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removal of crankshaft pulley bolt?

165K views 271 replies 21 participants last post by  catso 
#1 ·
will a 450 Nm impact wrench remove the crankshaft pulley bolt on a 1.6 zetec SE petrol engine?

I have tried breaker bars, chain wrenches, rubber loop wrenches, long handle spanners, tapping with hammer and heat treatment, plus release oil; all with no effect at all except to bust the timing slots in the camshafts (with a timing bar). Spent endless hours on this scenario and its beginning to wear me down!!! ~ How the hell do I shift this bolt? I have also tried two very very strong men pulling in opposite directions which didn't work (except for causing one of them great personal injury!).

Advice please....

cheers, many many thanx!!!

PS: the pulley itself is smooth and flat with NO holes for a holding tool to insert. It's actually a double pulley with the larger one nearest to the block and a slightly smaller pulley in front of it.
 
#2 ·
Posted via FF MobileHave at it! Alternating directions sometimes is the trick for the REAL stubborn ones. Shortest socket that fits and NO extension if possible. (extension soaks up the impact). Bloody thing isn`t reverse threaded is it? (anyone knowledgeable chime in now...) Luck!
 
#4 · (Edited)
Engine rotation is clockwise looking into the pulley and Bolt is not reverse threaded as I recall - for a U.S. SOHC SPI.

Are you sure you really want to use an impact on that bolt?
 
#8 ·
Posted via FF MobileJust covering all bases w/reverse thread question... (would turn out) Why NOT use impact? Normal tool when you can get at it with one... Reversing directions with an impact helps remove stuck bolts - Same as with wrench but more so as impact gets a better "hit" when you catch it`s mechanism just right - back & forth gets you that extra impact ...
 
#11 ·
To loosen the crankshaft pulley bolt you have to turn it counter clockwise. I just recently did this when I changed my timing belt. I used an impact on mine and it took it right off of there without any issues.
...So, I won't "shear the head off the bolt" then? AND back to the original question: HOW MUCH TORQUE DO I NEED FOR THIS OPERATION? Is a 450Nm wrench sufficient for the job in hand?

cheers! ~ many thanx!
 
#13 · (Edited)
I bought the 450 Nm 'impact' for £120 from machine mart shop and the guy said it would take that bolt right out - no problem at all !!

I went at it for 20 minutes backward/forward; backward/forward .... AND IT STILL REFUSED TO MOVE!!! ~ complete waste of money from the NO RETURNS MACHINE MART SHOP!!!

This bolt is becoming very expensive to remove. Well if I lay out another £300 I can get an 'impact' with 1000Nm !!! But that's far too expensive for me.

the impact is a clarke: http://www.clarkeinternational.com/pages/clarke-home. Some say crap?
 
#14 ·
450 NM is 332 ft-lbs. I'm betting your crankshaft bolt torque is less than 100ft-lbs. Mine is 88 ft-lbs.

Strap wrench worked for me to hold the pulley while I removed/installed the bolt. Who knows what kind of torque is on it now (450 NM back and forth).

Methods heard used in the past but wouldn't endorse either:

- Extension/breaker bar on a wrench against the ground - then bump the starter. (ouch!).

- same as above but save the starter and bump/rock the car.

- same as above but, - parked on a hill?
 
#15 ·
Posted via FF MobileI`ve heard those suggestions too... can`t vouch for them from experience...The hiil versionsounds like it would solve ALL your problems..... If your Machine Mart is like our Harbor Freight - cheap import junk mostly.... My experience from others buying their electric impacts is that most wouldn`t budge a wheel lug much less a stuck bolt...ratings quite optomistic.... The breaker & bump sounds best if you have a MTX - Luck!
 
#19 ·
Is the car still drivable? If so take it to a garage and ask them to loosen the bolt for you and then tighten it back up enough to get you home!! I havnt had much luck with electric impacts for high torque bolts. My Ingersol 1/2" impact is rated at over 750 ft lbs. That`ll get r done. One way or another..
 
#21 ·
.....take it to a garage and ask them to loosen the bolt for you and then tighten it back up enough to get you home!! ......
lol - done this a few times on a few cars. Mostly exhaust. Have the wife take it down and they do it for free - I don't have much luck myself....... go figure.
 
