Damn timing belt

[Nocturnall]

Timing belt broke on me, I've been trying to get the water pump pully and crank pully's off my 94 1.8 EGT. Can't get the damn crank pully off, also can't get the water pump pully off. I've tried an impact gun a few times, and heating the bolt then hitting it with the impact gun. I can not get the damn crank pully off and I get the feeling the water pump is gonna be even harder cause it's rough getting to the bolts. There are tips, tricks, little hidden secrets to getting the damn pully's off?

[mightymoose_22]

Not clear.. you can't get the pully off or you can't get the bolt off?
Also... is it really necessary to remove the pulley to change the belt? There should be a tensioner in there to make it easy.

Are you using an impact that would reasonably have enough power to remove the bolt? You probably need something with at least a half inch drive and plenty of oomph.

An option is to get a long breaker bar with 1/2 inch or 3/4 drive... get some good ol leverage. No tricks... just gotta flex those muscles!

[Nocturnall]

I can't get the middle bolt off, and I can't get the pully to stay still while I try and use a breaker bar. Impact gun has like 300lbs of torque, something around there I beleive. My haynes manual says to take the crank pully off. I got the belt off, just need to be able to put the new one on.

[mightymoose_22]

Oh ya... I think the crank pulley does block the timing belt... trying to picture it in my head. No way to slip the belt around it?

To hold the pully you will need to use a screwdriver or something of the like to hold the flywheel in place and prevent turning. There is a small cover at the flywheel that can be removed for easy access. That bolt is supposed to be torqued on there pretty darn tight (I suggest you make sure you use a torque wrench when replacing it and hold the flywheel the same way).

The threads are probably coated with a thread locker too.... you probably just need enough leverage. If you can't get a breaker bar on it and use a big cheater handle or something, maybe see if you can get your hands on a 1 inch drive gun... that would pop that sucker right off. You just gotta have a compressor that can give it the power.

No tricks though... other than wedging the flywheel.

[mightymoose_22]

As for the water pump... I don't think you need to remove the pulley... you should be able to take the pump off as a whole. If you need to get it off for the new pump maybe it will be easier to do when the pump is off the car? There are only a few bolts and a couple hoses... and maybe some kind of sticky sealer too...

This area is much easier to work on if the car is elevated (or even up on stands) and with the R/F wheel removed... for a little extra room you can even unbolt the upper side of the hub and turn it out of the way.

[rhynes]

I remember every friggin bolt on my 88 EXP, think every damn one of them was rusted out. Never did a 95, but I wound up taking the easy way out on mine.

I drilled a hole in the firewall to match the crank pully bolt, shoved a helluva big screwdriver into my "vented" rotor and let the caliper take the weight. Then with a big johnson bar and an impact socket, and a whole lotta cursing, still didn't manage to break that goddarn bolt loose. Almost lifted the car off the jackstand.

After a beer, some bandaids and deep consideration for a hernia operation, I decided to crack the plastic cover at the base of the timing cover, left the pulley on. Took off the covers, used a pry bar to loosen the tensioner (course the bolts were rusted on that) and slip the belt off. With the crack at the base of the cover, belt slipped off. Easy to put back on at that point

Good luck in your endeavor, you're gonna need it !!!

[Nocturnall]

I wonder if I put the car in gear if the clutch is decent enough to hold and have it hold that way, if not I'll be cramming crap into the flywheel. The timing belt is already off, it snapped on the highway while I was cruising to the store. I can't get the belt around the crank pully without taking it off, there is a shroud consisting on what looks like engine block and oil pan around the crank shaft to protect the whatnot's inside.

[Davescort97]

Had a similar problem with my 97. Ended up putting a long breaker bar with a socket on the crank pulley and lodged it against the frame. Then, I put it in neutral and hit the starter. The starter motor broke the crank pulley bolt loose. Of course, this was on a 2.0 SPI which is a non-interference motor. I may be wrong, but I think your 94 1.8 is an interference motor. Doing it this way could run a valve through a piston, if it hasn't already done so.

[Nocturnall]

Is there anyway I can find out if it's an interferance motor for sure? My father in law told me that it wasn't and should be fine. If I busted a valve or something I"m gonna be pissed. This car is sucking the life from me. I tried starting it right after it happened and you couldn't hear anything slapping against anything else....

[Nocturnall]

VICTORY somewhat. Dave your idea worked with the long breaker bar and just starting the car, if it is an interferance motor I've already ruined the inside trying to figure out why the hell the car wouldn't run testing spark and whatnot. Now I just need to get one of the shroud bolts I broke out... One friggin thing after another. I'm gonan take a sledge to the car if the motor's an interferance motor and it's all busted inside because the timing belt broke.

[mightymoose_22]

Well you will find out soon enough... but I do believe it is a non-interference motor. Shouldn't be a problem.

[rhynes]

All the listings I could find on the net denote your engine as a non-interference engine... You should be ok.

[Davescort97]

Thanks for your reply. Glad the starter busted that bolt loose. It's great that you have a noninterence motor. I cried wolf on that one.