Great way to hold balancer while removing bolt.
08-07-2008, 08:37 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Great way to hold balancer while removing bolt.
If you have had to remove your balancer from the front of the crank for any reason, and your car is an automatic, you know that holding the balancer to keep the engine from turning over is one of the hardest parts of the job, second only to actually removing the bolt.
Bill Curlee said in one thread that he had used a LARGE strap wrench to hold his. I have not seen my method anywhere, but it could be out there. If so, this will just make it a little easier to find in a search. I played off of Bills' theory a little bit and came up with this idea, and you don't even need any tools.
- I used the serpentine belt that I took off of the car and wrapped it around the idler pulley just to the right of the balancer (if you are facing the car).
- Take the "bottom" side of the belt and bring it around the bottom of the balancer, feeding it under the top wrap. Keep feeding it around until it is snug.
- This is what it should look like. When you begin to loosen the bolt, it will move about an inch or so before it tightens up. It WILL NOT move once the belt tightens up. And the harder you try to turn the more it will tighten upon itself.
The pictures above show how to wrap the belt if you are removing the bolt. When you get ready to re-install the new bolt, just reverse the wrap around the balancer, starting at the bottom of the balancer and bringing your wrap around to the top.
Using this method, you are only limited to breaking the idler pulley or breaking the belt. It will take much more that 240 ft/lbs of torque to do that. I wasn't sure if the belt would be damaged by this and decided that if it did damage it, I would just put a new belt on. I don't have any long term results, but I could not see any damage and put the same belt back on the car.
Bill Curlee said in one thread that he had used a LARGE strap wrench to hold his. I have not seen my method anywhere, but it could be out there. If so, this will just make it a little easier to find in a search. I played off of Bills' theory a little bit and came up with this idea, and you don't even need any tools.
- I used the serpentine belt that I took off of the car and wrapped it around the idler pulley just to the right of the balancer (if you are facing the car).
- Take the "bottom" side of the belt and bring it around the bottom of the balancer, feeding it under the top wrap. Keep feeding it around until it is snug.
- This is what it should look like. When you begin to loosen the bolt, it will move about an inch or so before it tightens up. It WILL NOT move once the belt tightens up. And the harder you try to turn the more it will tighten upon itself.
The pictures above show how to wrap the belt if you are removing the bolt. When you get ready to re-install the new bolt, just reverse the wrap around the balancer, starting at the bottom of the balancer and bringing your wrap around to the top.
Using this method, you are only limited to breaking the idler pulley or breaking the belt. It will take much more that 240 ft/lbs of torque to do that. I wasn't sure if the belt would be damaged by this and decided that if it did damage it, I would just put a new belt on. I don't have any long term results, but I could not see any damage and put the same belt back on the car.
Last edited by 'VETTE PHASE; 08-08-2008 at 09:45 AM. Reason: added the A4 part
08-07-2008, 09:04 PM
#4
Tech Contributor
If you have had to remove your balancer from the front of the crank for any reason, you know that holding the balancer to keep the engine from turning over is one of the hardest parts of the job, second only to actually removing the bolt.
Bill Curlee said in one thread that he had used a LARGE strap wrench to hold his. I have not seen my method anywhere, but it could be out there. If so, this will just make it a little easier to find in a search. I played off of Bills' theory a little bit and came up with this idea, and you don't even need any tools.
- I used the serpentine belt that I took off of the car and wrapped it around the idler pulley just to the right of the balancer (if you are facing the car).
- Take the "bottom" side of the belt and bring it around the bottom of the balancer, feeding it under the top wrap. Keep feeding it around until it is snug.
- This is what it should look like. When you begin to loosen the bolt, it will move about an inch or so before it tightens up. It WILL NOT move once the belt tightens up. And the harder you try to turn the more it will tighten upon itself.
The pictures above show how to wrap the belt if you are removing the bolt. When you get ready to re-install the new bolt, just reverse the wrap around the balancer, starting at the bottom of the balancer and bringing your wrap around to the top.
Using this method, you are only limited to breaking the idler pulley or breaking the belt. It will take much more that 240 ft/lbs or torque to do that. I wasn't sure if the belt would be damaged by this and decided that if it did damage it, I would just put a new belt on. I don't have any long term results, but I could not see any damage and put the same belt back on the car.
Bill Curlee said in one thread that he had used a LARGE strap wrench to hold his. I have not seen my method anywhere, but it could be out there. If so, this will just make it a little easier to find in a search. I played off of Bills' theory a little bit and came up with this idea, and you don't even need any tools.
- I used the serpentine belt that I took off of the car and wrapped it around the idler pulley just to the right of the balancer (if you are facing the car).
- Take the "bottom" side of the belt and bring it around the bottom of the balancer, feeding it under the top wrap. Keep feeding it around until it is snug.
- This is what it should look like. When you begin to loosen the bolt, it will move about an inch or so before it tightens up. It WILL NOT move once the belt tightens up. And the harder you try to turn the more it will tighten upon itself.
