EightyEightCut

I've been doing my research and most people say that using an impact is the best way to get the center bolt off..but I don't have one and it's not exactly in my budget (21, living on my own) to buy a 1/2 drive impact to use once.

I can "borrow" one from work if it comes down to it - but i'd rather not smuggle tools in and out.

A friend but questionable mechanic was telling me if I hit with an impact and the crank is spinning CCW, it'll trash the engine, is this true?

I tried using a cheater bar made of a metal paddle the previous tenant left in the garage, but I'm not 100 percent sure what to use to hold the pulley in place.

Any tips or suggestions?

MDchanic

Well, you could use a breaker bar against the frame or the ground and bump the starter over, but, really, why not just borrow an impact wrench from someone, such as a questionable mechanic, and get it off that way?

- Eric

EightyEightCut

The questionable mechanic is no longer a mechanic, and doesn't have an impact. And believe it or not, I don't know anyone who owns an impact. My old man doesn't believe in power tools...

krooser

you can sometimes hold the crank tight by putting pressure on a fan belt while having another person use the cheater bar... but an impact is the right answer.

Red Delta

I once borrowed an electric impact to get that bolt off. I did have to buy my own socket though.

You will use it at least twice. Once to get it out, once to put it back on. Excellent justification to buy an impact. I try to visit Harbour Freight as often as possible when I'm in the States, I really like their Earthquake impact gun.

Allan R

One other possibility is take off the trans dust cover (also called inspection cover) and jam a piece of 2x4 between the teeth of the flex plate and trans case while you use a breaker bar to wrestle the nut off the balancer bolt. For more leverage use a pipe on the end of the breaker bar. By creating a longer snipe you create more power at the end of the torque rod. You can reverse this process of removing the bolt when torquing it back on by repositioning the wood to the other side.

J-(Chicago)

I'm confused. If you are just trying to remove the pulley, ii should only be 4 bolts with a 1/2" head on them.

The balancer retaining bolt doesn't have to come off.

joe_padavano

What he said. So back to your original question - are you removing just the pulley or the balancer?

M-14

If its the balancer bolt that your trying to loosen, then have a tool made. Remove the pulley so you can get the bolt spacing. I've seen them made from straight bars w/ only 2 holes. Or you can clamp the flex plate w/ a pair of visegripes.

joe_padavano

There's an even easier way to build this tool. Simply weld a bar to an old crank pulley. ASSUMING the O.P. is wanting to remove the balancer (since we still don't know...), you'll need the tool to properly torque the balancer bolt upon reinstallation. NOTE: Do NOT simply hammer the balancer back on. Get a proper installation tool.

EightyEightCut

I only need to take the pulley off, I took the 4 1/2" bolts off but the pulley doesn't want to come off. I wasn't sure if the centerbolt was holding the pulley in place as well.

J-(Chicago)

Nah. just wrap a rag around it and whack it with a rubber mallet.

stan 65 cutlass

try tapping it sideways with anything except the metal end of a hammer. may just be stuck with paint

EightyEightCut

Thanks! I'll try that in a bit when it warms up. I spent all day yesterday trying to come up with a plan to take the centerbolt off instead of driving on a 50 degree day in january...

MDchanic

Yeah - that's easy. You're not hitting it hard enough.

Hit it like you mean it. It'll come off.

- Eric

joe_padavano

The pulley pilots on the hub of the balancer. Rust builds up there. Try a little penetrating oil in addition to the BFH.

EightyEightCut

I'll give it a shot, thanks. I was always told not to yank on something if it wont come off..I've never messed with the crank assembly before and I didn't want to risk damaging anything, including my wallet

Lady72nRob71

HA!! I am glad someone else had big issues getting that cursed pulley off! I thought it was just me and my dumb luck.
Here is my tale to tell on the pulley....
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...tml#post322604

MDchanic

Wise man.

We've all regretted behaving more impulsively than that in the past.

- Eric

64Rocket

I use a chisel, between the damper and the pulley. A few taps with a small hammer 90* apart. Comes off fairly easy.

Gene

joe_padavano

Use as thin a chisel as possible - in fact, use a wooden wedge. If you live in the rust belt and really hammer something in there because the pulley is rusted to the balancer, you can bend the pulley.

DO NOT ask me how I know this...

