I need to torque a crankshaft pulley

[jal395]

I need to torque a crankshaft pulley but have no tool to do it. I am either going to make a spanner type wrench to hold in the openings of the pulley or a strap wrench with the old belt. Anyone done this or have any advice? I have access to a welder but no machine shop.

 

[May Pop]

Using the old belt is a sound idea. But you you will need about 6 hands. So some help might be in order also.

 

[Catamount]

In the past I've taken some scrap steel and drilled 2 holes to match pulley bolts on the crank pulley.

The steel gets propped against something else in the engine bay and lets you torque on the crank bolt as much as you like.

 

[rsanter]

What engine?
Do you have access to the teeth of the flywheel (like on a chevy)
If so they make a flywheel holding tool

Google what you are doing to see what tips the pros have

Bob

 

[jacked_72]

I used the old belt to make a strap wrench on a Mercury Villager. All I did was take a piece of 2X2 I had laying around and twist the old belt around the wood until I couldn't twist it any more. The wood was long enough that it rested against the garage floor. It worked well enough that I could torque the pulley bolt. It took a couple of tries before it "caught," but it did. I was surprised that it worked at all, but it sure did.

If you are doing a Honda, I notice that Autozone has a loaner tool for this job. You might check it out and see if it will fit for your application. On my V6 Toyotas, I bought the crank pulley holding tool from Schley for about $50. I've used it 5 or 6 times, so I got my money's worth.

 

[JASTECH]

If it's a stick then I put it in gear, set brake and block wheels. Then you can torque on the crank bolt.

 

[relic7680]

Most guys I know just bump it with an impact...but just a bump.

 

[jal395]

97 Mazda Protege - I don't remember the engine but it's the smallest one. I'll see what scrap is laying around and then decide. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

To be quite honest, I doubt that many crankshaft damper/pulley bolts ever get torqued after the first timing belt change. I know that my Ranger had some crazy out of this world torque that took a 6 ft cheater bar and a huge pipe wrench to get off the first time. After that, I just crank it down good with a 1/2 drive ratchet and forget about it. Never has worked loose and the second and third times I did the timing belt, it was a breeze to break it loose.

Charles

 

[jzt]

Is the engine in the car or out? Is oil pan on the engine?

 

[jal395]

Engine was in the car still, this was the last bolt before the wheel lugs, oil change, fill with coolant and crank it up. My mechanical engineer dad made up a tool. two pieces of 1 inch angle iron bolted back to back and then spread apart. A cap screw and nut on each end and presto.

 

[JKady]

If I can't hit it with an impact, chain wrench around the pulley usually gets the job done (And before the cries of "That ruins the pulley!" start, no, it doesn't if done correctly)

 

[csargents1546]

The first and last time I asked about the torque on a crankbolt, the guys in the shop laughed at me and kept going. Since then hit it with and impact and make sure it lines up with the other pulleys and call it good. No problem at all. Post some pics of you holding device. Sounds like a good design.

 

[jacked_72]

I've been on the receiving end of the guys who "hit" it with the impact. Geez, I've had them on so tight that I didn't think they'd ever come off. Based on the cheater bar I had to use and my weight, I'd estimate easily 600+ pounds. Not even the 3/4" HF gun would get it off. I torque them to spec, which is around 160 ft pounds on my Toyotas. When my lat one hit another 100K and it was time to pull it off again, my wussy CP 1/2 gun took it right off. So, anyway, I use the torque wrench; its a free loaner from Auto Zone or O'Reilly's.

You guys ever use the "starter bump" method to remove the bolt? I've never had the nerve to try.

 

[greasemonkey44]

You guys ever use the "starter bump" method to remove the bolt? I've never had the nerve to try.

i have; it is effective
but terrifying at the same time

usually i take them off and put them back on with an impact

the most stuck ones ive seen are the ones 100k from the factory

 

[byoungblood]

You guys ever use the "starter bump" method to remove the bolt? I've never had the nerve to try.

I did it on a 2.3L Ranger I used to own when the timing belt broke as soon as I got to the end of my driveway...at the bottom of a hill. Having air tools does you no good when you can't get to them, so I just got out my 3/4" drive sliding bar and cheater, put a socket on, and turned it by hand until the cheater was touching the pavement. Bumped the starter, heard a clang from the pipe falling off, and viola! It broke it loose.

 

[jal395]

I'll take a pic Thursday when I'm over there.

 

[jetmech09]

Take starter out, use something to lock the flywheel.

 

[jethro29]

I did it on a 2.3L Ranger I used to own when the timing belt broke as soon as I got to the end of my driveway...at the bottom of a hill. Having air tools does you no good when you can't get to them, so I just got out my 3/4" drive sliding bar and cheater, put a socket on, and turned it by hand until the cheater was touching the pavement. Bumped the starter, heard a clang from the pipe falling off, and viola! It broke it loose.

so you did the timing belt job at the end of you driveway? at the bottom a a hill?

 

[Sh1thead]

Ratchet strap wrapped twice around the pulley and then to something sturdy. Works everytime I needed it to without digging through 50 tool cases to try and find shop tools.

 

[franzdom]

To be quite honest, I doubt that many crankshaft damper/pulley bolts ever get torqued after the first timing belt change. I know that my Ranger had some crazy out of this world torque that took a 6 ft cheater bar and a huge pipe wrench to get off the first time. After that, I just crank it down good with a 1/2 drive ratchet and forget about it. Never has worked loose and the second and third times I did the timing belt, it was a breeze to break it loose.

Charles

Just because they aren't torqued with a torque wrench doesn't mean they aren't torqued

 

[JWink]

If its the 1.8 liter BP engine flyin miata makes a tool for the job. I think I'd just make one like you said though.

 

[bart1]

I just did belts on my car. Torqued my bolt to spec, used a flywheel lock in place of the starter. That's why I work in my cars and why I have 255k on that one. . Seriously, a flywheel lock probably isnt too expensive.

 

[DiscoBerry]

impact is your freind