Webbo Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Hi, I need to undo the massive 37mm fwd crankshaft nut , can anyone tell me , before I get the welder out, an effective and less drastic way of stopping the crankshaft from turning ? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Flinn Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Do you know anyone with a Compressed Air Impact Wrench, this will get it undone? If not can you wedge something stout in between the the Flywheel teeth and Block/Backplate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Hello. This is an option, it's crude and works: Place socket on the nut and attach the relevant breaker bar. With another piece of substantial hollow metal tube slide that over the breaker bar to to extend its length. Turn the engine by hand until the tube jams against something solid - chassis section or the like. Your breaker bar may be long enough to negate the use of the hollow tube extension. Once all that is in position, briefly turn the engine over via the ignition for a second or so. This action will free the nut. The principle is the same as Gary has mentioned; whereby you are using the force of the engine to do the work. Good luck. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted March 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 thanks a lot gents that's brilliant, will give it a go. cheers , Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 An alternative method to stop the engine turning is to pop the starter motor out and clamp a pair of good quality mole grips on to the flywheel through the hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted March 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 i am hoping not to have to take out the starter motor as I find it a real pain, but if option two does not do it then will have to go down that route. thanks for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Stu. I should have added, although you will probably have realised, that the breaker will need to be positioned on the left hand side of the car, so as the engine turns the socket forces the nut anti-clockwise. You may find, depending if you have the vehicle raised you can use a wooden block resting on the floor with the breaker bar resting on that - the result will still be the same and that is forcing the nut to turn anti-clockwise. Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 dosnt the FWD have the starter ring on the crank pulley, , cant you lock that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted March 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Richard, I tried the method you suggested , the set up worked well but it did not manage to undo the nut. it looks almost like it is rusted on. so I took starter motor out put a clamp on the flywheel ,still would not budge. then I hit the nut the nut with a heavy duty punch and a lump hammer, still did not budge ,so I bolted it back together and gave up. Stu ps. Pete, cant see any locking device on the Herald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 I use a 1/ 2" drive battery impact wrench it shifts these quite easy an air powered are fine providing you have a decent hose bore to feed it sorry I read fwd as front wheel drive , which is quite different set up. So question why do you need the nut off ??? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hello Stu. That is on there tight. My next step would be to heavily soak the nut for a day with penetrating fluid such as Plus Gas or something along those lines. Do not use WD40 as that is purely a moisture dispersant and only useful when nuts and bolts are ACTUALLY turning. Soak the nut and have a rag held in place around it so that it's constantly in touch with the fluid - keep adding fluid every few hours and replace the rag. Then try my break bar method again - that should do the trick. If that fails go to a garage and ask them to air tool shock-it; once freed the nut can be done up and return home to carry on your job. The break bar option provides a real sense of achievement, the air tool provides a real sense of certainty - depends which goal you want to enjoy !! Good luck. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted March 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Pete, I need to change the oil seal in the timing chain cover as there is a slight oil leak. Richard, am a little bit down on enthusiasm at the moment , if and when it picks up that seems like a plan, incidentally, , I put the breaker bar on the off side but it seems to me it has the same effect whichever side it's on , or am I missing something? Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 you need to jam the bar on the chassis rails, to hold/lock a clockwise turn of the engine depends if your on top n/s underneath o/s depends if the bar want to go up or ...down just jam it on something solid....be it chassis , bricks , old toilet or fence post .. your preferred choice ha ! surprisingly i dont see any torque figures in the WSM for these nuts only in haynes for the 1500 as 150lbft 6cyl is 90-100 lbft pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Stu. We have all been there with various jobs, ranging from a 5 minute tea break to slamming the gargae door and vowing never to look at another classic again !! You have to visualise the socket turning the nut anti clockwise as the engine spins clockwise. As Pete and I have said you must jam the breaker bar from moving clockwise - the same direction as the engine turns. The natural side is the left as you look at the front of the car as it is easier to stop the bar moving clockwise by using a woodern block etc. If you have the bar on the right it will work, but you are relying on jamming the bar against the chassis or something suitable and you may not want to do that - it's just personal choice. Whilst recovering your j'ai de vivre, now would be a good time to get squirting the rust penetrating fluid !! You can do it Regards. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 keep fingers and everything else out the way or a trip to AE to remove the bar could be your next excitement you could add rent a crowd to hold a length of timber to lever/ keep the socket hard up against the nut so it cant fly off quick burst on the starter and its off put 1/2 and 3/8" drive battery 'impact wrench' ( not a impact driver) on your easter or good boy wish list... invaluable bits of kit ( not cheap) the 1/2 for big stuff and the 3/8 for whizzing off almost everything they save lots of time so theres time for a pint at the end of every job !!! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave.vitesse Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Always a hard nut to crack getting the thing loosen off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbo Posted March 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 thanks for the encouragement gents, going away for the next week which is good timing, hopefully when I get back my enthusiasm will be restored and will have another crack at it. cheers, Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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