Crankshaft pulley nut

i needs some help i cant get the crankshaft pulley nut off, first off in the repair manual it doesnt say what direction is loosen and it says to stick a screwdriver into the fly wheel but i cant find the spot to do that and any tips would help

Yeah, that one can be a serious pain to get off. First, it goes lefty loosey like most of them do...

Second, is the engine in the car or out? My Z6 was out of the car, and what worked for me was to Jam a prybar between the flywheel and block so that it will run into the teeth when the flywheel tries to turn. Then we stuck a second prybar between the first one and the block to increase the tension. Then, my buddy knelt on the motor while pushing down on the intake manny while I stood on the 24" breaker bar with a jack handle on the end of it while pushing down on the intake manny. This one was on with like 700 ft lbs of torque, I swear! Hopefully, yours isn't as bad, but if all else fails, you can heat it up some with a torch, spray some penetrating oil on it and let it sit for a while, and go pray while it sits! If you have access to air tools, just put the air gun on there and hammer away at it until it breaks loose, and wear some earplugs!

Good luck!

The easiest way to loosen it is with a impact. Usually we use a 3/4" impact @ work & even that struggles on some - them mofos get tight! It's not reverse thread

Place a 2" nut in the hub, stick the socket for the crankshaft bolt thru the 2" nut hole, hold the 2" nut with a big crescent or a 2" wrench. Turn the crankshaft bolt counterclockwise to loosen.

so does the 2" nut just act to keep the socket centered, or am I missing some physics voodoo here?

all im saying is 600ft/lbs baby, and that shit came right off.

be careful! we tried to block the pulley from turning by putting abolt through it and we chipped the pulley

but a rented electric impact took the mofo right off, even without chocking the pulley

just rent the biggest one you can get

dude to lock the flywheel take off the starter and then you can wedge a screwdriver in there. then take and impact or a breaker bar and push like non other

Seriously, you are going to need an impact wrench. Another trick is heating it up with a torch. I found that after heating it up, it came off much easier. Good luck.

Don't use anything to jam in the flywheel then you might end up having to buy a new flywheel. Rent an impact if you don't know of anybody with one you can borrow.

can't u just put the car in gear? Then the crankshaft won't move right? like put it in 5th gear or something...just a thought. Whenever I have a problem taking something off, I just put on a breaker bar and then use the pipe from a floor jack. If that doesn't work...go to a junkyard and get a pipe cut to like 30 feet. Then that bitch will come off!!!

Seriously, you are going to need an impact wrench. Another trick is heating it up with a torch. I found that after heating it up, it came off much easier. Good luck.


Heating the bolt up can cause damage to your crank.

You know, they make a tool specifically for this purpose, which allows you to break it loose with a two 3/4" rachets, or breaker bars. The tool costs $40, or usually can be rented.

can't u just put the car in gear? Then the crankshaft won't move right? like put it in 5th gear or something...just a thought. Whenever I have a problem taking something off, I just put on a breaker bar and then use the pipe from a floor jack. If that doesn't work...go to a junkyard and get a pipe cut to like 30 feet. Then that bitch will come off!!!
You could try putting it in gear while the car is on the ground - 1st or reverse not 5th. Next time you park on a hill - put it in 5th without the ebrake, your car will roll, not so in 1st or reverse.

Just use an impact and be done with it!

I'm pretty sure you want it in the highest gear, not the lowest

when you park, you put it in a low gear, because you want turning the wheel to be at a mechanical disadvantage relative to turning the engine over, which means that the engine would be at an advantage for turning the wheel. this occurs at the lowest gearing, where the engine will spin the tires with lower speed, but more torque.

when you're turning the pulley, you want the engine to be at a mechanical disadvantage relative to the wheels, which occurs at the highest gear, because there the engine turns the wheels at the highest speed but with the lowest torque

Im not talking about turning the pulley - Were talking about removing the bolt.

i know what we're talking about, but what you want is for the pulley to not turn while loosening the bolt, whereas in the parking situation you want the wheels to not turn

opposite problems

:smokin: I'm talking while the car is on the ground, not in the air. Just use a nice impact and you don't have to worry about it. :smokin: :smokin: :p

Putting it in gear didn't work for me. I just ended up winding up the engine mounts. I also tried rigging the compressor for more pressure to an impact wrench to no avail. I ended up dropping the coin to buy a GOOD 1/2 in drive mpact wrench (Ingersoll Rand....about $200) and that sucker hit it about 3 times and off it came.

My old boss at the VW shop used to tell me "buy the good ones......You'll have them forever anyway so you'd might as well buy it now." He was right.

I used a 3/4" electric which was rented - similar torque numbers to a good pneumatic 1/2" impact i think

came right off

the crank pulley bolt is connected directly to the crankshaft..that's why u need to lock the crankshaft somehow which is directly connected to the transmission...which is why u put it in gear. if u don't lock the crankshaft, then when u turn the bolt, the crank will turn. I find the easiest and cheapest way is to put like a 30-50 foot pole on the breaker bar or socket wrench handle. A baby will be able to take that bitch off with a bar that long. Just go to a junkyard and have them cut up a piece. Even 10-15 feet will do. Trust me. I used to use a bar for every nut and bolt...I got to thinking why someone hasn't invented a 50 foot pole for removing crank bolts yet!

i got it off with about 10 min of constent air impact

the crank pulley bolt is connected directly to the crankshaft..that's why u need to lock the crankshaft somehow which is directly connected to the transmission...which is why u put it in gear. if u don't lock the crankshaft, then when u turn the bolt, the crank will turn. I find the easiest and cheapest way is to put like a 30-50 foot pole on the breaker bar or socket wrench handle. A baby will be able to take that bitch off with a bar that long. Just go to a junkyard and have them cut up a piece. Even 10-15 feet will do. Trust me. I used to use a bar for every nut and bolt...I got to thinking why someone hasn't invented a 50 foot pole for removing crank bolts yet!

If you use an impact wrench you don't need to lock the crankshaft.

And how high is your step ladder reaching the end of that 30 foot pole?

If you use an impact wrench you don't need to lock the crankshaft.

And how high is your step ladder reaching the end of that 30 foot pole?


Some people who don't own an impact gun don't want to go purchase an impact gun for one bolt. I find it quicker, quieter, and much easier to use a long ass pole...i've never found a bolt that wont come off with a long pole....with like 10-15 foot pole, u got like 1000 ft/lbs of torque!

damn that's a lot of torque! lol

The 2" nut with a wrench keeps the crank from turning and yah...it centers the socket.