Crank bolt Starter Bump?

[07 Boss]

Anyone ever use their starter to loosen their crank bolt? I'm in the process of removing my fan to get my impact in there but I'm kinda looking at plan B's just in case.

 

[Wes06]

I've heard of it. Strapping it to the k member or something.

I just used a breaker bar with pipe and threw the car into gear

 

[05stroker]

There is an opening on the driver's side rear of the block with a plastic plug in it that can be removed. Take it out and it will allow you to put a large screwdriver in one of the flex plate holes. This will hold the motor while you break the balancer bolt loose. I would not use the starter method myself.

 

[eighty6gt]

Yikes!

 

[07 Boss]

I've heard of it. Strapping it to the k member or something.

I just used a breaker bar with pipe and threw the car into gear

Oh, I've seen it done. The best was when I saw a guy rest the breaker bar on the K, rolled the car down his driveway and popped the clutch. I'm old and frail so I can only pull and tug on things so hard. I was just thinking back through my many years of seeing shit done. I've seen some pretty funky stuff when working on cars.

There is an opening on the driver's side rear of the block with a plastic plug in it that can be removed. Take it out and it will allow you to put a large screwdriver in one of the flex plate holes. This will hold the motor while you break the balancer bolt loose. I would not use the starter method myself.

Don't have my large screw driver any more. I have a cheap medium one. Will a small pry bar work?

Yikes!

I know, Effin sketchy huh?

 

[07 Boss]

So the impact gun was a fail. My compressor only pumps 125-130 psi. I guess I'm gonna do a breaker bar and my jack handle. Almost 5 ft of leverage. What are the chances of snapping the POS screwdrivers that I have off with the flywheel? Not that it should be hard to fish out but I hate all of these little setbacks. Is there a tool to lock it up? I don't ever think I've seen one for our trannies.

 

[Coosawjack]

Don't our motors turn CCW....using the starter would TIGHTEN the bolt wouldn't it??

 

[skwerl]

When I had to do mine, my mechanic (Ford certified, 30+ yrs experience and training) showed me the starter trick. Easy peasy. I just had the breaker bar and cheater pipe laying over against the radiator support and bumped the key. Be sure to pull the crank sensor lead first so the engine will not fire. You don't want it firing up like that.

 

[Wes06]

Na. From the front it's cw
Follow the belt. It feeds it to the tensioner on passenger side and pulls it through the right side. So bumping would be the correct rotation

 

[07 Boss]

When I had to do mine, my mechanic (Ford certified, 30+ yrs experience and training) showed me the starter trick. Easy peasy. I just had the breaker bar and cheater pipe laying over against the radiator support and bumped the key. Be sure to pull the crank sensor lead first so the engine will not fire. You don't want it firing up like that.

Coil packs are off anyways. I might give this a try. I was a little leery just because I have never seen anyone do that with our cars, with others, but never ours. Otherwise I got a friend coming over this afternoon to help muscle it off.

 

[black N boosted]

When I had to do mine, my mechanic (Ford certified, 30+ yrs experience and training) showed me the starter trick. Easy peasy. I just had the breaker bar and cheater pipe laying over against the radiator support and bumped the key. Be sure to pull the crank sensor lead first so the engine will not fire. You don't want it firing up like that.

I did mine the same way! Worked like a charm

 

[07 Boss]

OK. I'm getting tired of this. Crank bolt came off easy peasy. Breaker and jack handle on the floor and cranked the starter twice. Then undid it the rest of the way by hand. Now the crank pulley broke my POS Harbor Freight 3-jaw puller. It just never ends. You know this whole thing started with changing an idler pulley. Lol

 

[Wes06]

Hah that sucks.
Able to run and rent from autozone tonight?

 

[travelers]

Most of Harbor Freight stuff is for fixing lawn mowers and the like.

^^^^ I agree rent from autozone.

 

[07 Boss]

So explain to me where do I bolt this pulley tool to the actual pulley? I'm at a loss here. Do I drill and tap my own?

 

[Wes06]

i always used the old bolt there so it turned against it.

just attach the jaws where you can on the balancer, tighten the bolt by hand, and then use ratchet to crank it back.

 

[07 Boss]

They gave me a puller that has bolts, not jaws. Fuckers. They said there are holes in there. Dumshits. My bad too. I didn't check it.

 

[Wes06]

Ah. Fuckers.
Yes you need a three jaw puller not what they list as a harmonic balancer puller. Some pulleys use bolts to pull them. This requires jaws
Sorry for your shitry luck

 

[07 Boss]

Well finally got the right tool and got the pulley off. Gotta pack for my trip tomorrow so the actual cover swap will have to wait till I get back. But all of the little hurdles have been met. Been a frustrating little swap.




For future reference this is the Chrysler harmonic balancer pulley tool.

 

[travelers]

That's what you need. It is a pain to get them off without being tapped.