Crankshaft pulley/Vibration Damper Removal - 4.6L

delling3 · Dec 3, 2020

I need to remove in order to remove the timing cover for my cam swap. I figure that an impact is my best tool for the job, but access seems tight. I was planning on removing the coolant tank, fan and shroud, but leaving the rad in place. What are my chances, or do I need to pull the rad? I have a 1/2 breaker bar, but not sure how to prevent the crank from rotating while loosening the bolt.

lwarrior1016 · Dec 3, 2020

Standard or automatic trans? If standard, put it in gear and lock the park brake. You’re better off pulling the radiator, and I always prefer using a ratchet on the puller instead of an impact. The impact seems to beat the threads to death.

delling3 · Dec 3, 2020

Automatic . . .

lwarrior1016 · Dec 3, 2020

You can use a pipe wrench to hold the pulley. I’ll try to explain and if I cant get it explained, I’ll shoot a picture tonight.

From the front of the engine, if you have the pipe wrench horizontally laying in front of the pulley, with the wrench opening facing the engine. Open the wrench just enough to go over one side of the pulley. Then loosen the crank bolt while holding the pipe wrench. It’ll lock sideways on the teeth of the wrench.

Please let me know if that was clear enough.

delling3 · Dec 3, 2020

Sorry, but you're losing me. A picture is worth a 1000 words . . . would really apprecicate it!

lwarrior1016 · Dec 3, 2020

delling3 said:
Sorry, but you're losing me. A picture is worth a 1000 words . . . would really apprecicate it!

I tried to find something here at work to show you. If you can wait till this evening, I’ll snap a picture.

delling3 · Dec 3, 2020

Later is fine - when you get around to it. Thanks!

lwarrior1016 · Dec 3, 2020

First one is in my car for reference and the second is a damper on my bench. Forgive the mess, I have a couple transmissions torn down right now. Hopefully this is better than my description lol. An old man taught me this, and I looked all over the internet and couldn’t find it anywhere. I also do this removing clutch fans, holds the water pump pulley real nice.

delling3 · Dec 4, 2020

Great - thanks. My only concern is not damaging the faces of the pulley where the belt rides on. I wonder if folding a rag and placing it in the jaws of the wrench would be a good idea to avoid this?

Another thought: What if instead of grabbing the side of the pulley rim, I could insert the wrench into the pulley and grab one of the "spokes" closer to the center hub? What do you think?

lwarrior1016 · Dec 4, 2020

Doesn’t your balancer have a lip on it in front of the belt?

The rag would possibly work, I don’t know about grabbing the spoke. It’s worth a shot though