under drivey pulley won't budge!
08-09-2003, 04:34 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 380
under drivey pulley won't budge!
please give me some pointers guys. im trying to replace my water pump. to get to it, i have to take off the timing belt covers. to get to the covers, the pulley has to come off. but i cant get it to budge!
i have tried heating it, tapping with a mallet, strap wrenches, breaker bars.. no luck.. how do i budge this thing?!
walka
i have tried heating it, tapping with a mallet, strap wrenches, breaker bars.. no luck.. how do i budge this thing?!
walka
08-09-2003, 05:56 PM
#2
Have you tried using a puller? On my old VG I had to use a puller to remove the underdrive pulley. I used a puller that had 3 arms and it came right off. I think I had to put an extension or a punch through the center of the pulley (where the bolt goes) so the center bolt on the puller had something to push against (Otherwise your just pushing against the pulley and then you will end up damaging the underdrive pulley).
The puller was pretty cheap, but if you don't want to buy one you should be able to rent/borrow one from an Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts. Also try spraying some good penetrating lubricant like Kroil or PB Blaster in the center of the pulley where it contacts the crankshaft.
I just had my underdrive pulley off my VE a few weeks ago to change the oil seal behind it and it came right off without even using a puller.
The puller was pretty cheap, but if you don't want to buy one you should be able to rent/borrow one from an Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts. Also try spraying some good penetrating lubricant like Kroil or PB Blaster in the center of the pulley where it contacts the crankshaft.
I just had my underdrive pulley off my VE a few weeks ago to change the oil seal behind it and it came right off without even using a puller.
08-09-2003, 08:21 PM
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 380
hey guys, thanks for the help.. its actually the bolt in the middle of the pulley that wont budge. error on my part.
nismomaxt, please elaborate on the lower cover.. i got all the screws off, but i cant seem to get the lower cover off without removing the pulley. how did you do this?
walka
nismomaxt, please elaborate on the lower cover.. i got all the screws off, but i cant seem to get the lower cover off without removing the pulley. how did you do this?
walka
08-09-2003, 08:59 PM
#5
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 188
There are four bolts on the lower cover, if all are removed, and assuming you have removed the upper timing belt outer cover...
Pull out the top of the lower cover (the lower cover butts against the upper REAR cover) then lift UP on the cover till free. It not easy but it should be able to be done without damaging anything. I've never done it but i've spent the last week working in that area and it would seen to be possible. The shop manual says to remove the pulley so maybe work on that some more.....
To get the bolt out, I had to remove the under transmission cover plate to expose the torque converter. Then I lodged a pry bar in the teeth of the gear.( as per the shop manual), 2 people (1 to tend the pry bar) and a 6 foot pipe used as a breaker bar I got it loosened.
Its a lot of work for a water pump. Believe me I know!
I'd replace the timing belt while I was doing all of this....Buy a good one thou!!!!!! OEM.
Good luck,
Randy
Pull out the top of the lower cover (the lower cover butts against the upper REAR cover) then lift UP on the cover till free. It not easy but it should be able to be done without damaging anything. I've never done it but i've spent the last week working in that area and it would seen to be possible. The shop manual says to remove the pulley so maybe work on that some more.....
To get the bolt out, I had to remove the under transmission cover plate to expose the torque converter. Then I lodged a pry bar in the teeth of the gear.( as per the shop manual), 2 people (1 to tend the pry bar) and a 6 foot pipe used as a breaker bar I got it loosened.
Its a lot of work for a water pump. Believe me I know!
I'd replace the timing belt while I was doing all of this....Buy a good one thou!!!!!! OEM.
Good luck,
Randy
08-10-2003, 11:02 AM
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 104
A trick I've used to lock the engine to loosen or tighten the crankshaft pulley bolt is as follows:
Remove a spark plug from a cylinder that is easy to get to, then look into the cylinder with a flashlight. Turn the engine over by hand till the piston is at or near TDC. Now turn the crankshaft 180 degrees to get that piston to BDC. Get about 4-5 feet of 3/8" poly rope, the kind like ski ropes are made from. It's pretty stiff compared to sisal or other types of rope. Push as much rope as you can into the cylinder. You should be able to get a couple of feet into it. Now turn the engine SLOWLY BY HAND in the direction that would loosen the crankshaft pulley bolt. When the mass of rope gets compressed in the cylinder, the engine will stop turning. Now you can put a cheater bar or something on it to break the bolt loose.
To remove the rope, tighten the bolt just enough to get the engine to turn a little in the opposite direction. This will be much easier if you removed all 6 spark plugs at the start. This will loosen the rope and allow you to pull it back out easily. Then you should be able to loosen the bolt again to remove the pulley. Put a little anti-seize on the nose of the crank before you put the pulley back on to keep it from getting stuck next time.
