CrxChicken

so if you guys remember i was having problems getting my CRX to start ...

I finally got it to run ... Running great? i dont know ...

But I decided since i had to get a tow and I am at 160k+ miles it is time to change the timing belt before i start driving it again...

So i go out about 10 am today
Got it up on Jackstands Got the cover off and started cranking on the crank bolt...

GRRRRRRR heh

It looks like someone might have welded the bolt to the special washer behind it ... but most likely they used a impact hammer and chisel on it

anyway my 280 ft pound and 5hp compressor cranked up to 120 psi couldn't get it off...

as you can see i dont have a hex opening for a special tool on my crank pulley its a 1990 1.5l with the holes around the outside so what I did was clamp on 2 Large vice grips holding the belt in place wedged against the frame and the crank didnt move much if any while impacting


about an hour later after giving it all i got i decided for kicks to try a trick someone said to try.

Put a breaker bar wedged against the caliper and crank the engine.

welp here is the result of that...




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so instead of totally giving up I went around and checked every other bolt i could and cracked them free... dont have a 19mm impact for one of the engine mount bolts but most of the rest i got to...

I put some penetrating oil on it since its in the vertical might work.

anyway guess i need a bigger impact wrench.. it worked to get the axle bolt off but ... not the crank

Nice rust on the rotors for sitting 3 months think?? heh

4drEF

Impact isn't going to work for you.
Use a 1/2" drive and not that 3/8".
3/8" will just break over and over - been there done that.

I suggest you put the socket on the bolt and use a long extension so it comes out and clears the fender.
Put a breaker bar


on the extension and find a 4+ foot pipe to put on the end of it so you have plenty of leverage.

Slowly push down on the pipe.
The idea is not to break it free instant like an impact tries to do, but to slowly twist it off.

OneBadTurboCRV

Hondas are reverse rotation engines... When you tried that "trick", you were actually trying to tighten it...

Also, when you twist something slow it has a higher tendency to break. That is the whole idea of an impact and why they exsist... to shock the fastener free.

DEIVIONCRX

Word, ive had one on a 95 Civic EX, i used a couple extensions and a jack stand, to rest it on, outside the fender, with a huge jack handle cheater bar, had 2 people standing on it, it "CRACKED" 3 times before it was loose.

CrxChicken

I was using a half inch impact hammer and breaker bar heh

well there is always tomorrow

I need one of these puppies

CrxChicken

you know what you are totaly fricken right
wth was i thinking because if you turn the crank with a lose bolt to line up the tdc the bolt comes lose...

well it was an exciting day anyway heheh

89s1

How would you stop the engine from rotating while doing this?

I have had some that came off and some that I feel I would have died trying.

Best of luck man, keep us updated.

nemesismachine

You're not turning it in the direction the motor turns anyway.

ninty1civic

me and my buddy did this one time and tried a lot of **** like an impact, a breaker bar.. putting the tranny in gear with the ebrake set.. all kinds of ****.. the way we ended getting it off was taking loose the starter and hold a flat tip screwdriver on the teeth of the flywheel.. it worked, but you gotta be careful or maybe even careless lol because you could break a tooth off of the flywheel or maybe even crack the trans case..
Ofcourse we used a breakerbar and nice four foot "cheater bar" piece of pipe to break it loose..
One thing that is funny about this and reminds me about what you said about putting the breaker bar on and turning the engine over is.. About a week ago i was putting an automatic tranny in a f150.. so i had a 1/2 craftsman ratchet, not breaker bar, on the crank bolt from where i was turning over the engine to tighten the torque converter nuts to the flywheel.. and when i was all finished.. started the truckup, heard a bang and saw the ratchet fly out from under the engine compartment lolz.. and was looking around and saw the crank bolt on the ground and thought, Ohhhhh ****... Anyway it was the easiest and fastest way ive ever seen a crank bolt come out haha

CrxChicken

yea doing it alone the breaker bar on a jackstand aint gonna work

especially since its a dx automatic

i might endup driving it some place with a shop compressor and pay someone $15 to take the bolt out and put it back in not so tight

or maybe borrow a impact hammer with more force

that daves farm guy on Youtube removes them by heating the bolt

search honda timing belt and you can see... actually he has two videos one he shows the torch the other he just shows the bolt in his hand after

the bolt is only suppose to be torqued to 88 foot pounds heh

B16Blake

go to autozone and buy this tool that looks like a vise grip but with a bike chain looking thing on the end of it. attach it very firmly around the crank pulley where the belt goes and lock it up against something. then get a big freakin breaker bar with a good impact socket on it. and pry until you cant breathe anymore lol. thats the only way i have gotten them off
tool looks like this...