The pictures above show how to wrap the belt if you are removing the bolt. When you get ready to re-install the new bolt, just reverse the wrap around the balancer, starting at the bottom of the balancer and bringing your wrap around to the top.
Using this method, you are only limited to breaking the idler pulley or breaking the belt. It will take much more that 240 ft/lbs or torque to do that. I wasn't sure if the belt would be damaged by this and decided that if it did damage it, I would just put a new belt on. I don't have any long term results, but I could not see any damage and put the same belt back on the car.
Well done MacGyver
08-08-2008, 12:13 AM
#6
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Dec 1999
Location: Anthony TX
Posts: 32,736
Received 2,180 Likes
on
1,583 Posts
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
If you have had to remove your balancer from the front of the crank for any reason, you know that holding the balancer to keep the engine from turning over is one of the hardest parts of the job, second only to actually removing the bolt.
Bill Curlee said in one thread that he had used a LARGE strap wrench to hold his. I have not seen my method anywhere, but it could be out there. If so, this will just make it a little easier to find in a search. I played off of Bills' theory a little bit and came up with this idea, and you don't even need any tools.
- I used the serpentine belt that I took off of the car and wrapped it around the idler pulley just to the right of the balancer (if you are facing the car).
- Take the "bottom" side of the belt and bring it around the bottom of the balancer, feeding it under the top wrap. Keep feeding it around until it is snug.
- This is what it should look like. When you begin to loosen the bolt, it will move about an inch or so before it tightens up. It WILL NOT move once the belt tightens up. And the harder you try to turn the more it will tighten upon itself.
The pictures above show how to wrap the belt if you are removing the bolt. When you get ready to re-install the new bolt, just reverse the wrap around the balancer, starting at the bottom of the balancer and bringing your wrap around to the top.
Using this method, you are only limited to breaking the idler pulley or breaking the belt. It will take much more that 240 ft/lbs or torque to do that. I wasn't sure if the belt would be damaged by this and decided that if it did damage it, I would just put a new belt on. I don't have any long term results, but I could not see any damage and put the same belt back on the car.
Bill Curlee said in one thread that he had used a LARGE strap wrench to hold his. I have not seen my method anywhere, but it could be out there. If so, this will just make it a little easier to find in a search. I played off of Bills' theory a little bit and came up with this idea, and you don't even need any tools.
- I used the serpentine belt that I took off of the car and wrapped it around the idler pulley just to the right of the balancer (if you are facing the car).
- Take the "bottom" side of the belt and bring it around the bottom of the balancer, feeding it under the top wrap. Keep feeding it around until it is snug.
- This is what it should look like. When you begin to loosen the bolt, it will move about an inch or so before it tightens up. It WILL NOT move once the belt tightens up. And the harder you try to turn the more it will tighten upon itself.
The pictures above show how to wrap the belt if you are removing the bolt. When you get ready to re-install the new bolt, just reverse the wrap around the balancer, starting at the bottom of the balancer and bringing your wrap around to the top.
Using this method, you are only limited to breaking the idler pulley or breaking the belt. It will take much more that 240 ft/lbs or torque to do that. I wasn't sure if the belt would be damaged by this and decided that if it did damage it, I would just put a new belt on. I don't have any long term results, but I could not see any damage and put the same belt back on the car.
HOLY CRAP! I thought my pipe wrench method was good!
My man, you take the prize! WELL DONE!
BC
The following users liked this post:
mcm95403 (12-15-2022)
08-08-2008, 10:16 AM
#9
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
I modified my first post to state that this is mainly for A4 cars......or if you have an MN6 car and your emergency brake is a little weak. Also, if you don't happen to have a helper to hold the brakes for you. Maybe you have it up on a rack and you forgot to put it in gear and set the brake before you started.
Once you've done it, it only takes about 10-15 seconds to throw the belt around it, and you don't have to lower the car or get out from under it.
The following users liked this post:
yvzoner (10-18-2020)
08-08-2008, 10:37 AM
#10
Team Owner
Only question I would have is you are dumping the torque required to break the bolt loose into the rubber of the damper, not sure if that is a good idea unless of course you are changing it out. If re-using,there could be some consequences to this.
08-08-2008, 10:47 AM
#11
Tech Contributor
To the OP. If you have a pre 2003 alt. bracket, you might be surprised or disappointed to see how little it takes to break the idler off.
10-05-2017, 07:14 AM
#14
Team Owner
A lot of us used Photobucket for photo hosting and then they changed their rules so I see posts on several forums that have this issue. Fortunately on CF you can now direct load from your own computer. Shoot the OP a PM and see if he still has the photos.
Last edited by vettenuts; 10-05-2017 at 07:15 AM.
10-05-2017, 03:48 PM
#19
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Dec 1999
Location: Anthony TX
Posts: 32,736
Received 2,180 Likes
on
1,583 Posts
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
I just use a big *** HD Strap Wrench but,,,,,,, That is an EXCELLENT METHOD! OLD SCHOOL BROTHER! 