harmonic balancer won't come off
 

Hi all, I have a 99 rx300, I am trying to change the timing belt but cant get the bolt loose for the crank pulley, i've impacted it, put bolts in the holes on the pulley and tried prying against those. Neither approach has worked and im wondering if someone might have an idea how to get it out, short of drilling it out or just putting in a new crankshaft. Thanks for any input.

Is the main pulley stuck or the bolt? Your post is not clear.

To break the bolt there are three ways:

1. Use a tool to hold the pulley while you undo the bolt with lots of leverage. Search and you will find how to construct the tool.

2. Use lager impact wrench.

3. Use the starter to spin the crank shaft, while you use the floor to lock the wrench (pulse the starter, and not start the engine.

If the pulley is stuck, you have to use another tool to pull it off the shaft.

Salim

I'm sorry it is the bolt thats stuck, thanks for the ideas.

Use a 3/4 in. impact and the bolt will be off in about 0.4 of a second. You are turning it counter-clockwise (like a normal bolt) aren't you? It is installed with 150 ft. lbs. of torque and it is also lock-tited, that's the reason it's so hard to get loose. I made a bracket to keep the pulley from turning and used a long breaker bar and it still took a lot of muscle to loosen it. If you do either of the things I mentioned, it will come loose! It's that tight so that the rotation of the crank won't cause it to come loose since it's conventional thread.

I may have to wait on that due to funds. I've never had a problem getting them off with the equipment I have now though, that was where my concern was coming from. Whether its been done before and someone got careless with putting it back in, i.e cross threaded.

My compressor is 2.5 HP, 10 gal, 125 PSI, is that powerful enough to remove that bolt. I got a 1/2 impact, but i can get a 3/4.

Eh, I don't know if it'll break loose it should, all I had to work with were 3/8" ratchets and I broke both of those trying again today.

No you are going to need a 1/2 minium with 250 ft lbs torque wrench or long breaker bar as Code 58 posted above.

I don't think that's going to do it. If you had a 2 stage compressor that produced about 170-175 lbs of air pressure it probably would. The power of any air tool is directly related to the air pressure your working with. My brother tried to get it off his '05 Highlander (same engine) with a 1/2 in. and couldn't break it. Got a 3/4 in. at Harbor Freight and immediately broke it with the same compressor. I simply made a flat strap bracket about a foot long to lock the pulley and was able to get it loose with a 1/2 in. breaker bar. It's installed with Lock-tite when built and I ALWAYS go back at 150 ft. lbs. and lock-tite. I don't think it would hardly be possible to cross thread it. If you have a drill press and a couple of bolts and plenty of washers you won't need the 3/4 in. impact.

See above.

This is a simple tool that I made to remove the bolt...worked great, a 1/2 inch breaker bar removed the crank bolt with ease after having this tool attached to crankshaft harmonic balancer...The two bolts attach to harmonic balancer....and the socket for the crankshaft bolt goes thru the hole between the bolts...the handle of this tool hits the subframe of the car stopping the crankshaft from moving....

I have popped these bolts loose with a couple of quick shots with a heavy lump hammer against a 1/2 breaker bar. No jamming the pulley neessary.

You still need to replace the bolt and torque it to 150 ft. lbs. that's not possible without something to lock the pulley.

Thomas, mine looked similar but without the welded plate in the middle. I used what I had and that was a piece of strap 2"x 5/16"x 12" long. Hole sawed hole in it toward the end and the 2 holes drilled for the 2 pulley bolts plus stack of washers to get it shimmed out enough to clear. Used it 3 times and worked great each time. Yours looks like an engineer built it, mine, the guy who came up with the motto "git 'er done"! :D :D :D

Hey it was all scrap in my metal pile...I would have done it differently if I had thought it out....Love my welder....But we both get it done...(old navy guy) had to fix things whatever it took....