Lower pulley removal nightmare

[02JoeGhost]

I recently aquired an 0e cobra convertible to go along with my 04 coupe. Over the last few months I have been getting the car to where I am happy with it. Last week decided to do some maintenence and change the inner belt and idlers since I could hear one growling and the belt looked original. This is where the fun started. Car has the stock caged lower so I knew it would be a task to get it off. First tried the trick using a jack and breaker bar and that didn't work. Tried going from the top using a breaker bar and cheater pipe and still would not budge. After messing with it and alot of cussing the pulley came off but not like it was supposed to. This is what I was left with when the pulley finally came off

So now the main shaft is stuck in the balancer. I ended up taking the end fan and tanks out if the way to give my self some more room to work. At this point I had destroyed two 1/2 inch breaker bars and a 1/2 inch ratchet. Went and got a 3/4 inch breaker bar and figured this would do the trick on getting the shaft broke loose. This is what I was rewarded with last night

I called it quits and walked away. Only option I can see right now is try a pipe wrench and see if we can muscle it loose. All this to change an inner belt. Anyone have any other suggestions?

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[SVT_Troy]

I went through a similar issue. I ended up cutting into it more which allowed it to loosen with a pipe wrench. I used a air grinder to cut a slot in it which you can see in the pics.

 

[Black Gold 380R]

I'm not sure how much force/pressure you will be able to exert on the bolt now. However, when I did this on my car I used the breaker bar with a cheater bar from up top. I had my son pull on the cheater bar and hold using as much force as he could exert. Then I used a brass bar and placed it on the inside of the pulley and whacked it with a hammer and it broke loose. Guess the vibration from the hammer jarred it loose.

So, I'm not sure if you should exert force and hit it with a hammer or just go ahead and cut it out at this point. Good luck, this has got to be one of the worst design flaws on these cars.

 

[Goose17]

Are you saying you have to go through all of this just to get at the inner belt? YIKES! I have not done any engine work on my Terminator, but I've taken my GT500 belts (both) off multiple times and it is super easy.

 

[01yellercobra]

You might have to heat it up before trying get it off.

 

[Nightmare302]

I hope you know that it's reverse thread and aren't yanking on it in the wrong direction?

 

[02JoeGhost]

Tried heat as well as taping it with a hammer while someone pulled on it. Yes I know it is reversed thread.

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[hotcobra03]

You need to hold crankshaft..fords tool locks the flywheel..

I used a bar in driveshaft yoke at trans..

These are normally tight. .even after hand tight install to remove again.


pipe wrench is now your best bet..im not big on torch to heat but it helps

 

[RichM1983]

Wow seeing this makes me feel lucky. I just did this in August and luckily it came right off with little effort. I've done it twice in the past year.

Good luck! I hope you get it without ruining the inner balancer pulley.

 

[mike69440]

Near 79K miles, never changed original Air conditioner belt, along with +50k miles on blower belt, Lower pulley cradle long gone, in place is a 4Lb. lower, but I dread the day the belts are changed.

Bad design!

 

[RichM1983]

Near 79K miles, never changed original Air conditioner belt, along with +50k miles on blower belt, Lower pulley cradle long gone, in place is a 4Lb. lower, but I dread the day the belts are changed.

Bad design!

Yeah my car has a tick over 80k and it looked like it was all original. My ac also took a shit and needed a new compressor so I had to dig in deep.

 

[oldmodman]

I have helped people take off three of them now and NONE of them came off easy.

But letting them soak overnight in penetrant then heating them with a blow torch (Bernz-O-Matic type) they all came off fairly easy. At least easy enough so that I could re-use the tool and the damn pulley assembly.

Without getting them up to 400 degrees the epoxy "lock tite" that the factory used just will not let go. I hold the flame from the torch right in the middle of the hex hole until a remote reading temp meter shows 400 degrees right outside the hole.

 

[02JoeGhost]

Finally got it off with a pipe wrench. What a hassle now to find a replacement lower pulley

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[hotcobra03]

Finally got it off with a pipe wrench. What a hassle now to find a replacement lower pulley

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Good luck..they were 800 new from ford..im expecting used to go up..

ive rebuilt mine on rubber and studs your alittle deeper needing bolt..

there is an option of changing to another type

 

[01yellercobra]

They pop up on ebay once in a while.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-2004-M...ash=item2a708060db:g:y2EAAOSw5ZBWHrCT&vxp=mtr

 

[oldmodman]

Here is one for even less and this one is complete with the idler pulley. For $285 free shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-2004-M...7c450be&pid=100005&rk=2&rkt=2&sd=182276088027

 

[mike69440]

Here is one for even less and this one is complete with the idler pulley. For $285 free shipping

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-2004-M...7c450be&pid=100005&rk=2&rkt=2&sd=182276088027

A few years ago I sold mine for about $30!!!!!!

 

[02JoeGhost]

Picked up one local from a freind so car will be back on the road by the weekend

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[03' White Snake]

Wow. Mine was a pita a few years ago, but never like this.

I hear you can pop them free from above using a pipe and a sledge hammer. Put the pipe on a spoke of the pulley and hit it down the shock will pop it free. Obviously you were way beyond this method.