Break loose crank bolt?

[Russell]

I am getting ready to change the timing belt in my DD I have never taken off a bolt this way. Is this SOP or some hack?

o Put 21mm socket and breaker bar on crank bolt
o Wedge breaker bar into the ground facing towards front of car
o Unplug your coil packs
o Crank the motor for one second and check crank bolt, should be loose now
o Finger tighten the crank bolt and set breaker bar aside

[98ciHemi]

Sounds like a bit of a hack to me. Though, I am sure it will work, and aside from the chance of launching the breaker bar somewhere, I don't see an issue with it.

Even on a 27 year old engine I could break loose the crank bolt without issue.

[TC]

I am getting ready to change the timing belt in my DD I have never taken off a bolt this way. Is this SOP or some hack?

o Put 21mm socket and breaker bar on crank bolt
o Wedge breaker bar into the ground facing towards front of car
o Unplug your coil packs
o Crank the motor for one second and check crank bolt, should be loose now
o Finger tighten the crank bolt and set breaker bar aside

Was this in the Manual??

[A/Fuel]

I don't know about that, we tighten ours to 450ftlbs and use a torque amplifyer, to take it off I wedge an aluminum block on the flywheel stands and get a big old breaker bar (I have another name for it, lol) I had one snap on me once and I went flying across the shop.
It seems to me if you could find a way of locking the flywheel you shouldn't have any problems just breaking it loose. I'd just try a impact on it at first if you have one.

[Russell]

Was this in the Manual??

no I got it off the internet! Dont remember where i got it i copied it to a word file and saved it I think it came off of some OTHER forum

[Russell]

I don't know about that, we tighten ours to 450ftlbs and use a torque amplifyer, to take it off I wedge an aluminum block on the flywheel stands and get a big old breaker bar (I have another name for it, lol) I had one snap on me once and I went flying across the shop.
It seems to me if you could find a way of locking the flywheel you should have any problems just breaking it loose. I'd just try a impact on it at first if you have one.

I guess as long as the clutch holds I will be able to do it with the B Bar. the free impact i got with my extramly small air compressor would not take lug nuts off if it did it took 30 seconds of "impacting" I put it back on the shelf and have not used it again. I should put it in the scrap pile then got be worth at least 30 cents

[TC]

I don't know about that, we tighten ours to 450ftlbs and use a torque amplifyer, to take it off I wedge an aluminum block on the flywheel stands and get a big old breaker bar (I have another name for it, lol) I had one snap on me once and I went flying across the shop.
It seems to me if you could find a way of locking the flywheel you shouldn't have any problems just breaking it loose. I'd just try a impact on it at first if you have one.

Ya if you can get an impact in there that would be the way to go, my Snap-On 1/2" impact is rated at 650lbs in reverse, so breaking bolts loose isn't a problem. Though I did have to buy a 3/4" impact to break the bolt loose that holds the piston on the ram on one of my Backhoe hydraulic cylinders. Talk about a messy rebuild...........

[TC]

Another tip is to take a pipe and slide it over the handle of your breaker bar, it'll make breaking the bolt loose easier......Also smack the head of the bolt a couple of times with a hammer that will help loosen up any corrosion.....

[BigBlockMopar]

Your engine doesn't make enough torque for that...!
...or maybe I just wanted to say that once...

Make sure you film whatever you do...!

[A/Fuel]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say breaking the bolt loose won't be an issue, the issue will be keeping the car from moving or figuring out a way to lock the flywheel. I'd get my wife to slide under there with a pry-bar wedged between the teeth and block and I'd get out front with a ratchet and take it off. That would be my plan anyway.

[TC]

You can get one of these and lock it around the pulley on the crankshaft........ You can usually spin the motor around and it will wedge against something and hold the engine from turning.........

[Scott Liggett]

I am getting ready to change the timing belt in my DD I have never taken off a bolt this way. Is this SOP or some hack?

o Put 21mm socket and breaker bar on crank bolt
o Wedge breaker bar into the ground facing towards front of car
o Unplug your coil packs
o Crank the motor for one second and check crank bolt, should be loose now
o Finger tighten the crank bolt and set breaker bar aside

When you attempt this, will you please, please, please video the procedure.

[ls7gto]

I have done this hundreds of times, with never an issue, and im sure Spidey has too! just make sure its on straight, and dont crank, just tap , when you hear the bar come off, STOP

[dieselgeek]

When you attempt this, will you please, please, please video the procedure.

THe irony here is, last weekend I used the exact same trick on my FWD daily driver and it worked totally easy. My 450 ft-lb impact driver couldn't back it off but the starter had zero problems. I just wedged a breaker bar against part of the subframe, bumped the starter and the bolt came off without any drama.

So that's not as hillbilly of a suggestion as you might think.

[TheSilverBuick]

I never had to use the technique, but I wouldn't hesitate if I needed too.