Removing bottom pulley on rb25

[dAVE]

Hey guys,

Need to take off timing belt, and hence need to take off the bottom pulley.. problem is the damn bolt isnt budging. I have put the car in gear but it still has give so the engine is turning instead of the bolt being undone... anyone have any tips... also, what size is it exactly.. i think my socket my be 1mm too big.

dave.

[rb25]

isnt it one of them dodgy 23mm bolts? and use your muscles dave are you turning it the right way?

[wrxhoon]

dave , its 27mm and its very tight , you need a long bar , put the car in gear and pull handbrake up then use your arm mate . if you cant get it that way you can use the starter , this is how . put socket in place with the bar and make sure the bar will hit the rail ( left one ) when you hit the starter .another way is to take the starter off and put a strong screwdriver in the ring gear the get someone to undo the nut .i hope you know when you get the nut undone you need a gear puller to pull the pulley off , its got the 2 holes there for that reason so you need 2x 6 mm bolts

[dAVE]

wrx hoon, thanks for the info.

I have tried with handbrake on and in gear and it just keeps turning the motor and cranking doesnt seem to do it either..

where is the ring gear that you can put a screw driver in?

cheers,

dave

[wrxhoon]

dave , does the car move forward when u have h/brake on and in gear ? if yea get someone to press the brakes , you still will get the engine to turn a little but you should be able to undo it . as for the ring gear you have to take the starter out first and be carefull not to brake any teeth . you may want to try undoing it with the starter though read above how to do it .

good luck ,

cheers , jerry

[Trust33]

Dave get someone to hold the bottom pulley with the hand brake on and put it in gear you must use a long breaker bar (350mm) or larger if you are to have any chance at getting it loose.If not your timing belt might just flex under the strain getting you nowhere.sidchrome make them allong with many others.

[JasonO]

Dave,

Get yourself about 1 meter of 10mm blue nylon (plypropylene) rope, fold it in two and pass the two ends through the loop so you have a choker.

Place the choker end around the crank pulley where one of the belts go, and knock it down tight so it pulls against the direction you are trying to run the nut. It should be pulling back against itself so as to always be tightening against you.

Take the two loose ends, and make a double hitch around the water pump housing.

Get your breaker bar, and marvel at how easily it comes undone

[JasonO]

Kinda like this, but don't use the alternator, put it around the water pump housing so not to damage anything.

More details are on RonS' site, www.skylinegts.co.uk

[sean01]

Use the starter... works for me 100% of the time

[Trust33]

And do you know that you need to remove the radiator to get the h/b off.the jaws of the gear puller are often to bi and long to fit inside such little space.

[Trust33]

And do you know that you need to remove the radiator to get the h/b off.the jaws of the gear puller are often to big and long to fit inside such little space.

[Bleach1]

HEY everyone, This sort of relates to this thread.

What are all your methods for tightening the crank pulley? Using the hand brake seems to put way to much strain on the cables/shoes or something and as i tighten the car is trying to creep forward so the crank isnt staying still. Even with someone in the car pressing hard against the brakes there is just wind up in the drive train and it isnt locking the crank. Any ideas??????????????

[JasonO]

Use the rope trick I mentioned above, exxcept wind the rope the other way around the crank pulley.

[The Dan]

Ok, lets start with a few tihngs...

1. if you do the rope idea you'll screw the bearings in the alternator or you'll bugger the seal in the water pump. and anyway, if you've got a breaker bar you'll be able to do it ten times easier with the starter motor.

2. don't bother with the screw driver in the flywheel/flexplate coz that'll just sh1t you tryin to get it back in, and out for that matter.

3. unless you have a breaker bar you'll never get it off with someone standing on the brakes with handbrake and in gear in which case you can do it ten times easier with the starter motor.

4. NEVER turn the crank with the car in gear and handbrake on coz you'll pop your gearbox and then car a no go.

Ultimately, unless you got a rattle gun and a compressor or a breaker bar you aint gonna get it off unless you are really lucky.

Best idea is with the breaker bar and a pipe over the end put the 27mm socket over the bolt and put the pipe over the breaker bar and hold it hard up against the left chassis rail. Get someone to crank the starter motor (not full cranks as if you were going to start it but just enough to crack the bolt). Make sure you hold the socket onto the nut and don't let go. Don't worry, as long as you hold it, it shouldn't bite you.

Or basically the way wrxhoon described it. (Sorry to repeat your advice)

But it is the best way.

[JasonO]

Ok, lets start with a few tihngs...

1. if you do the rope idea you'll screw the bearings in the alternator or you'll bugger the seal in the water pump.

Correct, which is why I said......

Kinda like this, but don't use the alternator, put it around the water pump housing so not to damage anything.

[The Dan]

Correct, which is why I said.....

screw the bearings in the alternator or you'll bugger the seal in the water pump.

Actually, the water pump is worse than the alternator.

[The Dan]

"and anyway, if you've got a breaker bar you'll be able to do it ten times easier with the starter motor."

[Bleach1]

Im talking about tightening it. I got it off no probs and im using a 22inch snap on breaker bar so thats not an issue.

[PHATR32]

use a breaker bar, and the starter motor. always works (unless your battery if dead)

forget the stupid water pump idea. youll kill it.

steve

[The Dan]

^ Best advice all day I reckon ^