Advice - How to remove crank nut?

[Peter Jones]

This sucker is done up real tight.

I've thrown a heap of leverage at it but it's not budging.

I'm locking the crank with a 1.5m bar bolted to the timing belt pulley. I keep tearing the bolt holes out of this bar.

I'm also close to bending my breaker bar.

I'm going to see if I can find a bit of plate and attach to all 4 bolts.

Might try to heat it up a bit too.

Pete

[h100vw]

Why do you need to remove it?

Heat might work but they are in there funking tight. I have never removed one myself in nearly 20 years of VW ownership. Only when they have undone themselves on G60s and 16Vs.

Certainly when you replace it, I can recommend that you use the hex bolt and washer from a MK1 DX engine. The stretch bolts just don't seem to cut it as replacements.

Gavin

[Peter Jones]

Need to replace the oil seal behind it, it's leaking.

Just made up a new lever, hopefully this one will hold.

Pete

[Peter Jones]

Got it!

Lots of leverage, swearing and heat and it finally let go.

Now I bet the pulley will be stuck too!

Pete

[h100vw]

Good effort mate. Remember the hex bolt can be reused the 12 points cannot.

Gavin

[Peter Jones]

Yep, it's the hex bolt, so all is well.

The pulley came off easily,.

I'll pop up some photos later.

Pete

[Preen59]

Here's i tip- If you have the room to move, get a brass drift (a piece of brass bar long enough to hang on to) or something similar and give it a couple of serious really good hard whacks (and i mean HARD) with a big hammer on the head of the bolt. This jars the bolt and can help to break the lock.

That, combined with heat generally never fails. Usually, if i find a bolt is too tight, the first thing i do is give it a good whack with a large hammer to help break the tension. It's a good idea to use a copper or brass (or even aluminium or mild steel if you don't have that handy) punch when you do it to avoid damaging the head of the bolt.

So, in the order i usually take if it's really tight:
1. Penetrant (best stuff EVER is ZEP 400)
2. More leverage
3. Give it a few good whacks (maybe try a rattle gun too, if you've got one)
4. Heat it up and give it a few more whacks.

And that generally never fails.

[Oneofthegreats]

If the bolt was extremely tight & was over powering even the special crank holding tool's -

I used to fit the largest breaker bar to the socket & with the breaker bar facing the ground, crank the engine quickly which would snap the breaker bar against the ground shocking the bolt & loosening it.

It's very suprising how much torque there is to be had in a starter motor!

It's alittle bit rough & ready but work's effectively without damaging anything.

[Preen59]

If the bolt was extremely tight & was over powering even the special crank holding tool's -

I used to fit the largest breaker bar to the socket & with the breaker bar facing the ground, crank the engine quickly which would snap the breaker bar against the ground shocking the bolt & loosening it.

It's very suprising how much torque there is to be had in a starter motor!

It's alittle bit rough & ready but work's effectively without damaging anything.

Fairly common practice in North South engines actually. put the breaker bar against the chassis and fire the starter. Nothing rough about it.. Just using your nut..

[Jmac]

Yeah all good till your breaker bar goes through your Radiatior , then where does using your nut go , look out your stripy coat(butcher wears them).
Jmac

[Oneofthegreats]

Yeah all good till your breaker bar goes through your Radiatior , then where does using your nut go , look out your stripy coat(butcher wears them).
Jmac

Uhhhh. I don't get it.

The breaker bar hit's against the ground. It's it's only to crack the bolt. You don't start & run the engine.

The radiator's nowhere near it.

I'll can take picture's if you like. Can be alittle hard to explain & to visualize

[Peter Jones]

If the bolt was extremely tight & was over powering even the special crank holding tool's -

I used to fit the largest breaker bar to the socket & with the breaker bar facing the ground, crank the engine quickly which would snap the breaker bar against the ground shocking the bolt & loosening it.

It's very suprising how much torque there is to be had in a starter motor!

It's alittle bit rough & ready but work's effectively without damaging anything.

Not sure I'm ready to try this on my own car just yet

Those starter motors do have a lot of torque though, a lot of people don't realise you can drive the car in first gear on the starter motor. It's not recommended of course but it can get you off the train lines when your car chooses to die.

I've seen a couple of electric go karts using a starter motor to drive one wheel.

Pete

[Jmac]

Golfworx ive done this heaps of times , no need to show me piccies mate, only i have seen some disasters with this method. The reason i mention is that not everyone on hear is technical and you put that suggestion and they put the bar the wrong way round then YELP. So to conclude i am in no way knocking your idea , used it heaps myself , but doin this for over 15yrs.
North, South engine had a mention and the rad is dircectly in front of that - Audi 80 and the likes.

[Oneofthegreats]

Golfworx ive done this heaps of times , no need to show me piccies mate, only i have seen some disasters with this method. The reason i mention is that not everyone on hear is technical and you put that suggestion and they put the bar the wrong way round then YELP. So to conclude i am in no way knocking your idea , used it heaps myself , but doin this for over 15yrs.
North, South engine had a mention and the rad is dircectly in front of that - Audi 80 and the likes.

Yep, that's cool. Nothing wrong with putting on the butcher's coat every now & then.

Thought I'd post up some pic's for the people anyway.

Bar attatched.



Disconnect ignition coil HT lead from the ignition coil

A quick crank of the ignition, a bit of banging noise from the front &



Bingo. Undone bolt.

[abreut]

The only problem with doing it that way is you can snap off the keyway on the crank sprocket.