Any Advice for Stuck Crank Bolt? (1 Viewer)

[AaKnight]

OK, so I tried to change the oil pump o-ring over the weekend.

I'm not having any luck with the crank bolt.

I tried the starter bump method and the pulley rotates a little then stops under force.

So I got out my air impact, set it to 125psi, and hammered on it for a good 10 minutes with no budge.

Anybody know of any other way to get this out? I'm stumped!

What a waste of time to pull the battery and radiator for this! I thought my biggest problem would be the screws... Ha!

Any help appreciated. Thanks

 

[BILT4ME]

14MM IMPACT socket on the flywheel bolt.

3/4" drive breaker bar
36" long cheater pipe that fits over breaker bar above.

You can buy both at Harbor Freight or Lowes (@LS1FJ40 )

If you try this with a 1/2" breaker bar, you will twist off the square drive on the breaker bar. I did this. My truck would not even bump on the starter method.

 

[half k cruiser]

14MM IMPACT socket on the flywheel bolt.

3/4" drive breaker bar
36" long cheater pipe that fits over breaker bar above.

You can buy both at Harbor Freight or Lowes (@LS1FJ40 )

If you try this with a 1/2" breaker bar, you will twist off the square drive on the breaker bar. I did this. My truck would not even bump on the starter method.

This ^ is the method I always use when doing this job. Once I've got the 14mm (6 point) deep well on the flywheel bolt I slowly rotate the crank around with a smaller ratchet until I feel it lock up. Then I climb into the engine bay with the 3/4 drive and 3 ft of pipe for the big finish !

 

[baldilocks]

14MM IMPACT socket on the flywheel bolt.

3/4" drive breaker bar
36" long cheater pipe that fits over breaker bar above.

You can buy both at Harbor Freight or Lowes (@LS1FJ40 )

If you try this with a 1/2" breaker bar, you will twist off the square drive on the breaker bar. I did this. My truck would not even bump on the starter method.

I respectfully disagree. My crapsman 1/2" breaker bar lived through it.

@AaKnight - I'd your starting system in too top shape. The starter method is quite popular.

 

[AaKnight]

@AaKnight - Is your starting system in too top shape? The starter method is quite popular.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, at least I think it is. I havent pulled The starter but the starter was rebuilt 6 months ago and I have just under 14v on the hot wire. It's the first thing I checked. I even tried a bigger battery thinking a few xtra cca would help.

When I cranked it, the pulley rotated and I could see the engine twist a bit before it just stopped.

When I take the breaker bar off the engine cranks just fine.

Guess I'll try locking the flywheel. And get a big ass cheater bar.

 

[BILT4ME]

I respectfully disagree. My crapsman 1/2" breaker bar lived through it.

@AaKnight - I'd your starting system in too top shape. The starter method is quite popular.

I agree to disagree.......

My crank bolt was so tight that I twisted off my Crapsman 1/2" breaker bar drive like butter. Unfortunately, it was one that had been replaced about 10 years ago, so it's not the quality of old...... That's why I had to go to Lowes to do this.......

Same reason my starter wouldn't do it.

It probably will the next time (hoping the re is no next time....) because I did it correctly, not with Mongo cranking on it get it tight.

 

[midfat]

14mm deep well or impact socket in the flywheel. Lock the rotating assembly. Then go after the crank bolt with a 3/4 breaker bar and 4 foot cheater pipe I prefer the handle from my floor jack. Apply liberal doses of profanity. Ask the neighbor's kit to video tape you crawling all over the top of the engine looking for a leverage point. Should come out after a few minutes of hilarity.

 

[AaKnight]

Neighbors kid is 23, FIT, and female.... kinda hard to concentrate on anything but her when she's outside.

 

[2fpower]

I have said it a million times. Get a HF earthquake impact. I have busted off at least 10 of these. Most in seconds, one last year took about 30 seconds and a short air line.

 

[BILT4ME]

Neighbors kid is 23, FIT, and female.... kinda hard to concentrate on anything but her when she's outside.

