[crxfisher]

I'm going to be tackling the timing belt soon. Hopefully before N11. I've only got 65k miles on the car, but it's 15 years old. I need to get it done.

I changed the water pump on my Pathfinder this past weekend, and it required removing the crankshaft pulley and timing belt (and half the engine as well :? ).

My question is, on the Pathfinder I had to rig a way to keep the crank pulley still while removing the crank pulley bolt.... is it the same way on the CRX? Or can't I just put the car in gear and that will lock it in place while I remove the bolt?

 

[stick]

If you can't get the crank pulley bolt out, here's what I recommend. Take the car into a shop where they have a high powered impact gun and get them to zap the bolt out...then get them to tighten it back in with some "never-seize" on the threads to the correct torque specifications. Take the car home, and then do your timing belt replacement.

The time that I did a timing belt change on my gf's car, I needed to take it into a shop because the crank pulley bolt was on there sooooo tight, there was no way I could get it off without their help. Once I got it home, I just put the car in 5th gear and removed the bolt with no problems.

 

[crxfisher]

OOPS! I just realized I messed up. My Pathfinder is the one with 65k miles. My CRX has 76k, almost 77k. Doh!

 

[toxiclows]

I do not seem to suffer from the dreaded crank pully bolt problem I ususally just stiick something inbetween the frame of the car and the pulley holes and put a 17mm socket on it and a ratchet and then put a pipe or large wrench on the ratchet handle for leverage... then lay down on the ground and push it with my feet and legs...... .cracks loose every time...

also there are alot of mixed feelings about using an air impact gun.... some say it works all the time some claim to have no luck with it... I think this is it.... If you are using air impact tools you NEED to use an IMPACT socket.... not only are they stronger and safer but the stiffer thicker construction gets more of the hammer blows and turning torque where it belongs... down on the bolt...

Also the quality of gun plays a huge role in your sucess... I have a brand new craftsman imapact that came along with my compressor.... last week on a tight lug nut... it did nothing but sit there and hammer it and it would not budge.. i broke out my $350.00 Ingresol rand gun and it cranked that sucker off....

Good luck fisher let us know if you run into complications with the belt..... I have done several of them..I think i can do it in my sleep..

 

[Kwicko]

If you're not in the middle of it yet, have a shop knock that crank-pulley bolt loose for you. I've had luck - both good AND bad - with all manner of tools for getting these suckers loose. I've blown out Craftsman sockets and ratchet handles, I've used a 3/4" impact gun and 600psi compressor that EVENTUALLY loosened it (after about an hour and a half working at it!), I've bent the "official" Honda tool for the job... In short, there's just no telling how tight that f**ker is gonna be - until the car is half apart and you can't just drive it to the shop!

Some of them come off really easy, some are real beee-hotches. But if yours has never been loosened in 15 years, I get the feeling it'll be the latter...

Mike