98 ES300 Crankshaft Pulley Bolt Removal Help Needed
 

Folks,

I started on a timing belt replacement project and am struggling to get the crankshaft pulley off. The bolt is really on tight. I've read other threads which suggest using a breaker bar and cranking the engine for a few seconds with the wire to the plugs disconnected. However, one guy said the battery blew up and the bolt didn't come off so I'm a little hessitant on this approach :-).

Any suggestion on how to hold the pulley wheel while working the bolt with a breaker bar? Also, I've heard some folks say they used a impact wrench. I don't have one but might be able to rent one.

thanks, Steve

finally got it! I went for it and did the crank the engine method.
I put a breaker bar on the 22mm bolt and ran the handle to the floor. I disconnected all six plug wires and did a quick crank on the engine. It came loose immediately. The big win is that you don't have to have a tool to hold the crankshaft pulley either.

The crankshaft pulley turns clockwise so the breaker bar angles toward the front of the car. I held the bar in position while someone else turned the key on momentarily. It only takes about one second.

There may be a better way to disconnect the spark plugs but I was changing them out anyway so left the plug wires disconnected.

Back to the timing belt project....

ok, im 10 steps ahead of you and have more experience, so believe me when i say the starter method is safe and easy. so stop being hesitant, it's needless worry that is preventing you from completing this one. :>

i dont know where you're at or how much you know, so ill assume you're safe, but you know the crank turns clockwise, so you must stick the breaker bar against the ground , at about 4 o'clock, follow me?

then, you pull the efi relay out[this prevents fuel pump from pumping], or otherwise disable the ignition and fuel system , however you prefer on your car. i also pull the signal plug from the coil, you may have to pull a plug that will do the same thing on distributorless system.

then, you blip the starter, most of the time, it gets lose just from that one thing. then you can continue your work. for instance, pulling the battery out. then to remove the pulley, you will need a pulley removal tool which comes in rental form from popular parts places likes advance auto parts. its pretty easy. i will post a couple pics soon.

i see that while i was typing up my help for you, you were typing as well! lol well, im glad it worked for you

thanks for the comments. While I was stalled on the crankshaft pulley
bolt I decided to do the spark plugs. Dang. That was a challenge. Those back three plugs were a bear. Don't know if you've done the plugs yet but plan on a couple of hours. My arms are raw from reaching through the maze of pipes and wires to get to the back three. I think the key is a small socket wrench. Smaller the better. Forget the torque wrench. :-).

Dealership wanted $350 to replace the plugs.

umm, i took the intake manifold off

and i still had problems

im going to make a thread just dedicated to my experience since i think a lot of people on here, and on the internet [think google searches] will benefit from what i learn. my car is getting its tooth pulled right now[FUBAR spark plug]. and im going through an experience that i best describe as "pulling teeth". seriously, you think you have a it bad, well, you do, and i feel for you, but in a couple of days you will see what i had to put up with......

if there's anyway i can help, email me. we're both doing the same thing. but your timing job is very easy. if you managed the rear plugs without taking intake manifold off, then congrats, you're very good with ujoint and extensions lol

-brian

wait, i still cant really get the harness out of the way, the egr pipe is in the way. and i can't get any of my adj wrenchs in that little space, in order to remove the securing nut on the egr pipe. tell me I'm crazy and that Toyota designed this well. how do i get this nut lose...
the only thing that comes to mind is to pull off the exhaust manifold all together, with the egr pipe still on it. what do you guys do? i need to get his harness out of the way so i can safely remove the valve cover and work on a plug.

thanks,
brian

did mine without taking the egr pipe loose from the exaust just finnesed the harness over the pipe

i got it mostly , what a pain, and its cause i forgot a plug

new edit:
ahh isee someone posted, right near me, well esucaris, thanks for replying. i am also not going to remove the egr pipe since i figured out how to get the wiring out of the way. thanks bud for replying even though i figure it out, i think im going to need to pick yours and everyone brain if i cant figure out how to pull this tooth [spark plug].... will be posting here in coming hours or day if i cant

how does one remove the tubes the spark plugs are within?

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...g/b0fc9e3f.jpg

Here is a slightly fuzzy photo of what the setup looks like when removing the crankshaft pulley bolt with a breaker bar. This worked so well that I wanted to show folks how it looks when set up. The breaker bar angles toward the front of the car. I loosely held the bar in place while my partner cranked the starter ever so briefly. I can tell you from my experience, there is a slim chance of you working this bolt loose with simply a breaker bar and some kind of tool holding the pulley wheel stationary as suggested in the mechanics manual. I pulled on it with one foot planted in the wheel well and both hands on the wrench. No dice.
This works very well. Be sure to disconnect the plugs so the car won't start.Attachment 122430

one addition: do not be near the bar, or touching it. just make sure it's perpendicular , which is the 90 degree angle formed by bar and socket. like in the photo.
my bolt was i think 19mm. your car is bigger which is interesting.
perhaps they changed the bolt for the 1mz-fe? mine is a 3mz-fe the direct ascendant to your engine [almost the same basically for those who didn't know]

here's a shot o' mine

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...g/100_2440.jpg

u guys definetly have more guts then i do to go into your cars like that

You don't remove them the are pressed in... why do you want to remove them anyway???

because i can't get the spark plug out, and now i cant get the socket off that i hammered onto the porcelan insulator. im annoyed because i might have to pull the head off of the engine and then possibly i can drill it out ... this majorly sucks. anyone have any input?
[and sorry to hijack thread]