I have searched many threads regarding this issue and they really don't seem to give an end result. My car started making a loud ticking noise which seemed to be coming from the crank pulley and as soon as it started I took it to Honda to see if they could find the problem. After an hour they said it is the crank pulley, but they were unable to get the bolt off to confirm it so I told them just to stop since they insisted if they were able to get the bolt out it probably would not go back in. I told them it should be just fine since they did the timing belt 14,000 miles ago and were the last to do anything with it. Now I am getting ready to remove this bolt and I am expecting the key, and crank pulley will need to be replaced while Honda was trying to tell me I needed a new crank. The question I have is many people have said this pulley will keep coming loose after these parts are replaced. Does anyone know of a way to prevent this from happening?

 

If the bolt is put back in correctly, it should not come back out. I've changed my T-belt on both of my Preludes and used an impact gun to take off and put back on the bolt. Be sure not to loose the key, cause without it, the pulley won't sit right.

 

Thanks. I went ahead and ordered a new crank pulley, bolt, and the key since I am sure that the key is bad and is the cause of the pulley wobble that started this to begin with. Like I said I have not got this stuff taken off yet, but is it likely my crank is damaged at all? Like I said I took it to Honda as soon as the noise started and I know they had it running and I had it towed home from there and have not started it since.

 

Your crank probably isn't damaged, it may just be the key itself. Definitely update us whenever you do the swap

 

fyi the new crank pull bolt from honda should have some loctite on it which may be why honda suggested a new bolt

 

Thanks again for the help. I'm hoping the crank is still good and from all the reading I have done on it I'm sure that it is since that key will give way long before any damage to the crank. The parts and pulley removal tool are on order and should be able to get to it next weekend. I'll let you know how it goes and thanks for the inputs.

 

Dude, I've seen plenty of cranks boogered up from this exact thing. Usually when a pulley gets wobbly it beats up the crank. I had it happen on one of mine, the crank was worth about scrap. It could be the end of the crank, or the keyway got hogged out, or something. If thats the case Honda and anywhere else will tell you the crank needs to be tossed, but...there are ways around it.

When you pull the pulley off be sure to check the keyway and the end of the crank for damage.

 

Yeah I am prepared if we find that the crank is damaged. I talked to a machine shop today in case it is damaged on the end and if it is I just need to take him the crank with the new pulley and he will hook it up for about 200 which beats paying 795 for a new crank. Thanks for the input though.

 

Thats weird though how your crank pulley would make noise while car is running. Can be a timing belt being too tight which can cause a high pitch noise; I've had that problem on my F22B1 & H22A but resolved it by loosening my balancer belt due to it being too tight. Go ahead and replace that pulley since the shop did say that its the pulley.

I bought a DIY Honda crank pulley tool which is quite useful, and it holds the crank pulley in place while you loosen the crank bolt off.

 

Yeah the pulley is shot and after Honda put the belts back on they drove it out of the shop and the crank pulley was so bad it threw the powersteering belt off. All the other belts were still in place, but the pulley made a very loud tapping noise as it spun which at first I thought was the motor but luckily it's just this. I was reading someone else had this same thing happen and he described it as a helecopter noise and that basically descibes it. Motor is still good to go though so that is a plus. Worst case I may need to pull the crank and have it repaired.

 

I would plan on it man, I'd bet on that keyway being totally shot. But like I said, I hope not.

Nice you can get it done for cheap though, I couldn't get mine fixed at all around me. Machinist wouldn't touch it.

 

Sounds like the crank is bent.

You are probally just better off doing a swap instead. If that crank is bent, you can have no idea what else might be wrong inside the motor.

A rebuild is something tricky.

 

^What he said.

 

You may find this thread of some use http://preludeuk.forumup.com/viewtop...orum=preludeuk and this one makes an interesting read http://preludeuk.forumup.com/viewtop...orum=preludeuk

 

My crank pulley came off on me too, and i just want to add for discussion is if it was because i had a h23 pulley on a h22a? I only used the h23 pulley to match the AC pulley, but now im thinking i should just use a 5 rib belt on a vtec pulley.

 

Pulleys are interchangeable. Just the bolt is what differs.

 

I dont mean to thread jack this post. But I was reading on here that the harmonic balancers are balanced. And there are differences in h23/h22 crank pulleys to handle different stock redlines, something with the rubber in the pulley, and also the h22 diameter is smaller? I think they both weigh the same that i did measure when i had both in hand.

 

pulleys are balanced, but the factory balance is fine on them, the H23 crankshaft is more whats the problem when you start spinning it to high RPMs. Its less balanced than the H22 crank.