One inconvenient bolt: electric impact or wee compressor?

[bwringer]

I have one inconveniently located bolt to remove in the near future -- the crankshaft pulley bolt on a car located in a barn with electricity but no air compressor.

I was looking at the HF electric impact gun ($40 with coupon) and noticed they also have a wee 3 gallon pancake compressor for the same money.

Hmmmm...

- The electric impact is obviously the most convenient, but has its limitations. It may or may not be powerful enough for this bolt. I once used a friend's on a different car and it worked fine.

- If the wee compressor will give my far more powerful air impact one or two seconds of air, the bolt will be free with no added drama. Will it supply enough air for one decent burst?

- Which one might prove more useful in the future?

- Yes, I'm fully aware I can put a socket and breaker bar in place and bump the starter. I'd much rather avoid this sort of high-risk situation if possible.


Thoughts?

 

[n8n]

portable air tank and truck your air impact up there? Need an air tank anyway for airing up tires on cars parked in driveway/on street or after an autocross etc.

 

[6MocoA]

I have one inconveniently located bolt to remove in the near future -- the crankshaft pulley bolt on a car located in a barn with electricity but no air compressor.

I was looking at the HF electric impact gun ($40 with coupon) and noticed they also have a wee 3 gallon pancake compressor for the same money.

Hmmmm...

- The electric impact is obviously the most convenient, but has its limitations. It may or may not be powerful enough for this bolt. I once used a friend's on a different car and it worked fine.

- If the wee compressor will give my far more powerful air impact one or two seconds of air, the bolt will be free with no added drama. Will it supply enough air for one decent burst?

- Which one might prove more useful in the future?

- Yes, I'm fully aware I can put a socket and breaker bar in place and bump the starter. I'd much rather avoid this sort of high-risk situation if possible.


Thoughts?

The HF impact gun will do you zero good on a crank bolt.

The breaker bar method is hardly 'high risk'.

If its a crank bolt of any substance, you will need a hefty cordless - like an IR 7150 or the Milwaukee Fuel M18.

Otherwise, you can probably make a tool even if you only use a wood plank with holes drilled into it.

Either way the HF and the pancake compressor are probably not going to get you the ooomph you need for a crank bolt.

 

[Kirbot]

Yet another (cheaper) option.

If you have access to air air compressor anywhere, you could charge this up and I'm sure it would run the impact a few times.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-gallon-portable-air-tank-65594.html

 

[Nele]

This might sound very ridiculous but this worked for me, and many others that own toyota 3.0L v6, put a socket, and a prybar on the bolt, and crank the engine over real quick, but make sure engine spins the right way, prybar is positioned correctly, and that the prybar is against ground.

 

[bwringer]

I do like the air tank idea. And it could be mighty useful in the future. Hmmm...

 

[smiffy]

Make a tool cut a cheap breaker bar off and weld somebthick steel plate on end big enough to drill 1/2 to 3/4 size hole in then use that to bolt a piece of bar something like inch square box will do put socket on bolt atatch breaker bar turn box so its at 90 degrees to the breaker bar and hit the end of it as hard as u like homemade confinwed space impact

 

[redmondjp]

This might sound very ridiculous but this worked for me, and many others that own toyota 3.0L v6, put a socket, and a prybar on the bolt, and crank the engine over real quick, but make sure engine spins the right way, prybar is positioned correctly, and that the prybar is against ground.

Used the exact same method when replacing the timing belt on my 3.5l Honda Odyssey. Worked perfectly. Best to have two people - one to hold breaker bar in position and one to bump the starter.

My mechanic is the one that recommended this method to me. Even their impacts can't always get the crank bolts loose and they have a 2-stage compressor in their shop.

 

[George in Rancho Cordova]

I put one breaker bar on the Honda tool, and a 3/4" drive socket on the bolt.
With a long cheater bar, it came loose with no drama.