stuck nut on crankshift pulley

sue currin · #1 09/01/06, 08:40 AM

I need to get a nut off the crankshift pulley to change the timing belt on my CRX. I have tried a 3/4" braker bar with a 8 foot cheater bar, and an impack wrench. I have put WD40 and liquide wrench on it and still it want budge. I have tried everything I can think of excepet heating up the nut. Don't have a torch. What else can I try?

wy_white_wolf · #2 09/01/06, 08:52 AM

Maybe wrong here but, Turn it the other direction? If I remember right they are LH thread to keep them from loosining up by engine rotation.

countrymech · #3 09/01/06, 09:54 AM

I'd have to agree with Wy White Wolf and try going the other direction. If that doesn't work, grab a cold chisel and split the nut. If you have a dremel tool you can use it to score the side of the nut and get your split started. I'd reccomend going down to NAPA and buying an actual nut splitter for it, that way the crank doesn't take anymore abuse than neccisary. Good luck.

sue currin · #4 09/01/06, 10:10 AM

It is RH. I have a book on it. Just been on for about 17 years.

wy_white_wolf · #5 09/01/06, 10:38 AM

Then about the only thing that will get it is an impact. I've ran into this with flywheel bolts and an impact loosens them right up.

agmantoo · #6 09/01/06, 01:13 PM

You need an impact as stated above.

**alleyyooper** · #7 09/01/06, 02:05 PM

I see on your first post you said you used an inpact wrench. So that didn't work either.
I had some hubs on an old tractor that just would not come off. I tried penatrating oils, heat, brake fluid and a 15 ton jack and chain to no avial.
I called my daddy who told me to go out and buy a bottle of classic coke and pour it on.
I did that and 3 days latter slid those hubs off the axel with my bare hands.
Classic coke is also good to tenderize a tuff of meat.

Al

Beeman · #8 09/01/06, 04:46 PM

Balancer bolts on those are extremely tight. I have had to use a truck 3/4" drive impact gun to remove them. Many of the tool companies have actually come out with higher torque compact impact guns for just that job. There is an old indian trick I have used in the past but not on those vehicles. You put a good socket and breaker bar on the bolt and rotate the bar until it contacts the chassis or the ground. be sure it is rotated in the correct direction. You should then place a fender cover or a blanket over the socket/breaker bar. You then turn the key and use the starter rotating the engine to break the bolt loose. The blanket is to preven any damage if the wrench slips off.
Old indian tricks are subject to failure and are used at your own risk, your results may vary.

kmaproperties · #9 09/01/06, 05:02 PM

Beeman 's got it!!! we do them that way all the time. just bump the starter don't let it start up. yank the distributor cap if you are looking to be real safe.

BobK · #10 09/01/06, 08:22 PM

Beeman's right...I got that tip years ago from a Toyota mechanic....it works like a charm...but do pull the coil wire to prevent the engine from starting....I also found that having the breaker bar a inch or two away from the chassis worked better than having it tight up against it....good luck!

sue currin · #11 09/02/06, 01:34 PM

Pulley want turn over cause the belt is broken, Need it off to put on a new belt. I will try the coke. I was wondering if air ratchet might work where impack didn't.

moopups · #12 09/02/06, 03:38 PM

The way I heard it said this is a crankshaft pulley? Also known as a harmonic balancer? If yes it must turn when the starter engages the engine and it gets its motion from the crankshaft moving. It is not belt driven, it is crankshaft driven.

BobK · #13 09/02/06, 04:33 PM

I agree with moopups....we might be talking about different pulleys....the crank pulley must turn when the starter turns....it runs the entire operation....

Beeman · #14 09/02/06, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue currin

Pulley want turn over cause the belt is broken, Need it off to put on a new belt. I will try the coke. I was wondering if air ratchet might work where impack didn't.

An air ratchet has much less torque than an impact gun.

To install a timing belt you have to remove the crank pulley/balancer. If this doesn't turn when you engage the starter you have some other problem as the starter turns the flywheel which is bolted to the crankshaft which is the piece the bolt on the frt. pulley screws into. The belt goes between the crankshaft and the camshaft so the only thing that doesn't turn if the belt breaks is the camshaft as it is the driven shaft.

Now if all that isn't bad enough I'll throw something else in the mix. I don't know off hand if this is an interference engine. In simple terms if this engine is an interference engine it means that when the belt breaks the valves and the pistons will hit and become damaged. This will mean removal of the cylinder head and replacement of the bent valves. Tell us what year and size engine and either someone will know or we can look it up.

wendle · #15 09/02/06, 10:55 PM

Does your pulley try to turn when you are trying to loosen the bolt? If it doesn't you do have another problem. If it's anything like the 88-91 civic, you have to remove the crankshaft pulley to get the timing belt cover off. You also have to disconnect one motor mount, and get to the pulley bolt from the wheel well. That's the only pulley that needs to be removed. It isn't real easy to get a good crank on it. I fought with my 89 civic for about a week trying different things, a breaker bar with a pipe on it, couldn't budge it. I had taken these off before but this one was more stubborn. Finally I gave up and towed the car to the welding shop. They told me it probably had lock tight on it, and they had to heat the thing up a few times to get it to loosen. fifty dollars later, it was off. Good luck with your crx

skruzich · #16 09/03/06, 07:11 AM

I would say that if its a honda, you got more wrong with it than a broken timing belt. If the belt broke, you have bent valves and quite possibly a hole punched through a piston or two. Once you get the belt on, do a compression test to see if you have any bent valves.

sue currin · #17 09/03/06, 08:53 AM

The belt broke while trying to start it so I don't think it bent any thing yet, That's why I don't want to try and start it, it will turn over My miscake on that, A little tired then and fed up. it is a 89 it is an interfenece engine. I put the coke on it and it still didn't budge, just put some more on it. I tried cussing it, then praying over it, Thinking now I had the order mixed up. Went back to cussing it.

agmantoo · #18 09/03/06, 09:58 AM

Sue, not trying to add insult to injury but how many miles did the belt that broke have on it?

sue currin · #19 09/03/06, 11:36 AM

I am not sure, the guy whom I bought it from said it had been changed only 6000 miles earlier, I put 2000 miles on it. My other belts on CRX's got at least 60,000 miles

BobK · #20 09/03/06, 12:58 PM

just thinking out loud here....if you can get the timing belt cover off could you replace the belt by taking the camshaft off to allow the belt to go on? I did this once on a Toyota truck I had.....before I found out about using the starter to take off the crank nut....just a thought.....the coke is supplying phosphoric acid which will help with corrosion but it does have its drawbacks....outside of continued cursing and scratching of various body parts I'm at a loss to suggest more things to try....