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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / January 2008

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Loosening crank bolt - poor mans option

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conan - 25 Jan 2008 13:30 GMT
I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
the frame. Then turn the key for a second or two. Loosens the bolt a
little then you can back it off by hand. Works in a pinch. Probably
not something they do in the honda garage.

Pete
Tegger - 25 Jan 2008 13:56 GMT
conan <conan6868@yahoo.com> wrote in news:c73f04fa-4ff9-40e3-9774-
b1ab5d101436@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:

> I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
> and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
> the frame. Then turn the key for a second or two. Loosens the bolt a
> little then you can back it off by hand. Works in a pinch. Probably
> not something they do in the honda garage.

Can't do that with Honda fours, of course. Doing this would /tighten/ the
bolt and probably snap it off. Not good.

Signature

Tegger

spamTHISbrp@yahoo.com - 25 Jan 2008 14:31 GMT
> conan <conan6...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:c73f04fa-4ff9-40e3-9774-
> b1ab5d101...@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> --
> Tegger

Hey, that way its still *off*.

I've used the starter bump method myself, I don't think it causes any
undo stress on anything except maybe the breaker bar.

Dave
Ray - 25 Jan 2008 16:03 GMT
>> conan <conan6...@yahoo.com> wrote in news:c73f04fa-4ff9-40e3-9774-
>> b1ab5d101...@f47g2000hsd.googlegroups.com:
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Dave
lol, but the Honda engine in question rotates THE OTHER WAY.
So, if it doesn't snap it off, then all you've done is really really
really tightened it up good.
Ken - 25 Jan 2008 15:12 GMT
> I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
> and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Pete
I've heard of that working. Not a bad idea. That would work to get the
bolt off, but I'd still have to lockup the engine to re-torque it. I've
also heard of the "stuff a cylinder with nylon rope" approach to deal
with the crank pulley.

I've got a flywheel lock I've used on a few cars so I guess I'll try
that to keep the engine from turning while I apply my luckiest
socket/breaker bar ... just that I hate scrambling underneath cars on my
back in a garage.
Mike Romain - 25 Jan 2008 15:27 GMT
>> I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
>> and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> socket/breaker bar ... just that I hate scrambling underneath cars on my
> back in a garage.

I only have a driveway and it's freaking cold out there so when my small
impact gun wouldn't touch the bolt in my crank I gave up and took it to
a garage. (have a free tow with CAA)  He charged me $60.00 to replace my
harmonic balancer.

I had visions of shrapnel flying if I used the breaker bar and starter,
so I didn't.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame in the works for '08.  Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build
Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com
Steve - 25 Jan 2008 18:32 GMT
> I had visions of shrapnel flying if I used the breaker bar and starter,
> so I didn't.

Having done it many times, I can say that its a lot less exciting than
people seem to think it is. All you hear is the normal sound of the
starter engaging, and when you go check the bolt... its loose.
Mike Romain - 25 Jan 2008 19:00 GMT
>> I had visions of shrapnel flying if I used the breaker bar and
>> starter, so I didn't.
>
> Having done it many times, I can say that its a lot less exciting than
> people seem to think it is. All you hear is the normal sound of the
> starter engaging, and when you go check the bolt... its loose.

I was thinking of exploding sockets or snapped breaker bar ends....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame in the works for '08.  Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build
Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com
Steve - 25 Jan 2008 18:29 GMT
> I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
> and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Pete

Certainly something I've been known to do in *my* garage. Where no
Hondas are allowed (unless they've been recycled into soda cans) by the way.
ratatouillerat@yahoo.com - 25 Jan 2008 23:42 GMT
What I did when faced with this problem was take some rope and
non-skid material (shelf stuf in the RV section at Wally) and about 3
feet of 2x4.  I wrapped some non-skid stuf around the pulley, then
mixed non-skid and rope together for a number of tight wraps, then
tied the rope to the end of a 2x4 lever braced on the other end
against the block and tied the rope to a hook on the fender well.

If I needed more grip, I would have put a come-along on the rope
instead of hooking to fender.

Be good to degrease the pulley first.

Pete

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John S. - 26 Jan 2008 01:55 GMT
> I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
> and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Pete

That's an old shade tree mechanic trick from way back.  Works on many
rwd cars with the engine in the front.
Dave Allured - 26 Jan 2008 02:01 GMT
> I have two good impact guns, but in the past I have used a breaker bar
> and the correct socket. Put it on the bolt set the breaker bar against
> the frame. Then turn the key for a second or two. Loosens the bolt a
> little then you can back it off by hand. Works in a pinch. Probably
> not something they do in the honda garage.

I had great luck with the starter motor method on my Geo Metro
3-cylinder engine.  (Suzuki design.)  The advertized tightening torque
was only 81 ft-lbs, yet 150 ft-lbs applied by hand would not budge it.
I broke a beautiful Snap-on swivel socket in the process too.

Two bumps with the starter motor, and it was all over.  The bolt was
finger loose after that.

Tips:  (1) You probably want to just bump the starter motor once or
twice, not hold it.  Even "a second or two" seems too long to me.  (2)
Use an impact grade socket, not one of your normal chrome sockets.  Mine
cost only $6 from the local hardware store.

--Dave
 
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