ideas on crank nut removal

[narfire]

I'm changing the head gasket among a couple of other things ,on the 80 that followed me home last week.
The metal shrouds on the engine were still installed and am wanting to remove the lower one (around the crank pully)to get the belt changed. The head is currently off as is the rad., and I am having a problem removing the crank nut. Tried an impact wrench..nope and tried,but not too hard, jamming a screwdriver in the drive line and with a breaker bar having a go. The flex disk allows some movement,but I did not want to go too hard there in case of doing damage. I have the lower inspection plate removed from the bell housing and was looking for a place to screw in a bolt to the fly wheel ,can't see one that would hold the torque I might have to apply.
Bigger, badder impact? Sprayed it with penitrating fluid before I gave up last night,perhaps another shot this morning? anyone use heat,I have access to a torch but don't reall want to screw up the seal if I can help it. The PO had the belt and tensioner changed at one point and the mechanic re-installed all the metal. What a pain..is there really a big positive to have that installed other than perhaps for a car show?
Any ideas will be appreciated
Chris

[JohnnyRaggs]

You can try some heat, but I would go the bigger, badder impact. Or, put car in gear, park brake on, have someone sit in the car with foot on brake and go at it with a breakerbar and snipe.

[rlux4]

Put a ratchet and socket on the nut (as, for instance, you were turning the engine by hand to adjust the cam timing). Forget that the socket is on and start the car. You'll hear a loud BANG! Immediately turn the car off. When you go up to the front of the car you'll find the ratchet, socket and crank pulley nut lying on the floor.
Ron

[ronarthur]

If you have a 2' to 3' long piece of steel pipe, slip it over the end of the ratchet or breaker bar. The extra leverage can work wonders.

[majicwrench]

If you have access to the flywheel you can certainly find a way to jamb it to keep it from moving, be creative.
The ratchet/socket and turn- the- key thing works, but I would never do it. Always a better way.
Trying the car-in-gear thing, that is tough, way too much slack/give in everything.
A bigger badder impact should blow that nut right off.
Heat, wouldn't bother. It's not seized, it's just tight.
Keith

[rlux4]

I hope that everyone knew I was speaking tongue in cheek. It was a self-effacing joke, Keith, honest. Actually, I'm lucky nothing was damaged from my bone head mistake. The radiator is pretty close when the ratchet starts flying!
Ron

[manoa matt]

Are you replacing the front main oil seal, or just replacing the timing belt? If its just the belt, you can slip the new belt in between the crank pulley and the aluminum shroud on the seal carrier. The 2L engine is a bit more difficult than earlier years due to that shroud, but it can be done.

[majicwrench]

Ron,
I was wondering, but then I used to work with a guy in a shop who took a lot of crank nuts off that way!!!!

[narfire]

Thanks for the suggestions.. but what I have done,as the head is off at the moment, is to get a piece of flat-bar steel and using the old head gasket as a template, drill two holes for the head bolts. I purchased a couple of shorter 10 X 1.25 bolts and some washers and will screw the flat bar down with a piece of wood laying on the piston near tdc. I'll take a pic tomorow and let you know how it worked out.
Ron- any pictures
The firewall fix went well. I cut the same out of a parts car and after welding the tears,I pop riveted the new pplate over the old and then had a fellow weld the edges. Did well, only started two fires (used wood chips on the floor to soak up the oil/fluids)
Chris

[Fiat88]

When I did my timing belt change, my friend used his impact gun, first I soaked the nut in CRC Freeze off, at first we couldn't get it off but then his friend suggusted using a shorter extension and the sucker came off.

[courtenay]

Chris - Jim and I used heat on mine, after trying Liquid Wrench and a big honking breaker bar. It didn't take a lot and didn't burn the seal.
Bruce

[doc18015]

Hi Guys,

Just did mine this weekend on a 2000. The nut is a 1 1/2 " . I used a 3/4 inch socket, breaker bar and 4 foot piece of pipe for leverage. The key to removal is not having the car in gear, wheels blocked(ness. to do) but..... a tool called a chain wrench or vise. Looks like a vise grip w/chain attached . You wrap the pulley, snug it tight as using a vise grip and it holds the pulley rock solid. Great to use on all pulleys and for torquing.

The 2000 is a pain to do . The bible skips many key issuses such as camshaft gear removal (how to ) when one does not have access to an impact ( my impact did not budge the camshaft nut ) . Consquently, the new seals for the camshafts did not go in............."Slide the new belt into place"......... After 1 1/2 hours, the sliding into place was fiction. One of the toughest belt changes I have ever done.

Well , I will stop complaining, and will try to finish this evening.

[narfire]

Thanks Bruce. Have a look at the post below regarding the "jig" It worked like a charm if the head is off the engine.

By the way.. leave any salmon in the ocean, or are they all in your freezer?
Chris

[courtenay]

Chris,
I'm beginning to believe there are no salmon in the ocean. Two and a half weeks of 4 - 5 hours in the boat every day - and nothing!!! The only saving grace that of the 40 or so boats in the marina/RV park we are staying at - only a half dozen or so a day are catching any fish.

[Tango]

What kind of impact wrench? I wrested with 3/4 inch drives and a pretty long extension, a pnuematic impact gun (but with a too-small compressor) then bought a DeWalt impact wrench with about 350 ft lbs and off it came after about three quick tries.