EightyEightCut

Haha! I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. Just grateful for all the knowledgeable people on here willing to share the secrets of the oldsmobile

Greg Rogers

88cut, hope you got it off. Just to let all you guys know, I learned a real good lesson last summer when working on my 71 OLDS 350. I have taken off and put back on many harmonic balancers over the years on many different engines. Always used a puller to remove and pulled back on w/the big bolt. ( Get started a little w/a rubber mallet then pull on w/bolt only a ways , then take bolt out and replace it with thick washer and finish pulling on- tightening. Worked for years no problems... until this time on my 42 year old classic.- Yep stripped bolt and crank... I had seen puller/installer tool at stores before but thought what a waste of money- a rip off. Well I got a tap and cleaned up the threads in the crank and got another bolt. The installer goes all the way into the crank then uses threads on the tool (like a threaded rod to pull the balancer on- Now I'm a believer. Won't change 1 again without a remover/installer tool.

EightyEightCut

I dont even wanna think about changing the harmonic balancer when the time comes..but I havent been out in the garage yet, it's been about 10-20 degrees here for the past few days. I'll hit it with some pb blaster and tap it with a rubber mallet once it warms up and pray for the best.

Rickman48

Supposed to be 38 today and in the 40's Saturday - get 'ur done!

EightyEightCut

I got the crank pulley on, only problem now is that the water pump pulley will not fit as the front groove of it is too big for it to slide in correctly. J-Chicago told me I needed to cut off the front groove of the crank pulley in order to fix this, but my alternator lines up with the front crank and water pump pulleys. Any suggestions?

MDchanic

All of your pulleys have to match.

If you change only one, it may not play well with the others.
You may need a different water pump pulley.

For what it's worth, the older cars with bigger engines usually had a smaller crank pulley and larger WP pulley, while newer cars with smaller engines usually had a smaller crank and larger water pump pulley, thus, the older cars spun their pumps faster, while the newer ones spun their pumps slower, and used less power doing it.

- Eric

EightyEightCut

J sent me (i believe) a matching set. The previous owner had the alternator running off the water pump pulley, I was told that wasn't right. He had some strange three grove crank where the first groove was much further away from the other two.

I am pretty sure it's the 307 bracket setup, the alt and ps brackets connect together on the drivers side.

I am curious if I get a longer water pump pulley if the rear two grooves on the wp pulley will line up with the first two grooves of the crank, which are all I need..or if this is my imagination engineering that should stay in my imagination...

EightyEightCut

Okay, after doing additional homework, I need a 3 groove water pump pulley that doesn't have a larger front groove. I'm going to try the junkyards first before I dish out the money to buy one online.

EightyEightCut

also not to spam the hell out of my own thread..but would a set off a 64 442 fit? I found a nice pair on ebay and the crank looks identical to the one I have and the water pump pulley looks like what I need.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Cutlass...380407&vxp=mtr

J-(Chicago)

the pair I sent are correct for a 6.1" water pump. You still need to change that 5.6" pump you have on it. Your alternator and power steering are meant to run with a 6.1" pump

J-(Chicago)

No, you need to change your 69 water pump to a 1988 water pump first and foremost.
Adding more 60's parts to your 88 isn't going to help at all. Especially since 64 is a totally different bracket setup

EightyEightCut

I sent you a PM, but it turned out the P/O had a 5.95" water pump on, which ran from mid 70's-to late 80s I believe? After getting the one that was too short, I exchanged it and now have a new 5.95" on at the moment. If I cut off the front groove of the crank pulley, then my alternator would only route to the water pump pulley. If the WP is still too short I can exchange it for free at the parts store. I placed a bid and messaged the guy for the link you sent me to, thanks a lot!

J-(Chicago)

That should work out well for you.

The water pulley with the bigger front sheave goes with a 2 groove crank pulley,

and the 3 groove crank pulley i sent you goes with the 3 groove water pulley i sent you the link for.

ALL are for the 6" pump. There is a 5.1" a 5.6" and a 6.1" so the 5.95 should be just fine......same thing.

EightyEightCut

Awesome, I hope this solves this on going issue. Little did I know what I was even looking at under the hood when I bought this car, and (hopefully) everything will be correct now. I suppose the best way to learn is the hard way...

I still would like to reimburse you for the pulleys, the crank you sent me was in a lot better condition then the one that was on there and was actually the one I needed to line up with my alternator. I can send you back the WP pulley if you'd like to have it back.

J-(Chicago)

Nah. I have 3 or 4 of those pulleys here. Put it on ebay for a penny and help someone else out.

I'm just glad to see a 21 year old on here with a long enough attention span to try learning the hobby.

EightyEightCut

Cool, I appreciate it. Ill be sure to donate it to someone who needs it.

Haha, I take a lot of pride in it, especially when a majority of "car guys" my age are in riced out hondas or vws pretending they are the fastest thing in town until they hear that loud rumble next to them