Thread: How do I get the crank pulley off with the head off?

On my ga16 I took the head off to make sure no valves were bent after one of my timing gears ate some teeth, I'm trying to get the oil pump off to change the gear and chain but don't want to pull the whole engine. I don't have an impact gun where I am. every time I try to turn the rachet on the crank the engine spins, even with it in gear.

Any ideas how to get it off? I don't have enough room to get a pipe wrench on the crank either.

Through the passenger side wheel well there is a plastic cover thats attached by the or four ten mm bolts. Remove it and you'll have straight acces to the crank pulley. And you will need an impact or a lot of strength to loosen the bolt on there. Iirc it's a 32mm.

With the axles in the car and the car in gear with somebody holding the brakes you should be able to break it loose with a breaker bar

if all else fails you will have to pull the trans and jam the flywheel.

Can you get either belt back on? If you can shove a towel in between the belt and ps/ac/alt or whatever and it will stop the thing from turning over.

IMO you may as well drop the motor and prop the flywheel. And also you may as well invest in (or beg borrow steal) an electric impact wrench.

Definitely sounds like you either need an impact gun, or you're ending up removing the trans or the whole engine. Doesn't paint a pretty picture I know, but short of investing in tools, this is where you're likely at.

Only other suggestion I can think of is along the lines of that boostednx suggested, but the trick there is finding enough room to get enough torque on it. If the pulley hasn't been removed in a while (if ever), you may not have enough torque to break it loose with the engine still in.

bolt a metal bar or something across a cylinder with the head bolts and put a block of wood in the cylinder...crank away

That's an idea i might be able to do,

actually I do have an impact gun but the harbor freight compressor i have won't spin the gun, I mostly use it at work...which unfortunately I'm not at

Chain wrench, they're not to expensive. Breaker bar on the nut and chain wrench around the pulley holding it in place.

Click me

I've got one that I use on all the V6's and V8's at work when I'm doing a Tbelt.

Definitely this. That is your easiest access point for the crank pulley. I used a 1 1/8, and it fit nice and snug. You will most definitely need alot of strength. I suggest using some mechanical advantage like putting a big crescent wrench on the end of you socket wrench if you can't borrow an impact... You will also need a pulley puller. Good luck