Anyone got a tip on how to hold the front balance shaft well enough to loosen the pulley bolt? I need to replace the seal and therefore need to remove the pulley, but I think the bolt is overtightened and I just can't get it to budge. I tried putting a stout screwdriver through the hole in the shaft and doing "makeshift impact wrench" with a long socket driver handle and a hammer, but the screwdriver bends too much and absorbs the impact shock. I guess what I'd try next is getting a high grade bolt that will go through the hole but not stick out very much on each side of the hole, then use a big vise-grip clamped over the shaft and the bolt so that the bolt ends sticking out would run into the vise-grip jaw. I did some looking for whether there's an official holder tool for that pulley, but didn't find anything.

Any thoughts? Id appreciate any help!

Thanks!
Bry

 

I have destroyed a screwdriver on that thing. One thing you might try is installing the balance shaft belt, and then getting a crank pulley hold tool and restrain the entire assembly that way.

 

I ended up getting a grade 3, 1/4" by 2" long bolt to put through the hole, and using a mondo-large 20" chan-nel-lock (already owned it - a somewhat smaller one probably would have been fine) to grip the shaft with the bolt sticking out about equal amounts on each side of the shaft and constrained by the chan-nel-lock jaws. Got it loose.

 

My electric impact took mine off in like 2 seconds, but I do it for a living so its a lifesaver when I do things at home.....if needed can always get a cheapy harbor freight corded impact for dirt cheap and will loosen up most things that wont come off.

Wont work on the front crank bolt though since my electric snap on 1/2 impact wouldnt do it...I had to use a long *** 1/2 breaker bar and shoved an even longer prybar in a flywheel tooth (risk breaking a tooth tho) after stomping on the ratchet it finally broke free, I had the engine out tho so it helped....but you prob did this already since you already got the cover off.