direction. Also, the pulley came off using a three bolt puller (looks like a tree with a center shaft pushing against the crank shaft center). So --> "Necessity is the father of invention" -- what ever works.

 

is that how you did it?

 

The idiotzones around me didn't have 3-jaw pullers large enough for the crankshaft . I had to rent their crankshaft pulley puller instead, but it didn't come with the bolts for our thread type, so I had to visit a few hardware stores in order to buy some.

 

there has to be another way.
mine was pulled in the street with normal hand tools
ask kyle (harv94max) he did mine

 

I sure there is another way,i just don't know of one that would not damage the c/p.....
When i changed my crank seal i didn't even need a puller...I just gave it a good yank and came right off..

 

Put a rag around pulley and hold it tight with a chain wrench...lossen the bolt but keep it on..put two pry bars behind pulley then tap on the bolt while prying from the back..and yes you will need a third hand..a tiny one..this will work I promise...good luck

 

Do you need to drain the tranny fluid to take the inspection plate off? I can't seem to find it. I have a VG. Is that diagram from a VE?

 

And what the hell do you use to hold the cam sprockets still while you undo the bolt???

 

No need to drain the fluid....The insection plate is between the tranny bellhousing and the engine,just on the bottom....
Here is a pic of it off the car....


You got to remove the bottom tranny bolts[5 i think] to get it off of there...

 

chain wrench holds the crankshaft pulley while you turn the bolt...you didn't ask how to get the camshaft sprockets off.

 

I was under my car today and noticed the crank pulley has a chip on the edge and has started to separtate at the seam a little bit in one spot. Anyone ever heard of a crank pulley failing?

 

only times I've seen one fail is from severe abuse at a junkyard.
that rubber cracking a bit shouldn't cause any major problems unless the thing completely starts falling apart.

for the part of it that's chipped, just be careful and make sure the belt running next to it isn't fraying or anything..


As for how to hold the crank sprockets still, I use a rubber strap wrench. (a rag and a chain strap wrench mentioned above works fine too).

also, try popping the bolts loose on the crank sprockets BEFORE removing the timing belt.. often that works due to the engine's compression. make sure everything is at TDC before you actually remove the belt, bolts, and cam sprockets.

 

+ Impact wrench = < 1 hr job

 

No to rent. Time to think your own tools: some steel, holes bolts - an all drops off from u command. Zero dollars. Well, no visual t hing to bo ast...

 

Go spend $30 for an impact wrench capable of 220 lb/ft (you do need a compressor though) and it is very easy.

 

Naw...You don't need a air compressor..

 

I successfully pulled everything apart ready to take the heads off (I won't take em off till Monday because that's when the reconditioning company can fit them in).

I gave up on undoing the crank pulley and I have the timing beltdangling out of the lower timing belt cover which I will take off when I get home.

My question is, can i put the timing belt back on without taking the crank pulley off because the belt is allready in the 'gap' and the pulley itself has a T.D.C. mark which faces up onto the lower timing belt cover.

 

If u have not rotated engine w/o belt, marks do align. Cranck engine with a wrench few turns before starting.