Removing crank pulley

[Billy Andrews]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

 

[Elle]

Wow, folks at times here have stated they had difficulty getting off the pulley (after removing the bolt, like you), but I have not seen a report of it breaking when using a puller.

I'd say anytime one of these crank pulleys seems highly resistant, try to soak the mating surfaces with the penetrating oil PB Blaster. Tap a bit with a mallet all around the mating surfaces. Wait 20 minutes. Try to tap it off next with the mallet. Then go to the puller. Mine has always come off with tapping or, worst case I think once I put a cheap-o puller on it, and it came off very easily.

Junkyards are an excellent place to buy a new pulley. I broke my 91 Civic's a few years ago with a poorly designed crankshaft pulley bolt tool (since modified). I bought a new one online through a junkyard for $40. Now I know my local junkyards sell them for much less.

Take the old pulley with you, if possible. There's a fair amount of variation from one year and model to the next.

 

[Elle]

Wow, folks at times here have stated they had difficulty getting off the pulley (after removing the bolt, like you), but I have not seen a report of it breaking when using a puller.

I'd say anytime one of these crank pulleys seems highly resistant, try to soak the mating surfaces with the penetrating oil PB Blaster. Tap a bit with a mallet all around the mating surfaces. Wait 20 minutes. Try to tap it off next with the mallet. Then go to the puller. Mine has always come off with tapping or, worst case I think once I put a cheap-o puller on it, and it came off very easily.

Junkyards are an excellent place to buy a new pulley. I broke my 91 Civic's a few years ago with a poorly designed crankshaft pulley bolt tool (since modified). I bought a new one online through a junkyard for $40. Now I know my local junkyards sell them for much less.

Take the old pulley with you, if possible. There's a fair amount of variation from one year and model to the next.

 

[Elle]

Wow, folks at times here have stated they had difficulty getting off the pulley (after removing the bolt, like you), but I have not seen a report of it breaking when using a puller.

I'd say anytime one of these crank pulleys seems highly resistant, try to soak the mating surfaces with the penetrating oil PB Blaster. Tap a bit with a mallet all around the mating surfaces. Wait 20 minutes. Try to tap it off next with the mallet. Then go to the puller. Mine has always come off with tapping or, worst case I think once I put a cheap-o puller on it, and it came off very easily.

Junkyards are an excellent place to buy a new pulley. I broke my 91 Civic's a few years ago with a poorly designed crankshaft pulley bolt tool (since modified). I bought a new one online through a junkyard for $40. Now I know my local junkyards sell them for much less.

Take the old pulley with you, if possible. There's a fair amount of variation from one year and model to the next.

 

[motsco_]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

Many Honda pulleys are actually three parts in one: The part that's held to the crankshaft, the (invisible) rubber 'damper' and the outer part the belts run on. Some previous fool must have put LokTite on the mating surface where the crankshaft touches the pulley. Read through this link and take the proper tools to the wrecking yard when you go to get a used pulley: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/cranktool/index.html

Avoid pullers. It shouldnt' come to that.

'Curly'

 

[motsco_]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

Many Honda pulleys are actually three parts in one: The part that's held to the crankshaft, the (invisible) rubber 'damper' and the outer part the belts run on. Some previous fool must have put LokTite on the mating surface where the crankshaft touches the pulley. Read through this link and take the proper tools to the wrecking yard when you go to get a used pulley: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/cranktool/index.html

Avoid pullers. It shouldnt' come to that.

'Curly'

 

[motsco_]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

Many Honda pulleys are actually three parts in one: The part that's held to the crankshaft, the (invisible) rubber 'damper' and the outer part the belts run on. Some previous fool must have put LokTite on the mating surface where the crankshaft touches the pulley. Read through this link and take the proper tools to the wrecking yard when you go to get a used pulley: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/cranktool/index.html

Avoid pullers. It shouldnt' come to that.

'Curly'

 

[Forrest (2)]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

I just did the timing belt on my 89 Accord and had the same problem. I got the bolt out with no problems but the pulley was frozen. I too buggered up the pulley trying to use a puller that grabbed on each side. It didn't do too much damage. Just tore a little chunk out of one of the tracks that the alternator/water pump belt goes on. I filed it straight and smoothed it out and so far it's not damaging the belt. My pulley has two holes in it opposite to each other. I bought a steering wheel puller at Auto Zone for about $15 and put a nut and bolt in each hole of the pulley and it worked.

 

[Forrest (2)]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

I just did the timing belt on my 89 Accord and had the same problem. I got the bolt out with no problems but the pulley was frozen. I too buggered up the pulley trying to use a puller that grabbed on each side. It didn't do too much damage. Just tore a little chunk out of one of the tracks that the alternator/water pump belt goes on. I filed it straight and smoothed it out and so far it's not damaging the belt. My pulley has two holes in it opposite to each other. I bought a steering wheel puller at Auto Zone for about $15 and put a nut and bolt in each hole of the pulley and it worked.

