Jamming a flexplate

[Kolusion]

I want to jam my flexplate by inserting a pry bar in between the flexplate teeth as a way to stop the crankshaft turning when I remove and install the crankshaft pulley bolt.

There is a hole on top of the engine that lets me see something that spins when the engine is running and I know its related to the flexplate, but there doesn't appear access to the flexplate this way.

https://ibb.co/L1F455G

I looked at removing the starter in order to access the flexplate teeth but I would first have to remove a ridiculous amount of other stuff in order to get to it, and I'm just not down for that.

Does anyone know any other ways to access the flexplate teeth?

Thanks

[Stealthee]

There should be an access plate at the bottom of the bellhousing. Removing this plate allows access to the flexplate/torque converter bolts.

[Kolusion]

Thanks for the information. I have heard people use the term 'inspection cover' before and I think you are talking about the same thing.

I just checked my cars shop manual and found a reference to a 'torque converter cover' (page '9-74'). Would this be it?

http://media.honda.co.uk/car/owner/m...sf121/9-73.pdf

[Ol'Jim]

Yes, that would be it. Figure 18 at the bottom of 9-74 shows the cover and bolts. Figure 19 shows the ring gear teeth exposed after removal of the cover.
The ring gear is on the flex plate, which is bolted to the Torque Converter.
Tight space around that ring gear. I will caution you that jamming between the ring gear teeth and the bellhousing can break an aluminum bell quite easily.
If you have access to an impact gun, and can make space to use it on the crank pulley bolt, that is a better way to remove them, no jamming needed. And of course you wouldn't want to re-install the bolt using an impact. Asking for breakage and a nightmare to fix.

[Stealthee]

I had to jam a flex plate a few months back because the impact wouldn't budge the crank bolt. I had to use a 6 foot cheater bar and literally rocked the truck sideways I was pulling so hard until the bolt broke free. If an aluminum bellhousing can take that it can take about anything else it would take to break a bolt free.

[Ol'Jim]

Originally Posted by Stealthee

I had to jam a flex plate a few months back because the impact wouldn't budge the crank bolt. I had to use a 6 foot cheater bar and literally rocked the truck sideways I was pulling so hard until the bolt broke free. If an aluminum bellhousing can take that it can take about anything else it would take to break a bolt free.

Been there myself, Stealthee. You mentioned it was a truck, I had to do the same on a big block Chevelle. I will say that most trucks, and older larger V8 trans have thick bellhousings, mine was at least 1/2 inch thick. The pictorial in the Honda manual shared by the OP looks to be quite a bit thinner there. No harm in him trying, as long as he chooses his jamming position wisely, where no bad consequences can result if a chunk of the bell does pop out. I've seen plenty of missing pieces on bellhousings that don't hurt anything. Another option to look for, I have used long-arm box wrenches on a converter or flex plate bolt, positioned so the wrench will contact the bellhousing or some other object, and hold the crankshaft from turning. Anything like that will increase the angle of leverage, and reduce the "wedge" effect between bell and ring gear. That wedging is what breaks the housings, more so than a wrench or bar set up closer to a 90* angle. I even used a jack handle once, slid it between the bolt heads, it worked perfectly.

[Stealthee]

It was a 3.4 v6 Tundra. I had the plate jammed and was standing in the engine bay with good leverage and a good breaker bar and pulled so hard I almost passed out. I got the position with the cheater pipe and when it finally broke free it made a very loud bang. No idea what it was torqued to but I was not happy.

[aleekat]

I've used nothing but the "Rope Method" on every car/truck I've owned.

[brcidd]

I use a breaker bar and the car starter-- Just put the end of the breaker bar against something firm like the frame or the ground, and click the ignition into start position- you'd be amazed how well this works!

[aleekat]

Originally Posted by brcidd

I use a breaker bar and the car starter-- Just put the end of the breaker bar against something firm like the frame or the ground, and click the ignition into start position- you'd be amazed how well this works!

I've used this also. Recommend disable fuel, ie pull fuel pump relay to make sure engine doesn't start.

[Kolusion]

Originally Posted by aleekat

I've used nothing but the "Rope Method" on every car/truck I've owned.

I went the rope trick. It worked perfectly and taught me everything about how the inside of an engine works; the last bit of information missing in my knowledge of engines.

Originally Posted by brcidd

I use a breaker bar and the car starter-- Just put the end of the breaker bar against something firm like the frame or the ground, and click the ignition into start position- you'd be amazed how well this works!

Terrible advice! The crankshaft on my car spins counter-clockwise. If I did what you said then the crankshaft pulley bolt would have sheered right off and then that would have been the end of my car.

Great trick if your crankshaft spins clockwise though. You definitely need to check which way the crankshaft spins before giving out that advice in future.