Starter trick to remove harmonic balancer crank bolt

[montesa]

I just tried this and it worked. Wasn't getting anywhere with just the breaker bar. It was turning the engine even with it in gear, ebrake on and wheel chocks. Put the breaker bar on and put the end in the hole of a spare rim and tire and bumped the starter. Came loose right away. Highly recommend.

 

[trekrok]

Yep I've heard of that. Seems like you'd have a decent chance of breaking something, but glad it worked out.

 

[montesa]

Yep I've heard of that. Seems like you'd have a decent chance of breaking something, but glad it worked out.

I thought so too. That's why I didnt want to try it at first. But I read the bolt is super strong and lots of people have done it successfully. So i gave it a shot. It is one heavy duty heat treated bolt. Doubt you could break it. I've read about people using the starter to inch the vehicle a few feet and also start on an incline. So that should be strong enough.

 

[cjjtulsa]

I've done it accidentally. Was adjusting valves, rolling the crank over with a breaker bar. Idiot stick forgot to remove the breaker when he was done, and cranked the truck over.

 

[montesa]

I've done it accidentally. Was adjusting valves, rolling the crank over with a breaker bar. Idiot stick forgot to remove the breaker when he was done, and cranked the truck over.

I could see how that could happen pretty easily. Good thing the breaker wasn't in position to whip something.

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I did that once on 4.7 Toyota when my crap impact couldn’t break one loose. It worked instantly. Then another time i was doing timing belt on a rusty neglected Tacoma 3.4. Starter trick didn’t touch it! After 3-4 bumps I got afraid of messing something up so I ran to harbor freight and bought a ballsy impact that busted it loose

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

From there getting a seized harmonic balancer off the shaft becomes the next battle lol. I’ve bent up a cheap harbor freight puller on a stuck one

 

[Mr.Glock]

You sometimes have to try alternative ways! In mechanics, not *******!

 

[trekrok]

For those crank bolts that are crazy tight you can use a weighted socket and good impact. The weight acts like a multiplier and most can be zipped off easy enough.

 

[montesa]

For those crank bolts that are crazy tight you can use a weighted socket and good impact. The weight acts like a multiplier and most can be zipped off easy enough.

Yes thats a great idea. I guess I should invest in an impact. I rarely need one though. A breaker bar works for me. But in this case the impact is king.