Crank Pulley removal (absence of harmonic balancer?)

[1gWill]

edit: Thanks for your help everybody! I'll keep the pictures I posted below hosted so they can hopefully help other people.

First off, I have searched and I can't find anything specific to my questions. My car is a 95 TSi FWD with a 91' 6 bolt.

My harmonic balancer went out yesterday as I was driving so I gimped home having to pull over every few minutes to make sure it didn't over heat. Anyway, my questions are:

What's the best way to get the pulley off? I already have the 4 bolts removed but not the center one. Will a torque wrench and cheater bar do? My friend said I should be careful not to spin the motor backwards? I didn't quite understand that. If someone could elaborate or help I would appreciate it.

I already have a new crank pulley. I just went and picked one up from Advanced with a lifetime warranty. It looks to be in good shape, I inspected it, etc... but there is no rubber ring around this one like the stock one had. The reason I'm replacing is because the stock rubber ring around the pulley has a chunk missing out of it.

Should there have been a rubber ring around the one I got from Advanced or what?

 

[crimsondragon]

Don't turn your crank counterclockwise. Always clockwise otherwise you risk skipping some teeth and messing up your engine. As for the pulley you have, is it an underdrive one? If it's not going to dampen the vibrations made by the crank you risk messing up some bearings. Some have reported getting crankwalk after driving it with an underdrive.

 

[1gWill]

Humm, I'll take pictures since I am showing off my n00bness right now.

If I can't turn the crank counter clock wise then how am I supposed to break the main center bolt loose?

 

[SlickGSX]

The pulley is press fit, just pry it off.

 

[1gWill]

The pulley is press fit, just pry it off.

Okay, that helps. Thanks... still a problem though. What do I do about the rubber piece that is now junk? Look at the pictures and tell me if you think Advanced gave me the wrong part.


Okay, here we go.

You can see the chunk taken out of the rubber piece (harmonic balancer, right?)

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Here is why I am confused even more now and I think Advanced gave me the wrong thing...

Stock pulley- You can see how it doesn't really step down much. Just two separate surfaces for the two accessory belts that go on it:

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Here's the new one I got from Advanced- It looks totally different than my stock one. Look at how far it steps down:

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edit: Also, dude said that it's press fit. There is no room to get the pulley off at all. I can pry the bottom part but I am pulling so hard that it's moving the car on the jack stand, haha. There is no room to get the upper part of it off.

 

[wret]

It looks like you have the wrong replacement pulley. After removing the four small bolts, the stocker will pop off with a little prying. It's not attached to the center part (with the big bolt).

 

[1gWill]

Well, damn it...

I can tell it's not attached because I've been trying to slide it, pull it, yank it, and pry it off for about 15 minutes or so now. The top part of the pulley is hitting the inside of my engine bay.

 

[eboy0]

Well, damn it...

I can tell it's not attached because I've been trying to slide it, pull it, yank it, and pry it off for about 15 minutes or so now. The top part of the pulley is hitting the inside of my engine bay.

To make things easier, lowering the motor does wonders in removing the harmonic balancer.
Just put a padded jack under the oil pan, and remove the driver's side motor mount and lower it slightly until the balancer clears the walls of the engine bay..
If i remember correctly, I think i managed to fiddle with my balancer just enough to get it to come out without dropping the motor the second time... good luck.

 

[BUCK]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...lace-your-crank-pulley-harmonic-balancer.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...onic-balancer-removal-installation-guide.html

& yes that looks like a DIFFERENT Pulley to me also - Maybe the rocket scientists at Advanced went by your Car Model year & not your ENGINE year.

 

[1gWill]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...lace-your-crank-pulley-harmonic-balancer.html

& yes that looks like a DIFFERENT Pulley to me also - Maybe the rocket scientists at Advanced went by your Car Model year & not your ENGINE year.

It's possible. I am ALWAYS up there though and always order parts for a '91.



Okayyyy, here's what it looks like when I am laying on my back facing the car.

The red shows the clearance I have between the pulley and the inside of my engine bay:

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Here is what it looks like as I try to pry the pulley out by pulling on the bottom. There is no room. Could it be because it's a 6 bolt in a 2g?

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edit: I don't see this thing coming out unless I take out the upper motor mount and lower the motor an inch or two. I just don't want to do that because that motor mount is always a pain to get the stud back in.

edit x2: Just ready eboy0's post, haha.

 

[BUCK]

Just be DAMN CAREFUL under there framming & pulling - AND remember if you spin the Crank with it in Gear you can roll that puppy off the Jackstands in a hearbeat - There aint no Harmonic Balancer worth dying over - Personally I would just give that old one a good WHACK.

 

[1gWill]

Just be DAMN CAREFUL under there framming & pulling - AND remeber if you spin the Crank with it in Gear you can roll that puppy off the Jackstands in a hearbeat - There aint no Harmonic Balancer worth dying over - Personally I would just give that old one a good WHACK.

I appreciate your concern but my car is FWD and both wheels are off the ground. No transfer case or drive shaft for me, haha.

I guess I'm going to lower the motor.

Anyway, about my other question. The harmonic balancer is one thing and the crank pulley is another, correct? Harmonic balancer = rubber piece around the crank pulley?

Also, since Advanced obviously gave me the wrong part, the one they give me when I exchange should have the rubber part around the pulley, correct?

 

[TurboAnything]

You can remove and replace the crank pulley without moving the engine. The center bolt dose not have to come off just tap the old pulley and it will fall off the 4 12mm bolt are all that hold it on its not pressed.

 

[1gWill]

So that huge center bolt has nothing to do with the four small bolts?

edit: Never mind. I just used a rubber mallet and knocked it loose. My stock pulley is scared to hell and back, hah. There's even chunks taken out of the metal. The car I got my 6 bolt out of only had 82,000 miles so I wonder how the pulley was so screwed up? That explains why I was throwing belts earlier this year.

Nooow back to Advanced to get the geniuses up there to get me the right pulley.

edit: Now that it's off and I can see allll up in there, is there anything I can do cleaning wise? It's nasty.

edit x2: The carnage -

Almost all of the rubber was gone, haha.

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Random cracks and chipped metal on the pulley itself. Lame.

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[buc2000]

I have a big problem. looking at the picture of the balancer. I cant get a breaker bar oh the pulley to try to free up seized engine because the square in the middle is broken so i cant get a good grip with breaker bar but i need to be able to turn engine. can someone help ? thanks in advance

 

[Helifax]

if you ever need to remove the center bolt, i always put a socket/breaker bar on the bolt and wedge it in between the frame then kick the starter over for a split second to knock the bolt loose.