Balancer bolt
Pro
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 714
Likes: 104
From: Springfield Ohio
Generally, if you have a quality socket and a long breaker bar with a cheater pipe on it - it will come loose. You do need a method to hold the engine from turning while applying force to the breaker bar. The best way to hold the engine is to remove the starter and attach a flywheel holding tool into the flywheel. If you have a helper, the helper can wedge a large, flat blade, screw driver into the flywheel teeth and hold it that way. Both will work. There are other ways and I'm sure you'll get more comments on those. An impact wrench is not recommended because the hammering can damage the delicate crank bearings.
The tool in the picture is about $30.00 on ebay.
The tool in the picture is about $30.00 on ebay.
Acct Suspended APR 2026 by request
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 10,367
Likes: 1,271
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C5 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
if the car is a manual you can put it in 4th gear, pull the ebrake tight, and chock the front side of the tires... that should keep it from moving enough and you can get a breaker bar on it from the top, a cheater bar on the breaker bar helps... just be careful so you don't slam the breaker bar into the car when it breaks free
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 788
Likes: 105
From: Olathe Kansas
IF you are replacing the balancer..
You can heat up the bolt with a propane torch..
You don't need to melt anything down, but the heat help to release
the factory threadlocker on the bolt. Then you can just hit it with an impact
gun.. Remember the OE bolt is a 1 time use only. Go with ARP when replacing
You can heat up the bolt with a propane torch..
You don't need to melt anything down, but the heat help to release
the factory threadlocker on the bolt. Then you can just hit it with an impact
gun.. Remember the OE bolt is a 1 time use only. Go with ARP when replacing
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Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,360
Likes: 429
From: Birmingham Al
These bolts can be a bear . I took a 7FT. yep 7FT. 3/4 breaker bar and a pipe wrench and two people on the 7 FT. bar . I tried in 1st gear was turning the motor over yep in 1st gear.. I tried all that BS people said on here well you just... No mine was a bitch .. 260 LB .. Pm me I tell you how I did it and held the motor from turning .. A pipe wrench old school .. You will need to phone a friend for sure not a one man job ..
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
I have removed several on stick cars. Emergency brake, rear wheels on the ground and a high gear (5th). I just used my 1/2" breaker bar and a good socket.
I would not attempt with bumping the starter. The starters on these cars are bolted to an aluminum casting and many have had the starters break off for other reasons, IMO using it to try and remove the crank bolt is asking for big problems.
I would not attempt with bumping the starter. The starters on these cars are bolted to an aluminum casting and many have had the starters break off for other reasons, IMO using it to try and remove the crank bolt is asking for big problems.