bottom pulley removal hell!!! help!!!

typing this while my blood is boiling!!!!

anyway as you can see from previous posts i am having a nightmare trying to eliminate the high pitch squeaking in my 1997 4.6 hse - everything has been replaced for new and none of them have stopped it so i am down to the last item the bottom pulley. can i get it off??? can i f@ck!!!!! tried whacking the 24mm ring spanner to shock it with the belt on, i have tried wedging timber between the pulleys but no joy. i dont have the access to a impact gun (dont think it would fit anyway as the engine is still in the car) and i have also bent a few small areas of the radiator fins in the process when the spanner has flew off (will be a major problem a few damaged fins?)

please help on advice to do this?

thanks

Try some heat on it and keep on with the shock method?

Mite sound daft but your not trying to tighten as opposed to untighten are you?

nathan - simple heat gun i use for decorating will that be enough?

well i hope not - i am hitting it left to loosen as normal? or is it an opposite thread?

flanders7 said:

nathan - simple heat gun i use for decorating will that be enough?

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I shud imagine its better than no heat at all, What way are you trying to undo? clockwise or anti?

flanders7 said:

well i hope not - i am hitting it left to loosen as normal? or is it an opposite thread?

Click to expand...

Couldnt tell you tbh but if id have tried as hard as you have to undo summat and nothing... id try the other way

Well I think I have nothing to loose but need stop for today but will try it first thing tomorrow. Would garage just use an impact gun? Even with only 6-8" of space from radiator? Or would they charge me to take then engine out??

Are you unable to get a socket on with a long crack bar attached? Do you have those tools.

Its amazing the difference the right tools will make, its all about leverage.

As you look at the engine from the front the bolt loosens anticlockwise...i think, is that the way youve tried? as simon says.... the right tool helps

RAVE makes no mention of left hand thread, but torque setting is 270nm or 200lb/ft. So yes it`s gonna take a lot of leverage to get off.
p.s. Don`t heat it too much as you don`t want to damage seal that lives behind it.

you will probably need the proper tool for holding the pully still as i had problems getting mine off even tried all the methods even took the starter of and jammed a pry bar on the starter ring gear,gave up in the end and spent £70 on the proper tool from difflock

Bog standard r.h. thread (Anti clock to undo).
Jam the pulley/ring gear and give it sharp knocks rather than a steady pull.
Could never understand why it needs so much torque as it's not as though it's holding the car together and it's being bolted to a step or spacer on the crank.

take the rad out the stick a 6 ft bar on your socket.done then i bet.

I'm an old git and weak in the right arm caused by years of abuse..I would need a 10ft.bar..........................

morning people - i have successfully removed the bottom pulley this morning using a medium crowbar wedged inbetween the water pump pulley and the pulley being removed and i left the old serpentine belt on as protection and additional packing - it worked after a few hefty blows with a lump hammer. but the story does not end there........

put everything back together nice and tight and started her up hoping to hear no screaching and that did not happen!!! after taking a closer look i noticed now the new belt is not running in the grooves of the PAS pulley but one of the teeth of the belt overhangs the pulley (hangs over towards the front of the engine bay) - so i realign the belt thinking it was slipping on the smooth water pump pulley but still does it??? why?

the only thing that i have noticed is the recliamed bottom pulley i got had a small 10 weight on it but mine i took off appeared to have a 5 weight on it - could this be causing it? if so where can i get them changed? they look like a smaller version of the ones they put on your tyres?

your help yesterday was priceless but i am so close yet so far and i have a sledge hammer in the garage and i might smash the whole f@ucking car up!!!!!!

thanks fellow rangers

As with wheels, the pulleys are balanced at manufacture and the size of the weight can vary.
Just double check the belt is sitting right on all the pulleys.
You may also wish to do a "Side by side" comparison of the old and new pulley to confirm that the length etc. is identical (Should be)

thanks irish - i have checked the belts and the pulleys and all match up. i have checked it all sits in the teeth of the pulleys etc but as soons as i fire it up it pulls it over.

if i need to get the bottom pulley balanced any ideas where i can get that done?

The pulley is pre balanced. Provided the rubber "Sandwich" is good, all should be well. Is there any vibration present?
Is the tensioner bearing o.k. ?
If there were no belt alignment problems before you changed the bottom pulley, then there is a problem with the dimensions etc. of the new pulley.