#20 ·
As for the torque behind it, I have no idea. It's just an old impact gun that my dad has. I will ask him tomorrow what the torque setting is on his impact gun if he even remembers lol. I have also removed these bolts from other cars using two people, one person to hold the pulley and another person with a short 6 point socket and breaker bar with an extention on the breaker bar. Just had to use short tugs at it to loosen the bolt up but it came out fine in the others as well.
 
#22 ·
Keep in mind, if the air compressor that you are using only puts out, let's say 60 psi, then you aren't getting the full potential of the impact. It doesn't matter if you have a 50,000 ft. pound impact, if there is not sufficient air.......it's useless. You can put a breaker bar,short extension combo on the bolt, lower the car on the breaker bar and it will break it loose. Do this slowly with a jack.
 
#25 ·
Not sure if I missed something, but is this the pulley for accessories or timing belt? If its for the accessories then there is a how to from focushacks. basically brace your rachet against frame, remove spark plug wires and crank it over.
Posted via FF Mobile
 
#26 ·
He mentioned it was a double pulley so I guess it could be both.

Who would have thought to check the "How-to's". Sometimes it's more fun to reinvent the wheel - I know I like to do that, lol.

But what torque is now on that bolt is anyone's guess. And that 1.6 liter engine probably doesn't have a big starter - but then it, isn't my car.

I'm kind of leaning toward the 'jack method', clean and controlled. Just make sure you put the wrench handle on the 'correct' side of the bolt.

Actually I thought we just might be trying to increase the 'hits' on FF !
 
#33 ·
He mentioned it was a double pulley so I guess it could be both.Who would have thought to check the "How-to's". Sometimes it's more fun to reinvent the wheel - I know I like to do that, lol.
But what torque is now on that bolt is anyone's guess. And that 1.6 liter engine probably doesn't have a big starter - but then it, isn't my car.
I'm kind of leaning toward the 'jack method', clean and controlled. Just make sure you put the wrench handle on the 'correct' side of the bolt.
Actually I thought we just might be trying to increase the 'hits' on FF !
It has a double auxiliary pulley (a small one with a bigger one behind it). The small one had no belt and the larger one had the auxiliary belt (alternator etc) around it. Behind this is the lower timing belt cover; behind that is the crankshaft timing sprocket, = 3 in total. I've looked at how to's as well. The torque is the SAME as the pulley has not moved in either direction yet. It has a Smallish starter! Considering jack method at moment. No, not just trying to increase hits on FF ~ actually I wish that's all it was - lol ~ I assure you it is a real bolt with a real attitude problem - lol.
 
#40 ·
The single lug/tooth design tool should hopefully do the job for you, but you would hate to snap off a gear tooth or break the tool, considering that your's seems to be really tight. The two or three lug/tooth design tool will just distribute the load over more teeth. I've seen both designs.......surely you can locate/buy/rent one at your location in Britain.
 
#41 ·
the only multi tooth tools I can find in the UK are for things like: peugeot, citron, renault, rover/MG etc. But not the ford zetec se 1.6 petrol engine, even that Sealey (single tooth) Ford Engine Flywheel Locking Tool Set - Model No: VS4834 is only for the 1.6 Ti-VCT Petrol Engine and non of the shops I have contacted in the UK can say if it is suitable for the 1.6. Zetec SE engine??? [:(!]
 
#43 ·
For the record I've used the method of placing the socket on the crank pulley bolt and use a breaker bar to the garage floor and bumping the starter. Works like a charm.

On a stick shift with the car off, I've placed the car in 5th, handbrake on and apply the brakes and bump the starter. Did that one a couple times on my old 240sx.
 
#47 ·
the_doc735.......the crankshaft locating pin should NOT be used as countertorque when loosening the pulley bolt.......only use the flywheel tool. I can't find the link now but I remember seeing a warning (and photos on where the pin contacts the crank) about not using the pin when loosening the pulley bolt, for example.
 
#48 ·
the crankshaft locating pin should NOT be used as countertorque
crankshaft locating pin = timing pin?

If yes(?) ...don't worry I'm not using the timing pin; I'm using the crankshaft locking tool which has an entirely different part number, it is A LOT more robust than a timing pin and unlike the timing pin it DOES have a 'hex head' rather than thumb screw grip - to allow spanner tightness to be applied [thumb]
 
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