Is your name Carl?

 

[1973Guppie]

I have done several of these and they are sometimes very different. While one rig comes off with the starter method, many will not. I had one that I literally had to heat for an hour and wail on with a very large air gun. I ended up finally getting it off with a large HF gun with 1/2 hose piped directly to the gun in order to get full power. I also reccomend getting a crank bracing device. With a large gun and the bracing device it is an easy job. I always take the whole front off and get a good shot at the crank. That way I can clean everything as well and ensure all the seals etc are put in properly. An extra 2 hours to pull all the crap in the front makes it worth while to end up with a professional job rather than working in a cramped space.

 

[BadReligion]

I have said it a million times. Get a HF earthquake impact. I have busted off at least 10 of these. Most in seconds, one last year took about 30 seconds and a short air line.View attachment 1489762

Best impact gun out there for the price!

Mine came off with the starter bump method but locking the flywheel with a 14mm socket and using large HF breaker bar should work too, although not as exciting as using the starter.

 

[AaKnight]

@1973Guppie.... I'm gonna take your advice. My condenser is leaking anyway and the trans cooler soft lines have been on my list for a while.

Thanks guys! I'm gonna try the method that @BILT4ME and others originally suggested. Now... Let's see if I can do it without hurting myself!

@BILT4ME, yeah, it's almost exactly like killin gophers! Haha!!!

 

[GeoRoss]

I suffer from mission creep too.

 

[1973Guppie]

@1973Guppie.... I'm gonna take your advice. My condenser is leaking anyway and the trans cooler soft lines have been on my list for a while.

Thanks guys! I'm gonna try the method that @BILT4ME and others originally suggested. Now... Let's see if I can do it without hurting myself!

@BILT4ME, yeah, it's almost exactly like killin gophers! Haha!!!

just take it all apart so you can get a good luck at everything, take your time cleaning and doing a professional job, buy some new tools, once you do it right and seal everything up you are good to go for awhile. I always hate having to buy new tools to solve an issue but once I do they are mine and they seem to come in handy again and again.

 

[half k cruiser]

I must just be extremely lucky. 5 out of 5 times the starter bolt has been boringly uneventful !

 

[1973Guppie]

I must just be extremely lucky. 5 out of 5 times the starter bolt has been boringly uneventful !

I agree, most of the ones I have done come easy too. But one I did I literally had to heat it w map gas for an hour and commence to wail on it with the largest hf gun I could find. It finally came when I could see it moving ever so slightly while hammering away with the gun. That one was ridiculous and I have no idea why it was so difficult. Did not look like anyone had been in there before either.

 

[Red Merle]

I have the gaskets for this job, but every time I read one of these threads, I wonder if I should just check my oil instead of doing all of this. I don't burn oil and I don't drip it either. Is it even worth it if I seep a teaspoon per annum? Part of me wants to do it and another more belligerent part of me says this is a waste of time and effort, not to mention the can of worms that gets opened if I can't get the damn thing re-torqued to 304 foot pounds or I mess up any of those screw heads that hold the cover in place. So I have a sorta leaky 23 year old motor. So what?

Thoughts?

 

[1973Guppie]

I have the gaskets for this job, but every time I read one of these threads, I wonder if I should just check my oil instead of doing all of this. I don't burn oil and I don't drip it either. Is it even worth it if I seep a teaspoon per annum? Part of me wants to do it and another more belligerent part of me says this is a waste of time and effort, not to mention the can of worms that gets opened if I can't get the damn thing re-torqued to 304 foot pounds or I mess up any of those screw heads that hold the cover in place. So I have a sorta leaky 23 year old motor. So what?

Thoughts?

only you can answer that, if it is a daily driver then no because you have to depend on it, if not there is no better way to learn then to dive head first into the job

 

[AaKnight]

Mine started as just a seep but it's getting worse, and is really annoying me. Oil really isnt a good thing around belts or alternator etc. Already done the upper oil pan arch and the distributor so this was next.