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Success and failure

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drooartz

drooartz

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Spent some quality time with my 1275 tonight. Had a mix of success and failure:

Successes:
* Boxed up the head and carbs to send to Hap tomorow (hey, the little things count).
* Using a borrowed breaker bar and a 2x4, removed flywheel bolts.

Failures:
* With bolts out, flywheel didn't budge a bit.
* Crank pulley bolt wouldn't budge either, even with my floor jack handle over the breaker bar for a little extra length -- not even a smidge.
* In a stupid act-then-regret move, smooshed the oil pickup screen jobbie when I lowered the engine to the ground. I think I can un-smoosh it, but I felt a bit dumb none the less. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

I'll try one more time with the long breaker bar, but I'm thinking that an impact wrench will be needed for this one, unless there are any other thoughts.
 
A breaker bar should almost always allow more torque than an impact wrench. Did you bend the locking tab back before attempting the turn? And I could be totally wrong on this one, don't do it enough to always remember, but isn't the harmonic nut reverse thread? Someone else could probably confirm. If it is "regular" thread.... More umph my good man!!
 
big bar big hammer
probably been installed with lock tight in the past may require a bit of heat but will stuff seals
if cant undo with bar i use a shorter breaker bar as a hammer bar hold on tight and give a sharp firm whack to crack the nut once it starts moveing your in busness
best off luck
 
No, the balancer crank nut is normal right hand thread, the engine turn clockwise when runs not counter clockwise. In fact the only left hand thread I can think on our cars in the left sife rear hub nut. Drew get a impact wrench on that nut before you hurt yourself /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

On the flywheel after the bolt have been removed, try two pry bars between the back of the flywheel and the engine back plate on each side try to use equal pressure, work it back and forth, it will come off.
 
I did bend back the lock tab, made that mistake with one of the hubs on the Midget this past winter, so I'm a bit more careful about that. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I don't have an impact wrench, Hap, but I've got a few friends who do. May wind up showing up at a friend's house with my block in hand for a quick tool borrow. I'll give it one more attempt with the breaker, then it's time for the bigger tool.

An air compressor and associated tools are my next big tool purchases, but they're not in the budget yet -- engine work comes first.
 
Impact wrenchs are also made elec driven.
 
Drew,

I had the same problem with my 1275. Tried a 2X4 to hold the engine, used breaker bar, hammers, heat, cursing...beer.

Finally went to HF and bought as 1/2 electric impact wrench.
I worked on it before for about 8 hours, wrench took less than
30 seconds.

Good Luck
 
Throw the block in the trunk and take it to the local tire store (with the socket) and they can zip it off. Tip'em five bucks in case you need their help again.
 
Or maybe you could rent and electric one. I have one, but can't only count on one hand the time's I've used it. Now my compressor on the other hand, that's a life long tool. Get one!
 
Had a similar problem a few years back with the wife's VW. The flywheel is held by a single 36mm head bolt and is supposed to be at 256 ft-lb. Bolted a long piece of angle to 2 clutch bolts to keep it from turning and used the jack handle as an extension, At over 250 lbs myself bouncing on the end of the extension, I could lift the engine right off the floor but that stinking bolt still would not turn.

I didn't have a strong enough impact driver but borrowed one from a professional friend. He said it puts out 450 ft-lb if I have enough air to drive it. That baby spun the bolt right out with only 2 or 3 impact bumps and didn't even need the angle bolted to the flywheel.
 
Electric ones are good, but the air ones with 125-150 psi will get it off, not sure if the electrics will do it. I have an electric snap-on one at work and its still not as good as air. Its the hammering effect that breaks it loose not the torque like with a breaker bar and cheater pipe. I have made some good money in the past removing flywheel bolts that had the heads rounded off using nothing but a punch and a hammer on the edges. Something about that inpact does the job.
 
The crankbolt on my engine has evidence that a prior owner used a chisel and hammer on it.
 
I got both air and electric, but mostly I use my makita electric impact wrench, I taking motors apart all the time, and it has got off every balancer nut I ever put it on.

Yeah Trevor I seen the the chisel marks on my fair share of balancer nuts, and a few rear hub nuts as well, and that kinda scary since the torque on those is 140 ft. lbs.
 
Well, a friend in town found a good deal on a 33 gal air compressor (Sears), so I went for it and now have it in the garage going through the initial cycle and filing up. In the end, I decided that having air tools around was just a good long term investment, even if it pushes back finishing the Tunebug by a month or so.

I never mind buying tools! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Good move! As I mentioned earlier a good compressor is a life long tool!
 
And 10 seconds later, the bolt is off. To dern cool! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Hey, and now you will have a great excuse to start buying a whole lot of new air tools /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif
 
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