broken timing belt blues

I am in the process of trying to repair my '91 LX four cylinder. The timing belt broke, and I am following the steps to replace it but I can't figure out how to remove the crankshaft pulley. I tried bracing the pulley with a screwdriver then turning the bolt with a ratchet and breaker bar, and I broke my good screwdriver. Please help!

Reply to
tnhulk
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A good 1/2" air impact wrench will remove it, effortlessly.

Dave

Reply to
Hairy

Yup, this is definitely one of those times where an impact gun makes all the difference. And one of those cheesy $79 Home Depot guns probably won't work all the time either. You want something with 500-600ft/lbs of torque in reverse.

Cheers,

Reply to
Ritz

Use a socket and a breaker bar.... wedge the breaker bar end against the frame horn in the appropriate direction. Use a starter button to bump the starter and this will break the bolt loose. This can be a dangerous operation if we don't pay attention to socket positioning, breaker bar orientation and so on....

HTH

Reply to
Jim Warman

Or you can avoid the impending damage to other components in your engine bay, loss/breakage of fingers, etc...and just use the correct tool for the job.

That has got to be the most idiotic recommendation I've seen in a while. In short, don't do that.

Cheers,

Jim Warman wrote:

Reply to
Ritz

Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. This is the only way to get the crank bolt out of the front of an early Escort motor without pulling the engine (can you say extra charge for the customer?). There are many instances where this method makes removing the radiator, AC condenser and other items unnecessary.

I have no idea what you do for a living.... but it appears to have little to do with automobiles...

FWIW... after 30some years, I can still count to 10 and the only radiators I have replaced were already "broken".

Cheers.

Reply to
Jim Warman

The "and so on..." should include disabling the ignition system.

Reply to
Richard

Heh. Among other things, I have been professionally repairing autos since the early 80's. I'm ASE certified and certified to work on Audi/Volkswagen/Porsche and (cough) Ford vehicles. If I caught one of my mechanics doing what you described earlier, I'd fire him on the spot.

People get hurt that way and the potential for causing damage to the car is substantially greater than zero. Neither one of those risks is acceptable to avoid "extra charge for the customer." So I'll re-iterate my previous warning to the original poster. Do it the right way and use an impact gun.

Have a nice day.

Cheers,

Reply to
Ritz

Well, I've replaced a lot ( 3 or 4 anyway) of 2.3 timing belts and I dont recall having any problem getting the pulley off.. and that was before I had an impact gun.

In fact did I even take the pulley off? Man it sux getting old!

What I do recall on the first one is having a hard time working the timing belt cover around to get it off. But once I learned the trick....

Hmmm... anyway. I'm with Warman again... what's like without a little adventure. I never crawl under without jackstands but that breaker bar and starter trick doesnt seem any more dangerous than cranking an old engine.

But I guess we better not share our little tricks if someone might go braindead and not consider the physics! Ooops too late , just remembred this is in google forever! ;)

"Jim Warman" wrote in news:ueSLe.221400$on1.95725@clgrps13:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

"Use a starter button to bump the starter and this will break the bolt loose." was included in my original reply...

I realize now that this may seem ambiguous to the neophyte..... After this many years, so many things are "given" that mentioning them can be overlooked..... This is a curmudgeons way of thanking you for the clarification....

Reply to
Jim Warman

Ahhh, the force is strong in this young one.... I've been doing this professionally since the late 60s..... I'm an Alberta Journeyman with interprovincial seal.... a Ford senior tech, diesel certified... licenced to perform out of province inspections, commercial vehicle inspections, bus inspections and emergency response vehicle inspections (all government mandated).... If I see a tech wasting his time and our customers money agonizing over a simple manoeuver to break a bolt free, I speak up.

You may continue to repair vehicles however you want.... please do not act the preacher when all someone wants to do is break a bolt free. It is obvious that you have never had to avail yourself of this method and it is just as obvious that you have charged your customer unecessarily for removing radiators and such to get your impact into position.... either that, or you have prayed like hell that nobody has seen the marks the heel of your gun has left in a too close radiator.

Consider yourself "long cocked"...

Reply to
Jim Warman

Thanks for the advice. This is my first timing belt. When I try to remove the crank bolt the whole pulley moves and the engine starts to turn backwards, which my manual warns is a bad thing. I can't figure out how to turn the bolt without also turning the pulley. Will the air impact wrench torque the bolt enough to loosen it without also turning the pulley?

Reply to
tnhulk

Yes, it will. Ignore the "wise old owl." If you haven't done this before, the last thing anyone wants is for you to hurt yourself and/or break something else. Buy or borrow an impact gun and it will spin the bolt off without any fuss.

Cheers,

Reply to
Ritz

I understand how this method could work... After the tow truck dropped the car off in my garage I had to leave for work, and I failed to check the keys the guy had left in the ignition so my battery drained. I have to charge it up any way, but... I braced the pulley with a sturdy 15" screwdriver and used a four foot breaker bar on the socket. There was a lot of force involved. It just doesn't seem like the starter would be powerful enough to get the job done, but I've never done anything like that so I really don't know. The manual I'm using kind of sucks. It gives specific directions how to remove the water pump pulley, but all it says for this step is "remove the crankshaft pulley" like it should come off in my hand or something. Thanks for the advice.

Reply to
tnhulk

Thanks again, I'll try that out this week and let you know how it turns out.

Reply to
tnhulk

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 01:30:45 -0400, tnhulk rearranged some electrons to form:

Duh, the starter doesn't have to break off a screwdriver, does it?

Reply to
David M

On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 10:18:48 +0000, David M rearranged some electrons to form:

Never mind, I posted this before I read the idiotic suggestion to use the starter to turn the engine while having a breaker bar spinning around the engine compartment.

Reply to
David M

Sounds like you have little experience working in such a situation and less experience doing it. So, you called this well used method "the most idiotic recomendation you've seen in a while", but I must have missed you recomendation, what was it again? Oh, you did not provide an alternate method... I see.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

Well, what else would you expect from one who works on Audi, VW and Prosche? He's used to tacking on extras without an argument. I guess he coughs at Ford because the owners are less willing to pay extra and he won't make nearly as much off of them, especially considering VWs repair record for the last few years. Lastly, ASE certification means dick. I could pass that test in one week with my current knowledge and study materials I can get. IMHO people who blatantly brag about it are covering for something and I would take my car to someone who has been doing it for 30+ years long before 15 years + ASE certs.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

Well, there you go. Ive done that several times with no problem. I have done it on rear wheel drive cars over many years because of the lack of "proper tools". Keep in mind the "wise owl" has done it twice as long as the other guy and that he has posted here for many years, I don't recall seeing Mr. ASE certified here before.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

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