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Tips
Tips

Fan Belt Pulley Removal?????

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TR4

TR4

Jedi Knight
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I'm trying to replace the fan belt pulley on my TR4 and I'm having trouble getting the starter dog bolt out. Any tricks to keeping the crank from turning? I didn't want to put the car in gear unless someone tells me that is the only way to get the job done. Advice is always greatly appreciated.

Phil
 
Hi Phil,

It's okay to just put the car in a low gear... 1st or reverse, with the rear wheels on the ground and try again. It helps if spark plugs are left in, so that the compression of the engine provides some resistance.

Some penetrating oil on the bolt, let sit for a day or two, might help. Also, you might whack the wrench with a rubber mallet to help initially break the bolt loose, although I don't think I've ever had to do this.

Alternatively, depending on how far apart your car is, it might help to gently warm the bolt end with a propane torch, being very, very careful not to set anything on fire, of course. Let it cool and see if that helps. If someone put certain types of Locktite on that bolt when it was installed, heat might be necessary to loosen it. But, some heat often just helps free frozen bolts.

Let us know how it goes!

Cheers!

Alan
 
Hello Phil,
I prefer to use top gear (low gears mean the car will move easier and strains the gearbox more) , handbrake hard on.
Use a good fitting spanner and a steel hammer ( a 4lb lump hammer or the like) to unshock the bolt. Alteranatively a socket and long breaker bar, but try and 'snap' at it.

Sorry Alan, a rubber or even a copper hammer is usually not effective in this instance, hard though it may be on the spanner.

Alec
 
Thanks, Alec. Your advice is what I thought would be the way to get the bolt out but I wasn't sure the stress would be good for the tranny or crank. I'll have to get the breaker bar and try this next week. I have a lot of practice rapping wrenches to slowly break loose a bolt. The wife and daughter have me off to an island on Lake Erie for the weekend. Would have been a terrific day to take the "4".

I'll post the results when I get it all back together.

Thanks again,
Phil /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Well, I did try the breaker bar first and that just flexed way too much so the spanner and hammer trick did the job quite nicely. I sure did have to give it a THOR THUD to pop it though. All is apart now and waiting on TRF to get the new pulley here.
Thanks again Alec,

Phil /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Wow, and I thought getting the pulley off was a battle. Getting it back on was a 1 hour war with the key on the crank wanting to move while sliding the pulley back on. Took a lot of patience and surgeon like precision to hold the key in place with a skinny screwdriver and sliding the pulley on without moving the key. Quite a task for a solo effort. Working on the car sometimes challanges my vocal control but in the end it feels great to button up even the smallest project. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thirsty.gif
 
One trick I learned years ago to 'lock up' engines.

1. Pull a spark plug. Any will do but 1 is easier to deal with.
2. Turn the engine until the piston is about 1/2 way between bdc and tdc on the COMPRESSION stroke. Valves are closed.
3. Feed 18" or so of soft rope through the sparkplug hole.
4. Continue to turn the engine until you are compressing rope between the piston and head. This is why you want the valves closed so as not to bend them.
5. When done, back off the piston and pull the rope out. Works for loosening and tightening.
 
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