Help! - Trouble Removing Harmonic Balancer Bolt

[shaund]

Hi All,

I've just got a R32 GT-R half cut and stripped everything out of the shell.

I thought I'd do the right thing and replace all the belts before I put it in my car.

I'm having real difficulty removing the bolt that holds the harmonic balancer to the crank.

Is this bolt a left hand (reverse) thread?

In trying to undo this, we have had a 6' long bar attached to the yoke on the back of the gearbox and a breaker bar on the bolt on the front, with a 4' long bit of square tube over the end for extra leverage. We've managed to make the clutch slip in trying to get this undone! Jumping on the breaker bar dosn't help either.

I had a look through the service manual, and there is no mention that the thread is reversed, however, on page EN-61 the diagram of the bolt shows the threads drawn on the bolt running in what appears to be a reverse direction.

We've been hitting it several times a day over the last 4 days with a WD40 equivalent to try and loosen things up a bit, but it hasn't helped.

One of the things suggested to me is to heat it up with an oxy torch and then have a go after its had a chance to heat soak into the crank, but I'm dubious about doing this... I'd rather not destroy the rubber in the harmonic balancer

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

-Shaun

[FOG35]

The only way i can help is by assuring you that it is NOT a reverse thread. Otherwise good luck.

[shaund]

Hi,

Thanks... good to know that im not trying to turn it the wrong way

now to bring in the big guns... im thinking that we'll have to try and lock up the flywheel after taking the gearbox off the back of it, and then getting a longer bit of tube over the breaker bar! I've also read that locktite will break down with heat... so perhaps heating it might be a good idea too just incase some idiot put locktite on it too.

Cheers!,

-Shaun

The only way i can help is by assuring you that it is NOT a reverse thread. Otherwise good luck.

[blind_elk]

The usual "butcher's" way to undo the bolt is to set it up so the breaker bar rests on the chassis rail, and hit the starter. If the engine is out of the half-cut, then resting on the ground should have the same effect. You should be able to use jumpers onto the starter terminals.

[Godzilla32]

Rattle gun is the easiest way but not always available. They are done up to 450Nm so the starter trick wont normally work as its too tight. I tried this and it failed. Sounds like the clutch is on the way out...Using 4th gear - direct drive? The first time i got it undone i used a breaker bar with a large trolley jack handle slipped over it for mega leverage. The handle was a good 1.8-2.0 metres long..

Deren

[colgf]

I did my belts on my 4 door R33 a few weeks ago & had a bugger of a time trying to undo that bolt!!!! I had to make up a steel bar that had a nut & bolt in one end long enough to slot into one of the balancer cut out webs , then the other end went across to one of the mount bolts for the power steering pump where it bolts onto the block . The steel was about a quarter inch thick by about an inch wide & about 10 inches long with a bend in it to match the balancer sticking out from the block. That effectively locked the balancer & crankshaft in place to stop it turning. Then I got the correct sized socket (half inch drive) & a breaker bar about 15 inches long , I positioned the bar vertically above the engine & had 2 people, one either side of the car, one pulling , one pushing on the bar. On the count of 3 we both gave an almighty pull/push & the bolt gave with a pronounced noise!!!!!! Hope that helps, just dont do it back up that tight!!!!!! (Another tip- dont do the idler tensioner pulley up too much tension or your new belt will make a awful grinding noise- just use thumb & forefinger to be able to wobble new belt back & forth about half an inch at its mid point between pulleys- thats enough tension. Also make dead sure that all the timing marks on the cam sprockets line up - they can be deceiving unless you look at them exactly from front on - easy when engine is out of car but very hard when engine is in the car...... Good luck - My email colgf1@optusnet.com.au if you need more help .

[shaund]

Rattle gun is the easiest way but not always available. They are done up to 450Nm so the starter trick wont normally work as its too tight. I tried this and it failed. Sounds like the clutch is on the way out...Using 4th gear - direct drive? The first time i got it undone i used a breaker bar with a large trolley jack handle slipped over it for mega leverage. The handle was a good 1.8-2.0 metres long..

Deren

Hi Deren,

Yep, the clutch is on its way out... nasty burn marks on the pressure plate as well as the fly wheel as you can see here:

Pressure plate: http://hades.arach.net.au/gallery2/v/Shaun...C00314.JPG.html

Clutch plate: http://hades.arach.net.au/gallery2/v/Shaun...C00313.JPG.html

Flywheel: http://hades.arach.net.au/gallery2/v/Shaun...C00316.JPG.html

The fingers on the pressure plate are also unevenly worn and in some cases unevenly 'bent' inwards (towards the flywheel) where the thrust bearing has been making contact with it.

Time for a new clutch and pressure plate I think. I'll also need to have the flywheel machined.

I did my belts on my 4 door R33 a few weeks ago & had a bugger of a time trying to undo that bolt!!!! I had to make up a steel bar that had a nut & bolt in one end long enough to slot into one of the balancer cut out webs , then the other end went across to one of the mount bolts for the power steering pump where it bolts onto the block . The steel was about a quarter inch thick by about an inch wide & about 10 inches long with a bend in it to match the balancer sticking out from the block. That effectively locked the balancer & crankshaft in place to stop it turning. Then I got the correct sized socket (half inch drive) & a breaker bar about 15 inches long , I positioned the bar vertically above the engine & had 2 people, one either side of the car, one pulling , one pushing on the bar. On the count of 3 we both gave an almighty pull/push & the bolt gave with a pronounced noise!!!!!! Hope that helps, just dont do it back up that tight!!!!!! (Another tip- dont do the idler tensioner pulley up too much tension or your new belt will make a awful grinding noise- just use thumb & forefinger to be able to wobble new belt back & forth about half an inch at its mid point between pulleys- thats enough tension. Also make dead sure that all the timing marks on the cam sprockets line up - they can be deceiving unless you look at them exactly from front on - easy when engine is out of car but very hard when engine is in the car...... Good luck - My email colgf1@optusnet.com.au if you need more help .

Hi Colgf

Yeah... sounds like mine is as tight as yours was, if not tighter

Thanks for your tips. Good things to know.

Cheers guys!

-Shaun

Edited January 12, 2007 by shaund

[RANDY]

As said above, a taller gear might help, but failing this, a mate helped me lock up the flywheel, and then we managed to get it undone.

He had the same problem on his R32GTR also, and broke two ratchets in the process. Ended up taking it down to a diesel mechanic, who used a 700nm capable rattle gun, spent 5 minutes rattling, and eventually it came undone.

[dontfeelcold]

Ahh yes, I remember my first time removing a well attached harmonic balancer good times good times.

[shaund]

Hi All,

I just thought I'd report back on my success...

Given the engine is out of the car (still mounted up to the front suspension assembly, up on wheel stands) , some extra options become available...

I took the flywheel off, and replaced it with a 1m length of 10mm steel plate that I'd drilled holes in in just the right places so I could bolt it up in place of the flywheel. With this bar in place, i rotated it so it was parallel with the ground, another wheelstand holding it up at the end furthest from the crank. Breaker bar on and reasonable amount of force later, the locktite cracked and it was done

Thanks for all your help and suggestions guys!

Cheers,

-Shaun

Edited February 2, 2007 by shaund