How do you get the crank pulley out?

On a 2000 metro, the crank pulley wont clear the frame with the center bolt in place. Any help out there? My son is doing this and I'm 800 miles away, and he has to have this fixed by Monday!

he can pull the center bolt or put a jack under engine pan, take the front mount bolts out and lower the engine down a couple inches to clear frame

Thanks for the help!

He tried to get the center bolt, but it wasn't budging. He did loosen the mounts and just got it out. Really appreciate it!

Sounds alot like the 96 1.3 I have that I just had to figure it out as the books only tell you to take the Crank bolt out and remove the Crank pulley.

Problem is the pulley and crank turn with it when you try to break the bolt...
Solution is to use a regular screwdriver to hold the flywheel still through the hole in the bottom of the transmission and keep the crank pulley from turning to get purchase.

Should save alot of time not needing to mess with engine mounts in the future.

I have a 1996 with a 1.3 L 4 cyl. I got the crank pulley off by removing the 5 bolts holding it to the timing gear and then pushing the engine over with a long pry bar. The motor mounts allow the engine to move about 1/4 inch, and that's far enough on my car to slip the pulley out.

Here is the super fast and easy way. Take a breaker bar with 17mm socket if I remeber correct this is the bolt size. place it on the crank pulley bolt and line the breaker bar up about 2 inches from the lower control arm. Get it the car and turn the motor over and its broken loose. It will not hurt the stater or anything. Just disconnect the plugs that go into the coils or the coil wire so the car does not actually start.
Hope this helps

:eek: What?? Don't touch that center bolt. There's a mount on the drivers side of the motor. Put a jack under the oil pan, take the 2 bolts outta the passenger side motor mount, and let her down an inch or 2. And after you take off the 5 bolts that hold the pulley on, it'll pretty much fall right off.

There seems to be some confusion here. If a person wants the pulley off in order to remove timing cover, than leave the centre bolt alone. But if a person wants to get at the crank seal, than the centre bolt has to come out, and I can speak from experience, that you will not get it by hand! Crank the engine with the breaker bar, as detailed above.

Jai

I was unable to remove the center bolt by hanb, even using a chain wrench and breaker bar. I resorted to the breaker bar and cranking method listed above. Very easy and worked like charm. I have a 98 3 cylinder and I must remove the pulley to remove my timing cover.

Thanks so much for the advice.