How do you undo the balancer pully bolt?

[Kiwicommodore]

Being an auto how do I hold the crank to undo the bolt?

[Brett_jjj]

I undo it by putting a socket on the bolt and put a piece of pipe over the handle of the socket ratchet,so it can reach the ground,then wind over the engine via the ignition key while the socket wrench handle and pipe rest on the ground and it holds the bolt still while the crank turns and undoes the bolt.It undoes it easily and doesnt hurt anything,.Otherwise you have to remove the starter motor and jam up the flex plate with a screwdriver,or you can remove a sparkplug and jam up the piston(not a good way in my opinion)Theres also a special tool available that can hold the crank at the front of the engine near or on the harmonic balancer.

[bandit10]

same as brett, i use a breaker bar thats about 3ft long wedge it on ground and turn the engine over.

[mattyr82]

rattle gun works too

[GM001]

Mate Rattle gun is the best and safest way. Plus you will always use it
comes in handy if you always changing tires or stripping engines.

[Brett_jjj]

Mate Rattle gun is the best and safest way. Plus you will always use it
comes in handy if you always changing tires or stripping engines.

Thats ok if you have the rattle gun and the compressor to run it, but if you dont,then the way bandit and I said works excellent.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

That is the method I have always used, except I lay the breaker bar and pipe across the chassis rail.

[GM001]

yeah well thats good to know if i never have access to a rattle gun and compressor .
and thanks for reassuring you way works excellent.

[Brett_jjj]

yeah well thats good to know if i never have access to a rattle gun and compressor .
and thanks for reassuring you way works excellent.

Yeah,Id say there would be a lot of people on here that dont have rattle guns,compressors etc.So its always handy to know of a way to get around the problem.

[Chappo_1]

I undo it by putting a socket on the bolt and put a piece of pipe over the handle of the socket ratchet,so it can reach the ground,then wind over the engine via the ignition key while the socket wrench handle and pipe rest on the ground and it holds the bolt still while the crank turns and undoes the bolt.It undoes it easily and doesnt hurt anything,.Otherwise you have to remove the starter motor and jam up the flex plate with a screwdriver,or you can remove a sparkplug and jam up the piston(not a good way in my opinion)Theres also a special tool available that can hold the crank at the front of the engine near or on the harmonic balancer.

If you use this method, remove the engine fuse so the car will not start. Many moons ago, in a previous life, I used to fit air conditioning to cars, and we used this method to remove crank pulleys. It worked most of the time, every now and then, we would strike one that would not undo, and we would have to come up with a way of stopping the engine turning over and use a long bar on the bolt. Last year I had to remove the harmonic balancer on my VS. I made up a bar to bolt on the harmonic balancer, which rested on the ground, and I undid the bolt with a socket and bar. Something made me want to do it this way, rather than turn the motor over to do it.

[mattyr82]

That is the method I have always used, except I lay the breaker bar and pipe across the chassis rail.

have also seen a mechanic use the chassis rail method.....also yeah, another good point made, u definately dont want the engine starting.lol

[chrisdoesitbetter]

someone told me about your method brett, i thought it would damage the engine but atleast now i dont have to buy the tool

[Mattrob]

The Gregorys has instructions for making the tool to hold the harmonic balance ,if you've got the gear to do it.

[chrisdoesitbetter]

yeah i have seen that aswell, i would still prefer to use a breaker bar though, easier and faster!

[The1]

i used the breaker bar starter motor method to get mine undone, you can also use the dr bob method preferably with an old drive belt, but basicly wrap the drive belt ontop of itself similarly like an oil filter removal tool works and wrap the excess onto a pully or ac compressor, if you got it the right way the belt will grip against itself and you can undo or tighten the bolt, remember your suppost to tighten the bolt backup to 300 odd nm.

[Nzpure]

Usually need a tool to get it back on i dunno if you can hit it on with a hammer enuff to start the bolt enuff to wind it on the rest of the way

[The1]

when you do the bolt backup it will push it back in. You can do it up without any help but engine compression which will get it back in to where it should be but you need the belt method or other methods to stop the crank from turning to get it to proper tightness

[sus steven]

yep chassis rail and a breaker bar crank the motor done then use a proper tool to get balancer off it about $60 or you can try leavering it off with something just don't bend the fins on the back but very hard and stupid to do. and to put it back on tap it with a hammer and to tighten it up get someone to put tension on the belt and tighten it up best u can

[Chappo_1]

For doing the bolt up, I think having a heavy bar made up to bolt onto the harmonic balancer is the go. I used loctite on the thread, and a sealer under the washer. There was sealer under the washer when I took mine out, it looked like that red stuff you use on welsh plugs. It probably dosen't do much, but I had some there, so I put some on. I got a good hold of the long socket bar with both hands and did it up as tight as I could, using the same force I needed to undo it, which was a bloody lot. It has been twelve months now, and it hasn't come undone. I will post a picture of the flat bar I bolted to the balancer tonight when I get home, or you can read up about it on this thread. I got the idea from Immortality, on of those clever Kiwis you hear about
Code 46 and 47
Hope this helps.

[Kiwicommodore]

Well I got the bolt off with the starter motor fine. But could get the balncer of with the puller, stripped the puller bolts..........

[hako]

Well I got the bolt off with the starter motor fine. But could get the balncer of with the puller, stripped the puller bolts..........

So how did you get it off? - hammer or 3 leg puller?

[Kiwicommodore]

So how did you get it off? - hammer or 3 leg puller?

We havent yet...

[Chappo_1]

Here is the photo of the bar I used.

Bad news mate about not being able to get the balancer off easy. Hope things improve quickly for you.

[The1]

you'll prob have to do the same as i did and use a claw puller against the crank bolt with some washers on it, mine even with that was solid and wouldn't come off without a tap with the hammer to help start slipping.