Lower pulley removal: Having ISSUES

[Invictus]

In the process of removing the OEM lower pulley / cage assembly.

I've done this before, i'm aware that it's reverse threaded and extremely tight in most cases.

I've got the car in 6th gear, and the eBrake is fully engaged.

I've got a 2ft cheater bar, and a 5ft iron pipe with plenty of leverage.


My problem is the crank pulley is actually tuning... The car is not inching forward tho as I have all 4 tires chocked. This leads me to believe my clutch may be slipping slightly? This thing is on there good. I've also tried the trick of putting one of the spokes at 3 o'clock and beating it with a sledge and that works however the crank pulley turns with it. It will NOT come loose.

Question, is there a way to manually lock the motor or crank pulley? without damaging anything obviously? I've even tried putting a torch on it for 10 minutes literally getting it red hot to no avail.

I do have impact tools and a decent compressor but nothing I have is working.

I'm looking at this lower pulley and its just staring back at me.....
I'm stumped.

 

[JB]

Question, is there a way to manually lock the motor or crank pulley? without damaging anything obviously?

:read: Flywheel Locking Tool

have you tried the floor jack method?

 

[Invictus]

:read: Flywheel Locking Tool

have you tried the floor jack method?

Do I need to pull the trans to mount that? Can't exactly see how that installs?

Yes, the floor jack method is what I origionally tried but doesn't help. Turning it isn't really the issue because the actual balancer is turning with it. I need a very heavy duty impact, or either an alternative way of keeping the motor from turning over.

 

[black 10th vert]

The only thing I can think of is to pull the trans, so that you can use a flywheel locking tool that will engage with the teeth of the flywheel. Those are cool, because with the circumference of the flywheel, it will have so much mechanical advantage that you would literally have to snap the front off the crank before it would ever slip, or turn! It's a lot of extra work, but if you are determined to get it off - that WILL work!

 

[JB]

You don't need to pull the transmission to use a flywheel locking tool

You remove the starter and then it bolts in its place

Torque spec on that bolt is only 74 lb-ft but some of them can sure be a real bitch to break loose the first time

Everyone will eventually have to deal with it since it's the only way to replace the inner belt...


.

 

[SLEEPERSTATUS]

op this is a great write-up actually one i used when i did my lower.....hopefully it helps

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/how-230/582428-removing-stock-lower-pulley.html

 

[Invictus]

op this is a great write-up actually one i used when i did my lower.....hopefully it helps

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/how-230/582428-removing-stock-lower-pulley.html

I tried that, turning it isn't the issue as the balancer pulley just turns with me. I need to break it loose.

Man, I hate to have to spend 150 on a locking tool... There's no other way?

 

[SLEEPERSTATUS]

I tried that, turning it isn't the issue as the balancer pulley just turns with me. I need to break it loose.

Man, I hate to have to spend 150 on a locking tool... There's no other way?

thats weird man i threw mine in 6th gear and i did it using the jack......thought i was soing to break somthing but it all of a sudden went POP and it was off:shrug:


op have you tried this method yet?

 

[twhitey]

Did you have someone press the brakes at the same time? I used the floor jack method with my car in 6th gear e brake on and sm1 holding the brakes came off first attempt

 

[04sleeper]

I have never used a locking tool and I have done many lower pulley removals.

The key to getting it loose is to hit it with a quick "Shock" to break it loose.

I used a 3 lb sledge and a regular 1/2" ratchet to break them off. Get the ratchet set and give it a good "Whack" and it will pop right off.

Trying to "Pry" will only end up with frustration and busted tools/knuckles.

 

[xavier296]

I have seen the long drift and sledge work very well on the thick spokes of the lower. This can all be done from the top without any tools, just the long bar and hammer. Give it a quick hit and it pops off. I had to see it to believe it, but it works.

 

[ZZR]

I have seen the long drift and sledge work very well on the thick spokes of the lower. This can all be done from the top without any tools, just the long bar and hammer. Give it a quick hit and it pops off. I had to see it to believe it, but it works.

Similar to how I did mine...............had a buddy hold pressure on it with a long bar over a ratchet / gave it a smack as described from up top, came right off. Using the pry only method I'd already broken a couple of tools and biotched up my hand.

 

[SVT GI]

I have seen the long drift and sledge work very well on the thick spokes of the lower. This can all be done from the top without any tools, just the long bar and hammer. Give it a quick hit and it pops off. I had to see it to believe it, but it works.

Can you elaborate a little on this? I'm about to install a lower soon and I have done it using the jack, breaker bar, 6th gear method with success but I"d like to try this first next time. Whats the "spokes" and how are you positioning/wedging the bar?

