Crank Bolt Won't Budge, Even With Impact Wrench

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Trying to remove the crank bolt so I can do the valve stem oil seals but can't get it to loosen.

 

Tried locking the flywheel and then using a breaker bar but that snapped the socket adapter on it. Tried a torque wrench as that's all I had left and still wouldn't budge. Then went and bought an impact wrench and that still won't do it despite being good for up to 450 Nm.

 

Any suggestions as I'm a bit stuck?

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Take it to a garage, get them to whizz it off with a proper gun, then tighten it back up by hand. Take it home and then you should be able to undo it with what you have.

 

Edit. When I say tighten by hand I mean a good pull with a spanner. Not just finger tight.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Is there any alternative? Only reason is that I've removed quite a lot, put it all back to buy the wrench and then taken it all off again...gonna wear me thin doing it all over and over

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Well what socket adaptor have you broken for a start? If you are adapting down to 3/8 then I am not surprised it's bust. What impact gun have you tried? I personally have never failed to undo what I needed to one way or another.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Was exactly that...1/2" to 3/8"...was expecting tight but not that tight.

 

The impact wrench is the Clarke CEW1000 from Machine Mart.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Was exactly that...1/2" to 3/8"...was expecting tight but not that tight.

 

The impact wrench is the Clarke CEW1000 from Machine Mart.

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

I would suggest a 1/2 drive socket on the breaker bar then man up and heave on it.

[welshpug 1,627]

not failed to undo one with a 36" 1/2" drive breaker bar yet, my Snapon Impact gun will undo them but that's 450 LBFT not Nm...

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Believe me, I was putting a lot into it haha!

 

Got most of it back together so will take it to a mechanic tomorrow and get it loosened.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Is the camshaft pulley bolt as bad normally or should that be easier?

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Not as tight at all, will undo with a spanner usually

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

See if you can heat it up, Give it a wack with a hammer then see if it comes undone

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Did try a bit of heat but it was no good...I think it got hotter from the impact wrench than the useless butane torch.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Just a thought...will cranking the starter with a socket and bar jammed in some way work?

[TAG 25 1 Cars]

Classic backyard mechanic method for getting the crank pulley bolt out! Certainly does work.

I'm assuming your clarke weapon is similar to the one I've got, designed for whizzing off wheel nuts when you have a puncture? Runs off a cigarette lighter or with croc clips for the battery? It should be able to get the crank bolt off no problem, I would try and acquire/borrow a 1/2" drive socket and give that a go before going through the hassle of building it back up again to take it to a garage.

 

Tom

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Classic backyard mechanic method for getting the crank pulley bolt out! Certainly does work.

I'm assuming your clarke weapon is similar to the one I've got, designed for whizzing off wheel nuts when you have a puncture? Runs off a cigarette lighter or with croc clips for the battery? It should be able to get the crank bolt off no problem, I would try and acquire/borrow a 1/2" drive socket and give that a go before going through the hassle of building it back up again to take it to a garage.

 

Tom

The impact wrench is the mains powered one that they do. Paid more for it to avoid 12v power. Heard great things but there's no way it's good to the 450 Nm stated so it'll be going back.

 

Biggest problem with a breaker bar is I can't get much on it due to space...valance is in the way, as is the strut and wheel assembly.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Just tried with a breaker bar and a 1/2" socket and it just bent the bar

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Got this done using a mechanic's air impact wrench. Next issue though is I can't find the 16mm bolt to the rear of the belt tensioner (spring loaded). Can anyone point it out?

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Turning the right way? lefty loosey, righty tighty.

 

just kidding, sounds like your just using cheap tools, borrow a decent breaker (longer one) I've been given a 1/2" drive Snap-on Breaker bar, its about 6" longer than my old one I was struggling with, makes a surprising difference as it doesn't bend as much as my old Britool one. If that fails use a tube over the end to extend it. I've tried to break mine, but I bet my cheap sockets will split before the breaker bar fails.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Managed to get a bit further. Found the 16mm locking nut on the back of the tensioner. Slackened it off but nothing seems to happen when I rotate it and the square end is starting to round off. Can move the tensioner by hand but can't get it to stay slack. Can someone explain how the cam-shaped lever actually works? Doesn't seem to connect to anything. Should it be sat over the metal tab on the bracket?

[Anthony 1,000]

You have loosened the two 11mm nuts that hold the tensioner haven't you?

 

You need to do that first, then rotate the square bit 90 degrees to release the tension on the belt.

 

If you look at a picture of the tensioner setup in place, you'll see exactly how it works

[Anthony 1,000]

 

Not the best picture, but you can see the tensioner assembly at the top of the picture there. The square turns the cam shaped bit of metal in the top left corner, which pulls the tensioner roller towards the left against the spring and released the tension on the belt. The 11mm nuts I talked about are top and bottom of the alloy bit that holds the spring, the lower one being visible in the picture.

 

Hope that helps.

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

Cheers for that Anthony. Yep, all three bolts are slackened off.

 

As for the cam, it turns anti-clockwise (looking at it from the belt side) and pushes against the metal next to it? Have I got that right? If so it needs a fair bit of force but I'm worried that the square bit is rounding off already.

[welshpug 1,627]

never had issue just pushing it over by hand once the 11mm nuts are loosened, nip[ the 11's back up to hold it in place.

[Anthony 1,000]

Cheers for that Anthony. Yep, all three bolts are slackened off.

 

As for the cam, it turns anti-clockwise (looking at it from the belt side) and pushes against the metal next to it? Have I got that right? If so it needs a fair bit of force but I'm worried that the square bit is rounding off already.

No, the tensioner cam turns 90 degrees clockwise in that picture to slacken the belt.

 

It's anti-clockwise looking at it from the flywheel side - basically with a spanner on the square pointing towards the bulkhead you pull it up towards vertical to release the tension, and lower it back to point to towards the bulkhead to allow the spring to push the tensioner over and re-tension the belt.