 

[Forrest (2)]

Hi, how do you pull the crank pulley off a '96 Civic? I got the bolt removed easily enough, but then I put a puller on the pulley and broke the pulley.

Thanks,
Billy Andrews

I just did the timing belt on my 89 Accord and had the same problem. I got the bolt out with no problems but the pulley was frozen. I too buggered up the pulley trying to use a puller that grabbed on each side. It didn't do too much damage. Just tore a little chunk out of one of the tracks that the alternator/water pump belt goes on. I filed it straight and smoothed it out and so far it's not damaging the belt. My pulley has two holes in it opposite to each other. I bought a steering wheel puller at Auto Zone for about $15 and put a nut and bolt in each hole of the pulley and it worked.

 

[johngdole]

Used jaw puller? Don't use jaw puller on these. Use bolt pullers like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37824

Autozone can loan them to you free but will need a deposit. Or you can get the above from Harbor Freight for $6.99 on sale.

 

[johngdole]

Used jaw puller? Don't use jaw puller on these. Use bolt pullers like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37824

Autozone can loan them to you free but will need a deposit. Or you can get the above from Harbor Freight for $6.99 on sale.

 

[johngdole]

Used jaw puller? Don't use jaw puller on these. Use bolt pullers like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37824

Autozone can loan them to you free but will need a deposit. Or you can get the above from Harbor Freight for $6.99 on sale.

 

[Forrest (2)]

Used jaw puller? Don't use jaw puller on these. Use bolt pullers like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37824

Autozone can loan them to you free but will need a deposit. Or you can get the above from Harbor Freight for $6.99 on sale.

I looked at one of those and it didn't look like it was wide enough to match up to the two holes in the pulley ( one on each side of the center) and from what I remember, about four and a half or five inches apart. It might be ..... don't know for sure. The thing that I used was slotted on each side with open ends, where the bolts go, and a bit wider. It had the same, large center bolt that tightens down against the pulley bolt ... that I put back in but not tightened down all the way, so as to let the pulley slide off some. I'm sure that came out about as clear as mud. :')

I just dug it out, and it's made by "Powerbuilt" and called a "timing gear puller".

 

[Forrest (2)]

Used jaw puller? Don't use jaw puller on these. Use bolt pullers like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37824

Autozone can loan them to you free but will need a deposit. Or you can get the above from Harbor Freight for $6.99 on sale.

I looked at one of those and it didn't look like it was wide enough to match up to the two holes in the pulley ( one on each side of the center) and from what I remember, about four and a half or five inches apart. It might be ..... don't know for sure. The thing that I used was slotted on each side with open ends, where the bolts go, and a bit wider. It had the same, large center bolt that tightens down against the pulley bolt ... that I put back in but not tightened down all the way, so as to let the pulley slide off some. I'm sure that came out about as clear as mud. :')

I just dug it out, and it's made by "Powerbuilt" and called a "timing gear puller".

 

[Forrest (2)]

Used jaw puller? Don't use jaw puller on these. Use bolt pullers like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37824

Autozone can loan them to you free but will need a deposit. Or you can get the above from Harbor Freight for $6.99 on sale.

I looked at one of those and it didn't look like it was wide enough to match up to the two holes in the pulley ( one on each side of the center) and from what I remember, about four and a half or five inches apart. It might be ..... don't know for sure. The thing that I used was slotted on each side with open ends, where the bolts go, and a bit wider. It had the same, large center bolt that tightens down against the pulley bolt ... that I put back in but not tightened down all the way, so as to let the pulley slide off some. I'm sure that came out about as clear as mud. :')

I just dug it out, and it's made by "Powerbuilt" and called a "timing gear puller".

 

[johngdole]

Yes, I should mentioned that you'll have to check the hole distance and use the appropriate bolt puller, same for pulley holder (50mm or 55mm).

The other one you described seems to be an equivalent to OTC522 that goes up to 7 inches, whereas the Harbor Freight bolt puller is a smaller version of the OTC 518, which is a "harmonic balancer puller" that goes only up to 4-5/8".

 

[johngdole]

Yes, I should mentioned that you'll have to check the hole distance and use the appropriate bolt puller, same for pulley holder (50mm or 55mm).

The other one you described seems to be an equivalent to OTC522 that goes up to 7 inches, whereas the Harbor Freight bolt puller is a smaller version of the OTC 518, which is a "harmonic balancer puller" that goes only up to 4-5/8".

 

[johngdole]

Yes, I should mentioned that you'll have to check the hole distance and use the appropriate bolt puller, same for pulley holder (50mm or 55mm).

The other one you described seems to be an equivalent to OTC522 that goes up to 7 inches, whereas the Harbor Freight bolt puller is a smaller version of the OTC 518, which is a "harmonic balancer puller" that goes only up to 4-5/8".