Stuck crankshaft pulley bolt, ugh

I bought the tool to hold the harmonic balancer, but holy shit this bolt is tight. I'm reaching the point of being afraid to really pull harder. I've got a 25" breaker bar on a socket, going at it from above.

Any tips or words of advice? I break anything and I'm in real trouble.

Just replace the timing belt while you've got it apart they said.

 

This is the generic tool I bought. More than anything now I'm concerned about the durability of this tool. The pins are taking an awful lot of torque. I am now considering maybe I get the threaded version and use really good bolts to hold it. I don't want these pins getting broken off inside the pulley.

I just watched a YouTube video where a guy used a huge cheater on his breaker bar and was significantly bending the bar. Getting worried now.

 

Trying to get it off?

Use a ratchet to slowly turn the crank till it's in position where you can put your breaker bar on the crank and the handle up against the frame and secure it with a big ziptie so it doesn't cam and fall off the crank bolt then bump the starter and it should break it right loose.

That's how I did mine.

If you don't want to try that get a map torch and heat the bolt head up to 250-300° and that should breakdown the red locktite on the threads and make it a little easier.

You may need to hit it with an air impact to loosen it and try to impact and vibrate some of the loc-tite bonds loose even if the impact won't take it off the vibrations may get it to where your breaker bar can.

 

I always use a chain wrench around the pulley.
Sometimes you have to put a pipe on your breaker bar too.

 

I dont know anything about 1st gen tacoma but a 24 inch breaker bar isn't gonna give you enough leverage on a large bolt like a crankshaft pulley, personally I use my m18 high torque impact wrench to remove crankshaft bolts, for breaker bars I get a total of 40 inches with my cheater pipe and don't worry about bending the breaker bar.

 

This is one of those deals were you really need an impact.....
Problem is .... how do you get a heavy impact in there.....

So one in past use long extensions to get around ac coil......

 

Starter bump method should work. This is for a 4cyl but same methodology applies.

https://youtu.be/kkeDnSeCEoE?t=44

 

Yeah that sucker was on tight. Neither of my cordless MW or IR air impacts would budge it. I wasn't about to put everything back together & order the $100 pulley tool. Went to the big box store, spent just under $15 & made my own tool.

I didn't want to do the crank the starter trick, right after I made the tool I realized I would have needed it anyway if I wanted to torque the bolt back to spec. I used a cheater on my old trusty 24" Matco USA breaker bar to get it loose. That thing has never let me down yet.

That bolt also took me a few tries to retorque. Had to do that from the bottom (broke it loose from the top) with my foot pushing against the frame.

 

Starter bump worked for me on Hondas, Mazdas and Nissans

It would be my go to on Toyota too.

The value of the tool you have is in torquing the new bolt you bought on the reinstall, using blue Loctite.

 

I forget and at the time I had already given my Hight Torque to my brother but on the 1st gen w/ 5VZ I'm not sure if the HT would fit with just the radiator removed. AC condesor might have to come out.

I have since bought the Lisle crank bolt socket that's commonly used on Hondas but it'll be a while until I need to do it again.

 

I know a ton of people recommend it, but I'm hesitant to use the starter trick.

My guess is running down to harbor freight and buying this impact would be disappointing:

 

Use the tool, I wanna know if it works. The pins won’t get stuck

 

I have doubts that is gonna work. My IR2131 is 600 ft/lbs, ran my air regulator wide open, & it wouldn't budge it. That same IR impact used to take off most of the crank bolts of the Honda I used to work on fine. But then again it could be just tired now.

 

You think it WILL work? That impact gun I linked?

 

I think it won't work rated only at 300ft/lbs, 400 "break away". And that's today's BS ratings aside from HF's claims.

If you're gonna go to HF & buy one to try, buy the full size 1/2" Earthquake. It think it should fit with the radiator out. That Earthquake is 7.9" long. Here's how much room there was with my 1st gen M18 High-Torque (I've got the 2nd gen now) that's 6.8" long with the radiator out

 

And if that Earthquake still don't work & there's room for a deep socket, you can try one of these crank sockets.

But you have the pulley tool. I would just put a cheater pipe on your breaker bar & pray your breaker bar doesn't snap the anvil.

On the left:

 

YEah I have a craftsman v20 impact and 3rz....it was no way...way too big....
maybe some of the new compacts....that is if any have enough umpth....
I had to 1/2 breaker bar and pipe thing while a friend chucked that tool and wrench against frame...
and I think we heated it up with the torch.......


I was looking at the H.F. earthquakes........as most as good spec as the Ingersoll rand ones......at almost half the price.....but.....

 

So, I went to harbor freight and bought the $99 earthquake that advertises 700 ft lbs breakaway torque. Not quite as compact as the previous one I linked.

It does nothing to this bolt. I was hoping, like somebody else said, that perhaps it would vibrate it a little bit looser so I could wrench it off. No luck yet.

 

If was installed with red Loctite as @Key-Rei suggested earlier, heat will be required.

Has this been apart before? It would seem unusual (to me) for red Loctite to be factory applied.

 

Go to Home Depot for a long piece of steel pipe. Works great