Alternator Pulley And Spark Plug Gap

[Guest V8ish]

I've been trying to change my cambelt but I cannot loosen the alternator pulley no matter what I do, am I being daft?is there a knack? Assume its not a reverse thread but it damn tight, also how do you lock the engine to stop it spinning when I try to turn it. Its an 8v.

 

Secondly do I need to gap my plugs? I have BRP7ECS (I think!)

 

Cheers guys

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

By alternator pulley I assume you mean the pulley on the end of the crankshaft and not the pulley on the alternator itself.

 

You can lock the engine by removing the plate that covers the lower part of the flywheel, and then use a big flat blade screwdriver in the ring gear to stop it turning. Alternatively what I do is use my windy gun but thats no help to you if you haven't got one.

 

As for gapping plugs, I have to say I've never bothered gapping a set of new plugs, modern ignition coils these days mean that they will fire across a gap as big as the grand canyon, so it is not so critical as it used to be in the days of puny ignition systems that struggled to fire a plug if the gap was slightly large.

Edited November 19, 2008 by Tom Fenton

[jj205 4]

Its tricky that crankbolt, they get glued on with loctite and corrosion, and are done up fairly tight aswell. But a good breakes bar long extension and hexagon socket they always come off i find.

 

I usually put the car in reverse with all 4 wheels on the floor and the offside pointing out, then i wedge the brake pedal down with bit of wood of the drivers seat. then undo like a normal bolt there not lefthand threads. The car will lift up a bit as the wheels try turn but it wond go anywere, you kind take up the play in the engine mounts aswell with your turning of the socket.

 

As for spark plugs i just change, i dont thing its worth messing about with them, i heard of people having lost the ends of then in the cylinder.

 

Jonathan

[Cabana 0]

I changed my plugs earlier this week, checked them with a feeler gauge and they turned out to be gapped at 0.9mm anyway, which was handy!

[welshpug 1,626]

modern spark plugs aren't intended to have the gaps adjusted anyway, they come pre-gapped if you buy the correct ones.

[Cabana 0]

they come pre-gapped if you buy the correct ones.

 

That would explain it then, I thought it was a bit of a coincidence that they were all spot on