4drEF

I did belt changes with the breaker bar with both autos and manuals... no difference.
Trick is keeping the crank from spinning.
I have always had luck taking off the inspection plate on the bottom of the tranny and locking the flywheel with a monster screwdriver.

I don't know what people are bitching about - I didn't invent this method and many people do it this way. Works great.

McGruber

DO NOT use a pipe wrench. The teeth on the chain will tear up your pulley and give you jagged edges that will cut your belts, or ruin your pulley. Just remove the starter put a big thick *** pry bar or flat head scrwedriver inbetween the teeth and use the breaker bar method with a half inch extension to clear the fender well and use a big *** pipe 4-6 ft. The longer the better It's easy to do your self and works in about ten seconds. Good luck!

Also to everyone saying that it's a reverse engine and he was doing it wrong is WRONG. Yes it is a reverse engine, but that means it spins counter clockwise, loosening a bolt is also counter clockwise, see a patter? You only have to worry about tightening the bolt because that is going clockwise and if your pulley moves in that direction than that can throw your timing off.

D16SiHatch

those work ok but for something as stubborn as a crank pulley you need a chain wrench. with the longer handle you can get more leverage and simply lay it in on the ground. it hasn't failed me yet. the chain will not muff up the crank pulley. if you're worried about gouging the crank then wrap it first in a shop rag. and how will trying to remove the crank pulley affect the timing? you're not messing with the crank gear, cam gear, or timing belt..

McGruber

Because when you turn the pulley bolt, which bolts into the crankshaft, it will turn everything, especially if it's super tight. The lower timing gear is behind the pulley, they both sit on the crankshaft. The bolt goes through the pulley into the crank which they both are attached to. But timing will only be affected when going clockwise (tightening the bolt) or against the engines natural spin. This affects timing because when you go counter clockwise it loosens the belt from the belt tensioner pulley, because it's going the opposite way.

HondaPartsHero

tool on the right

zrickety

iTrader: (1)

remove the inspection cover under the transmission...on my car i was able to screw a couple bolts into the flywheel and wedge a prybar inbetween them. all you need is a friend or wedge the prybar against the ground...then loosen the bolt with 1/2" rachet or breaker bar with a cheater pipe on the handle. it will come off!

D16SiHatch

that is incorrect. although you shouldn't rotate an engine opposite the way it was intended to, you will not alter the timing in any way if you do.

McGruber

I don't want to argue, all I know is that all the manuals I've used say never to turn it clockwise, and I have personaly slipped a tooth doing that. Perhaps I'm just unlucky, It's your call to work on your car however you see fit.

B16Blake

i didnt have any trouble or any damage to any of my my crank pulleys at all any time ive used that tool. im just suggesting that because its always worked for me

4drEF

It's what is suggested to use on Subaru's too!

There are other chain wrenches that have little barbs on them - sort of looks like a strap of chainsaw chain.
Now THAT would totally wreck your pulley.

mjfubar101

On a prelude I broke the 1/2 breaker bar using a pipe and extension, but generally it will work, it you end up in a bind you can always take off the cover to the flywheel and use a big screw driver to hold that while you break it loose with a breaker bar, or just use a good set of air tools if they are good they work.

fourdoordemon

check the brand of your impact. CH impacts are generally kinda lousy. I use a $100 Harbor Freight jobber, some "special" composite case or whatever, but it has served me very well. might be worth you time to shell out for a good tool.

jbrokos307

SNAP ON FTW never had trouble with a crank bolt lol i just lucky i have acess to a good compressor http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/OBJECTS/56100/56068.JPG

89s1

yes... you are. So just shut up unless you know what you're talking about. There is enough mis-information on this board as it is.

Besides, the motor will turn whatever way you put pressure on it. Though it is only supposed to spin counter clockwise. Unless of course it's a K-series they spin clockwise.

So again, shut up if you don't know what the **** you're talking about.