To tighten the bolt when you're done, do the whole thing over again, but turn the engine in the direction to tighten the bolt while the rope is in there. It will lock and you can torque it. Then turn the other way to loosen the rope allowing you to pull it back out.
This method will not hurt the engine as long as you turn it GENTLY while the rope is in there. If you were to hit the starter or something, I guess you might be able to damage something, but using hand tools should cause no problems.
Remove a spark plug from a cylinder that is easy to get to, then look into the cylinder with a flashlight. Turn the engine over by hand till the piston is at or near TDC. Now turn the crankshaft 180 degrees to get that piston to BDC. Get about 4-5 feet of 3/8" poly rope, the kind like ski ropes are made from. It's pretty stiff compared to sisal or other types of rope. Push as much rope as you can into the cylinder. You should be able to get a couple of feet into it. Now turn the engine SLOWLY BY HAND in the direction that would loosen the crankshaft pulley bolt. When the mass of rope gets compressed in the cylinder, the engine will stop turning. Now you can put a cheater bar or something on it to break the bolt loose.
To remove the rope, tighten the bolt just enough to get the engine to turn a little in the opposite direction. This will be much easier if you removed all 6 spark plugs at the start. This will loosen the rope and allow you to pull it back out easily. Then you should be able to loosen the bolt again to remove the pulley. Put a little anti-seize on the nose of the crank before you put the pulley back on to keep it from getting stuck next time.
To tighten the bolt when you're done, do the whole thing over again, but turn the engine in the direction to tighten the bolt while the rope is in there. It will lock and you can torque it. Then turn the other way to loosen the rope allowing you to pull it back out.
This method will not hurt the engine as long as you turn it GENTLY while the rope is in there. If you were to hit the starter or something, I guess you might be able to damage something, but using hand tools should cause no problems.
08-10-2003, 02:17 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 380
damn, you guys have *****.. i would never stick anything foreign into the engine. some guys have reccomended cranking the engine while the cheater bar is braced against the ground, others reccomend sticking a screwdriver in the flywheel... yikes. all too risky for me. arent you guys afraid of breaking something?
i called a couple of places and i found a rental store that will loan me an electric impact drill for a day. so im going to go that route. hopefully it does the trick.
thanks guys
walka
i called a couple of places and i found a rental store that will loan me an electric impact drill for a day. so im going to go that route. hopefully it does the trick.
thanks guys
walka
08-10-2003, 02:40 PM
#8
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 104
Suit yourself. I've used the rope trick several times in the last few years and never had ANY problem. An impact should work if it's strong enough, but I don't know how strong an electric one will be.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
08-11-2003, 06:35 PM
#10
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 380
finally!!!! i got the damn pulley off! i ended up renting an impact wrench for the day. so easy. i didnt even have to use the strap wrenches or any other method to prevent spinning.
i replaced the water pump and flushed my coolant system. so much labor to change just a measley pump. this is by far my most advanced DIY repair to date. i must admit, it feels pretty damn good.
the noise that i was getting from before was indeed the pump. it was the bearings like i suspected. i suspect that my drive belt was too tight and thats why the bearings failed.
i filled the radiator and reservoir, but im assuming i will need more in the morning since the fluid needs to seep into the engine block and such. overnight, im waiting for the rtv sealant to cure and for the coolant to fully fill and then i get to take the max for a test spin. i hope everything works just fine.
thanks to everyone who helped me out, from the initial engine noise, to the pulley removal, etc. i love this board.
on a side note.. i saw a sentra and a new quest at the dealership today. both had the ugly tooth grille. :vomit:
walka
08-11-2003, 09:50 PM
#11
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 554
Congratulations on getting your pump out and replaced. The feeling of beating the DIY beast is pretty intoxicating. It makes you--at least me--want to tackle more complex jobs.
On a side bar, make sure you get some royalties for the Coke advertisment you have going on there. It looks like one of those stragically placed cans that you see in movies and television. --- Yes, I am showing you the new and old water pumps, but I could not have done it without my can of Coke ----
On a side bar, make sure you get some royalties for the Coke advertisment you have going on there. It looks like one of those stragically placed cans that you see in movies and television. --- Yes, I am showing you the new and old water pumps, but I could not have done it without my can of Coke ----
08-12-2003, 06:53 AM
#12
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 380
hah, nice point.. you should have seen how many cans i went through during the install.. the weather here is in new england is nasty.. mid 80s constantly and so humid that its raining on and off every other 10 min.
walka
walka
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