How to remove crank bolt up front?
 

Anyone know how one person can do this without removing the tranny to somehow hold the flywheel to keep the crank from turning?

'94 Cobra, 5.0

Thanks!

:D

Air tools work wonders. My new Ingersoll-Rand setup works great.

If you don't have air tools I've heard of a way to do it, but it sounds a little scary to me. It goes something like this:

First, disconnect the ignition wire from the distributor. Then, attach the socket and wrench on the crank bolt along with a breaker bar on the end of the wrench so that it touching the ground towards the drivers side. Now, turn the key on once just for a split second so that the motor cranks over. This should break the bolt loose.

Hope this helps,
E

LOL!!!

Funny, I was actually thinking something amongst those lines!

But depending on how tough that nut is, man, ugly things might happen...

I have an air gun, I just hope 125psi will be enough... Not sure what the torque on my air gun is, but then again, you get what you pay for, and I paid like 30 or 40 for it...

You can also try putting the car in gear with the e-brake applied and then loosen the bolt.

reply
 

when i had o remove my bolt i just put it in gear pulled the e-brake took a breaker bar and rotated the crank so i got the car rolling back and forth then wheni got it rolling i just pulled as hard as i could so i had the weight of the car working with me to get it off. after 1 or 2 trys it should come off.

also air gun will work only prob. i have is i have a 4 caore radiator so its sorta hard to get air gun in there..

good luck...

If all else fails, try this... Take the crank pulley off, put two of the four bolts in the dampener on one side, so like two next to each other (on the bottom side would probably be best) then put a big ***** breaker bar on the crank bolt, then wedge your biggest screwdriver under one bolt and over the other so that you can push against the breaker bar with the screw driver (or pry bar i guess) I've done that before, but it's kinda elaborate. goodluck.

UPDATE!

I managed to get the crankbolt out. Wasn't as tough as I thought using a breaker bar, and putting her in gear so the crank doesn't turn (thanks 5.slow, thought never crossed my mind). HOWEVER, then I go to pull out the balancer (or more accurately, whats left of it), using the proper puller, and that mofo will NOT budge! I'm pulling with all my might using a nice thick 2 foot breaker bar, and the damn thing will NOT slide out!!! I swear I'm going to pull her right up over the wheel chocks! This is like 10X more difficult than the crank bolt! So, I soaked the thing in penetrant a couple of times, and I'm going to leave it overnight and try again tomorrow. She just doesn't wanna give it up! :)

Man, pulling with a breaker bar won't work. It'll get all wopper jawed on there. Get the kind of puller that bolts onto the dampener, not the claw kind. Shouldn't be that tough to pull that thing with a puller. Might try heating up the dampener with a torch a bit, might expand enough to slide off easier.

Also make sure you didn't leave the washer in the balancer will not come off over teh washer.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that he left the washer in. :D

Like Shaggy said, remove the washer and the puller will do it's magic - no problem. :)

E

Actually, the washer came off with relative ease with the bolt, HOWEVER, I did something equally embarassing...

I am using a puller that bolts onto what's left of the damper, but stupid me kept turning the main bolt the goes into the crankshaft to the point where the "pulling plate" was flush with the crank hub. So here I am pulling at the main bolt with a breaker bar with all my might, swearing that at any moment I'm going to pull her right over the wheel chocks, and after a couple of tries, I soaked the thing in penetrant fluid, and called it night.

Well, this morning I woke up and realized what a moron I was. I was using the puller incorrectly! All I was doing was tightening the "puller plate" to the crank!!!! All I had to do was tighten the bolts on the "puller plate" that are bolted onto the remainder of the balancer, that's how the balancer is pulled towards the plate, thus removed!!! ARRRGGH!

Hope someone at least gets a laugh out of this one...

/on/dunce cap

I started doing the same thing once. Luckily I only had one work on car beer in me and noticed it right away. I also used the gear method of removing the bolt. 5th gear works best.