 

[03_SVT_COBRA]

take a air hammer and tap one of the spokes of the pulley whale a friend just keeps pressure on the bar. took me 2 min.

 

[Invictus]

Guys... this was an absolute nightmare. I've had a lot on my plate lately so haven't had much time to mess with the car but thought i'd update.

I've done 5-6 of these lowers before for friends and even one before on this car. (My own car) So this was nothing new to me, and NEVER have I encountered one this tight.

This is the first time i've ever had or seen an OEM lower fail like this. (I will post pics of the carnage so you guys can see exactly what happened.) I think my problem was that my clutch was slipping slightly so no matter how hard I got someone to stand on breaks, and regardless of what gear it was in, the balancer spun with it.

I tried the bar-spoke-sledge technique (i'll elaborate in next post), and I knocked the hell out of it, thinking I got it with every hit only to find that the balancer somehow spun with it. This thing was on there GOOD.

The pulley ring actually came loose from its center hub, it stripped itself out of the 3 bolts that hold it attached to the cage. I was able to drill the cage out and take the pulley and hub off. This left me with only the very center peice / shaft, still tightly screwed into the harmonic balancer. With the entire center shaft exposed I was able to torch it getting it RED hott. Then I put my 1/2" 2 ft cheater bar in the allen socket, then put my 5ft rod iron pipe on top of that. I took off my hood, was actually standing on my engine and had every bit of force into it.

When it popped (even though I was waiting / expecting it to) I thought I had really messed something up. When it broke loose I came down on top of the cheater bar and really put a gash in my chest and slit my arm open on the rad support LOL but it is off.

30 minutes later after it was cooled, I unscrewed it by hand. Within 30 minutes I had the replacement oem lower on, radiator back on it, tanks installed and car runs great.

:fm:

 

[SLEEPERSTATUS]

Guys... this was an absolute nightmare. I've had a lot on my plate lately so haven't had much time to mess with the car but thought i'd update.

I've done 5-6 of these lowers before for friends and even one before on this car. (My own car) So this was nothing new to me, and NEVER have I encountered one this tight.

This is the first time i've ever had or seen an OEM lower fail like this. (I will post pics of the carnage so you guys can see exactly what happened.) I think my problem was that my clutch was slipping slightly so no matter how hard I got someone to stand on breaks, and regardless of what gear it was in, the balancer spun with it.

I tried the bar-spoke-sledge technique (i'll elaborate in next post), and I knocked the hell out of it, thinking I got it with every hit only to find that the balancer somehow spun with it. This thing was on there GOOD.

The pulley ring actually came loose from its center hub, it stripped itself out of the 3 bolts that hold it attached to the cage. I was able to drill the cage out and take the pulley and hub off. This left me with only the very center peice / shaft, still tightly screwed into the harmonic balancer. With the entire center shaft exposed I was able to torch it getting it RED hott. Then I put my 1/2" 2 ft cheater bar in the allen socket, then put my 5ft rod iron pipe on top of that. I took off my hood, was actually standing on my engine and had every bit of force into it.

When it popped (even though I was waiting / expecting it to) I thought I had really messed something up. When it broke loose I came down on top of the cheater bar and really put a gash in my chest and slit my arm open on the rad support LOL but it is off.

30 minutes later after it was cooled, I unscrewed it by hand. Within 30 minutes I had the replacement oem lower on, radiator back on it, tanks installed and car runs great.

:fm:

damn sounds like a PITA moment sorry to hear that:shrug:

 

[exdeath]

Wow that sucks. I'm thinking that flywheel tool would have been easier

 

[03 DSG Snake]

Would antiseize on the Lower threaded portion help with future removal of the stocker for belt replacement?

 

[04sleeper]

Would antiseize on the Lower threaded portion help with future removal of the stocker for belt replacement?

I put some on mine when I replaced my inner belt.

 

[MaximumVelocity]

The pulley ring actually came loose from its center hub, it stripped itself out of the 3 bolts that hold it attached to the cage. I was able to drill the cage out and take the pulley and hub off. This left me with only the very center peice / shaft, still tightly screwed into the harmonic balancer. With the entire center shaft exposed I was able to torch it getting it RED hott. Then I put my 1/2" 2 ft cheater bar in the allen socket, then put my 5ft rod iron pipe on top of that.

:fm:

I had a similar problem getting a crank due to a previous "shop" putting Red Loctite on the threads. There was A LOT of cussing and cutting with that one. The reverse threads keep it from spinning off, no Loctite needed.

Do you think that the cage bolts were not tightened? Even then there should have been some warning noises or belts walking off?