In the Haynes manual it says you have to pull the starter and stick a pry bar in the flywheel so you can remove the bolt on the harmonic balancer. Is there an "easy" way to do this? Also any tricks on holding the H2o pump pulley while removing fan bolts? Thanks

 

never had a problem with the fan clutch/pulley nuts...
but for the balancer, I put a socket on the bolt, a breaker bar over to the frame, pull the coil wire and turn the key to bump the starter over... the starter spins the crank in the direction it needs to go in order to loosen the bolt

 

Fan bolts - always loosen them before removing the belt. If you forget, use a long flat screwdriver between a bolt/stud and the fan shaft. A sharp tug breaks the bolt loose. Loosen all four, then remove.

Balancer bolt - sorry, I bought a new, shorter impact gun just for that reason. I was doing 5V and 3V timing belts so often and I got tired of removing the rad every time. Bought a new IR gun, 700ft-lbs in reverse on a good compressor. But I have heard the cheater-bar method abecedarian mentions.

 

Yep that is how I did it also, worked great!!

 

unfortunatly I have already started removing things (t-belt etc) and have it set @ tdc. Kinda nervous to "bump" it w/ the starter.... as far as an impact, I have one that will fit but I no longer have a proper garage w/ a compressor. Oh well out comes the starter

 

considering the 3.0, no problem at all- with the belts removed there is no chance a piston is going to hit a valve...
... the cams have marks on the gears to help you line things back up ...

sorry to hear about the loss of the starter, may have helped you get the balancer loose.

 

just did my timing belt and water pump on my toyota pick up with the 3.0. I just put it into 3rd gear and used a mastercraft rachet and quite easy. I guess just for me.

 

abecedarian is right... the 3.0 is a non interference. Don't worry about damaging anything with the belts off.

Sucks not to have a good compressor though. I've got a dinky unit at home that just blows compared to the "real" one at the shop. I'm going to remove the regulator... it think it's restricting the flow.

 

And what if you literally lift the car off the ground when your trying to remove the crank bolt by lifting up on a cheater bar? Seriously!

 

Late night thought;

Years back, I pulled the fittings out of a 8 gallon air tank, and installed a ½" barbed fitting on it. I then attached a 10' section of ½" air line, with a quick connect at the end. A closed, portable system. To fill it, I had 2 male fittings with a ball valve in the middle. Close the valve, connect one side to the shop supply, the other to my portable tank, and open the valve. Filling took about 30 seconds.

I could then close the valve, disconnect both hoses, and take my 8 gallons outside to remove a wheel. I'd get 5-10 nuts, and the gun was @ full power due to no restrictions.

If you have a tank already (??) then perhaps a few bucks of fittings and hose will get you the "umph" you need from your gun for this stuck bolt...

Or perhaps I need to stop drinking after midnight

 

It won't. You brace the cheater bar against the frame rail, not the ground. Rest the handle on the BOTTOM of the passenger side frame rail. Use a bungee cord to hold it there.

And if you're doing it by hand, and you lift the car, you've got a seized engine. Sorry!

 

I saw somewhere that someone had a technique using a rope, wrapping it around the pully or something.....anyone else familiar? Memory is a bit faded, I'll have to stop drinking after midnight too I guess.

 

here's how i did mine with a little home-made tool.

 

OK, it's starting to come back to me a little. I think someone just wrapped a rope around the pulley a couple of times, then tied the loose end to the frame or something. That, combined with e-brake and in gear (like 3rd-5th gear) should immobilize the crank.

I have heard of people cutting the flange off the bold....that will alleviate pressure and friction, making it easier to remove. Of course, you need a new bolt after that, which probably isn't a bad idea anyway.

If you're picking up the truck with your cheater bar, turn the ratchet/breaker bar 180 deg and push down instead.
everybody loves a smart-a$$.

 

Since your is the manual, put it in 5th and set the park brake. Use a long breaker bar on the bolt. If your clutch is in decent shape, this should work. It always has for me.

 

sometimes i will use nylon rope snake that into a cylinder that is on the compression stroke (Valves closed ) through the spark plug hole. it not always the best way, but it never fails. sometimes heating the bolt helps too.