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Easier way to rotate the pully?

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SteveHall64Healey

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When setting rocker clearances, I've been rotating the pulley by hand with spark plugs removed. This is hard work - is there an easier way, perhaps even a tool to make this easier?

Steve
 
A Remote starter button works a treat!
 
If you still have the original starter, there is a separate solenoid with a push button on the rear side. That works fine.
 
Steven--

Other than rotating the pulley with a socket and large bar or ratchet handle on the front nut the simplest way is to put the car in top gear and push it forward/back to get the valves fully open. I assume you know that it is easier to see one that is fully closed than fully open and know to add the numbers of the valve in question and its correspondent to get 13.
 
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If one is going to adjust a valve with the corresponding valve fully open, I've found using the button on the back of the starter relay not very accurate. Some of the valves don't take much rotation of the crankshaft to transition from moving down to moving up. And pushing the car in gear requires a helper so you can watch the rockers while someone pushes. A better way is to use a large spanner on the crankshaft dog nut. I found a wrench almost of the right size in an antique store and filed it to fit the dog nut. And yes, it's easier to rotate the engine with the sparkplugs removed.
 
A very easy way to move the car, when it is in gear (and the spark plugs removed), and at the same time observe the rockers move up and down, is to put your left hand on the top of the left front tire and push forward. Pushing on the top of the tires is much more effective than pushing on the body to get it to roll.
 
BJ8Healeys said:
If one is going to adjust a valve with the corresponding valve fully open, I've found using the button on the back of the starter relay not very accurate. Some of the valves don't take much rotation of the crankshaft to transition from moving down to moving up. And pushing the car in gear requires a helper so you can watch the rockers while someone pushes. A better way is to use a large spanner on the crankshaft dog nut. I found a wrench almost of the right size in an antique store and filed it to fit the dog nut. And yes, it's easier to rotate the engine with the sparkplugs removed.
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve. I've tried jogging it before with the starter motor from inside the engine bay, but it's too imprecise as you note. The car is currently on jack stands so I could put it in gear and rotate the back wheels, but then I can't see the valves. I thought a socket wrench might be the best alternative, and it sounds like you've been successful with that.

I found it very hard to get calipers onto the bolt and be sure of the measurement, but I measure it at 1.825", which might be 1-13/16". Can anyone confirm the size of the bolt? I have a BJ8.

thanks,
steve
 
The nice thing about rolling the car is that you can go through the sequence as shown in the book, going from one valve to the next until you are done. I agree, you can turn the tire or grab the car at some sturdy point near the engine compartment and watch the valves move. If I were bumping the starter to get a random open valve I don't think I would remember which I had done and which I hadn't. Lots of ways to do it I guess, probably best to keep trying until you find the one that works for you.
 
+1 for in top gear and rocked forward and backwards. I never have understood, nor will I ever set valves with the corresponding at full open again. I set both at TCD compression stroke like every other engine on the face of the planet and call it a day.
 
Top gear, roll the car (I grab the top of the RF wheel, as that's where I'm standing), Rule of 13 (or nine, if you're doing a 4-banger).

To keep the number of engine revolutions to a minimum__especially if you have a short driveway__do the cylinders in their firing order: 1-5-3-6-2-4.

Just a thing I guess, but I always recommend rotating the engine CW (when looking at the front) keeping the timing chain tight where it/s supposed to be.

If you're worried about looking track, you can copy a worksheet I made up for doing BMWs__just ignore the duplicate blocks for the additional valves (24 valve I-6). Anybody know how to load a pdf onto the forum?
 
SteveHall64Healey said:
I found it very hard to get calipers onto the bolt and be sure of the measurement, but I measure it at 1.825", which might be 1-13/16". Can anyone confirm the size of the bolt? I have a BJ8.

thanks,
steve
Click to expand...

Steve, the tool that I made to rotate the engine with the dog nut is shown in the attachment. Not very elegant, but it does the job. I found the basic wrench in an antique store (lots of antique stores have these old tools). I cut the spanner off the other end and welded on an extension for easier turning of the engine. I had to file the jaws slightly to make the wrench fit the dog nut. The wrap of tape in the middle is to pad the wrench from hitting against the waterpump, and the tape on the end is padding for my hand. The measurement across the flats of the wrench is 1-7/8". A socket won't work because the frame front cross-member is in the way of getting a socket on the nut.
 

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John Turney said:
My Northern Tools wrench for turning the crank says 1-11/16"
Click to expand...

Well, John, as the old adage goes: "Measure twice and post once!"
My wrench is slightly flared at the tip of the jaws and measures exactly 1-7/8" as I stated above, but in the throat of the jaws it measures 1-3/4". It may be a little bit loose on the nut as is, but I don't think it would fit on mine if it were 1-11/16". I had to file the original wrench so that the jaws would fit at all. I don't think I over-filed it that much. But, as long as your wrench works for you, that's what's important.
 
BJ8Healeys said:
Well, John, as the old adage goes: "Measure twice and post once!"
My wrench is slightly flared at the tip of the jaws and measures exactly 1-7/8" as I stated above, but in the throat of the jaws it measures 1-3/4". It may be a little bit loose on the nut as is, but I don't think it would fit on mine if it were 1-11/16". I had to file the original wrench so that the jaws would fit at all. I don't think I over-filed it that much. But, as long as your wrench works for you, that's what's important.
Click to expand...

I recently bought a 1-11/16" socket to undo my crank pulley. It fits perfectly on my 29D engine.
 
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