What the heck is up with those? Is there a special splined socket I need to get or something else I am missing? I had a socket that is tight on them and I can't break them loose by hand(with penetrating oil) and the impact I am pretty sure stripped the one. I am willing to weld a nut to them if I need to but is there an easier way?
IIRC yes it takes a certain type of socket but I don't know the name for them. I just happened to have one in a Craftsman socket set I got right before I started rebuilding my car so I was in luck. I had to use the same type of socket for the bolts on the power steering pump on my F-150 as well.
yes the 12 point seems to fit it nice and tight, at least 2 of the 3 now like I said the impact I think stripped the one out as it seems to pop off.
They're a 6 point star. Basically a reverse Torx, I have a set because my BMW had a ton of those. The Torx are in Txx size, these are in Exx, and for the p/s looks to be E12 is the right size.
If your patient you could unbolt them a 1/8 of a turn at a time without taking the pulley off. Once their off you could shorten them with a grinder. They make them too long that way you have to buy the ford tool.
You have to do all the bolts at the same time. As the pump is loosened you pull it from the aluminum bracket. With the last bolt it has to go through the space in the pulley. If my memory serves me well ..... I did it last winter without the tool.
I thought you needed to grind a small portion of the pulley away to take it off with the pulley on it. Either way it doesn't matter for me as the pulley is already off and the motor is out of the car. Napa had the socket and it was only $4 so that was not too bad. Thanks for the info.
I can remember someone on here grinding that notch in the pulley. But it seems like it's been a couple years though.
I learned about it when I noticed my pulley had a strange notch in it and it happened to line up perfectly with the bolt behind it. I guess a mechanic did a short cut years ago.
holy hell those suckers were in there tight. I had to heat 2 of them with a torch to get them out but they are out now.... Thanks on the E12 call it fit perfect.
I just checked my pulley and I put a notch in it to get the bolts out. Shorten your bolts when you re-install them & blue locktite.
tight mofo's is what they mean to me. They must have had a really pissed of gorilla installing these on the assembly line