Crankshaft pulley or "Harmonic Balancer"

[Acepilot1023]

I have a 1988 4X4 V6 2.9L Ranger that I am replacing the timing cover gasket on. To take the water pump and timing cover off, I have to take off the crankshaft pulley. In the process of trying to get it off, I have broken a chip out of the pulley, 2 2-Jaw pulley puller, 2 3-Jaw pulley pullers and a Harmonic Balancer puller.

I have ran out of ideas. Please help. This is the pulley from hell.

 

[Psychopete]

Yes, it is a pain in the butt.

Are you using the harmonic balancer puller with the crankshaft bolt still in the crank? Need to push against that with it loosened. Also been said there is a washer that needs removed that can bind it up, but I don't recall mine having that. But something to watch for.

What will be an even bigger pain in the butt is that there are two studs out of the bottom of the timing cover that go through the oil pan. Just a heads up cause that is going to complicate things. Only have installed or removed a timing cover on a 2.9L that had the pan off on an engine stand so I am not sure exactly what you'll be up against. Would be interesting to see what the Ford shop manual had to say.

 

[Acepilot1023]

Yes, it is a pain in the butt.

Are you using the harmonic balancer puller with the crankshaft bolt still in the crank? Need to push against that with it loosened. Also been said there is a washer that needs removed that can bind it up, but I don't recall mine having that. But something to watch for.

What will be an even bigger pain in the butt is that there are two studs out of the bottom of the timing cover that go through the oil pan. Just a heads up cause that is going to complicate things. Only have installed or removed a timing cover on a 2.9L that had the pan off on an engine stand so I am not sure exactly what you'll be up against. Would be interesting to see what the Ford shop manual had to say.

Yeah, I have loosened the bolt in it, but no washer? I pushed on the pulley so hard that it stripped the threads clean off the bolt in the middle of the puller.

 

[Big Jim M]

It is common to NOT use air to take these off! One tightens the center part of the balancer puller till his arm quits on him!!! Then a smart WHACK with a bfh and then tighten again by hand...then the whack again.. I've never run up against one that didn't come to jesus with this endeavor.
Big JIm

 

[Acepilot1023]

It is common to NOT use air to take these off! One tightens the center part of the balancer puller till his arm quits on him!!! Then a smart WHACK with a bfh and then tighten again by hand...then the whack again.. I've never run up against one that didn't come to jesus with this endeavor.
Big JIm

While I'm not entirely sure what you said, I think you said that it's gonna be real hard. I just don't know what else I can do? The harmonic balancer puller i bought was quote Industrial Strength unqoute....

 

[iowaranger]

I just did the front seal on mine and had to pull the balancer off. I just took the center bolt clear out and found a longer smaller diameter bolt and put through to hit the back of the crank with about 1 inch hanging out. Worked great. My biggest trouble was getting the bolt broke loose with no air. good luck.

 

[Acepilot1023]

I just did the front seal on mine and had to pull the balancer off. I just took the center bolt clear out and found a longer smaller diameter bolt and put through to hit the back of the crank with about 1 inch hanging out. Worked great. My biggest trouble was getting the bolt broke loose with no air. good luck.

Yeah, I already have the bolt out. It was tough, but it was no match for my 3/4" drive set hehe.

What is this about the smaller diameter bolt though? I'm not sure I fully understood what you were saying and I am willing to try ANYTHING at the moment. haha

 

[Big Jim M]

HE is saying you nees SOMETHING to cover the threads in the crankshaft after the bolt is removed. The shaft on the balancer puller will ruin the threads if something isn't covering them.

It is common to unscrew the bolt a few turns and then pull the balancer to that point and then unscrew it a bit more and so on.. OR some of us put a SMALLER bolt in the hole and use the head of that bolt to push against..
Big JIm

 

[gaz]

Removing the balancer

"Acepilot1023",

I had a terrible time removing these components too. I am sorry but are you removing the crank pulley or the dampner.

The problem I had was that I had put every type of puller made on the crank pulley but failed to realise that I wasn't contacting the actual crank. I had to use a 3 prong puller with a deep socket that fit between the puller bolt and the acual face of the crank (it is resessed like 2 1/2" - 3" in there. It was farther than I thought. I never thought of this until I broke my new pulley puller, then, in despiration used the socket and it popped out like it was getting PAID).

I hope this is the problem you are having, if it is you are GOLDEN NOW babyQ!!!

kEVIN

 

[Acepilot1023]

"Acepilot1023",

I had a terrible time removing these components too. I am sorry but are you removing the crank pulley or the dampner.

The problem I had was that I had put every type of puller made on the crank pulley but failed to realise that I wasn't contacting the actual crank. I had to use a 3 prong puller with a deep socket that fit between the puller bolt and the acual face of the crank (it is resessed like 2 1/2" - 3" in there. It was farther than I thought. I never thought of this until I broke my new pulley puller, then, in despiration used the socket and it popped out like it was getting PAID).

I hope this is the problem you are having, if it is you are GOLDEN NOW babyQ!!!

kEVIN

Just to double check, you are saying put a deepwell socket into the bolt hole in the center so I can better push against the crankshaft, correct? It sounds like it would help, and the hole for the drive would stop the head of the puller from trying to slide off

 

[gaz]

Crank pulley

My pulley pullers didn't actually contact the crank pulley. I had to use a deep socket so that the puller was pushing against the crank face instead of just pushing against the pulley (which will eventully crack the pulley),

 

[Acepilot1023]

My pulley pullers didn't actually contact the crank pulley. I had to use a deep socket so that the puller was pushing against the crank face instead of just pushing against the pulley (which will eventully crack the pulley),

Oh okay. Well, if you put the bolt back in the hole, then you should be pushing against the crankshaft and pulling the pulley.

 

[gaz]

Reaching the crank face

Hey Ace,

What I am attempting to explain is that my pulley puller was pressing against the pulley itself and I had to use a deep socket between the crank face and the puller to actually make contact, to push against the crank face.

This took me like two weeks (after work and on weekends) to figure out. It may not be the problem you are haveing but it is difficult to see the crank face while the engine is installed in the chasis, I felt in there with a scribe and noticed that it was deeper than my puller was able to reach.

Try that, slip something into the hole where the crank bolt went and determine if your pulley system has the capability to actually reach the crank face.

Kevin

 

[Acepilot1023]

Whoo Hoo! Finally got it off. Had to get an "Industrial" puller off of eBay to get it off...

I see what you are saying, and the solution to that problem is to put the crankshaft bolt back in, but not tightened down (About 1/2" slack in the bolt). It gives the puller something to push against, though a socket in the hole would work just as good. I just used what I had there, thats all.

 

[Psychopete]

the solution to that problem is to put the crankshaft bolt back in, but not tightened down (About 1/2" slack in the bolt). It gives the puller something to push against, though a socket in the hole would work just as good. I just used what I had there, thats all.

Are you using the harmonic balancer puller with the crankshaft bolt still in the crank? Need to push against that with it loosened.

I wasn't very clear looking back on my post - but socket, smaller diameter shaft, etc. all the same thing, just a different way of doing it. I do like the socket idea, never thought of that.