This is for you fellas who are having a ridiculous time getting the crank pulley bolt loose...

Take a 1/2" drive breaker bar and a tight fitting pipe slip the pipe on the breaker bar and position the square in the crank bolt so you can slip the breaker drive into it now while holding the the breaker into the bolt push the breaker/pipe down to the floor, it should be sticking out from underneath the front of the car in line with the engine ...

Get in and click the key to run but DONT START IT!!!... Just a click , you will hear the bolt crack loose , remove the breaker bar and loosen with your ratchet ....works every time , you can even have a friend watch that the bar dont slip out and the bolt is loose...

to tighten it on an auto car grab a big screw driver , spin the crank until you can wedge the screwdriver in the transmission inspection hole against a torque converter bolt and the bell housing , hold that while at the same time pulling down on the torque wrench til you get the right torque...

Hope that helps for you guys struggling with that darn bolt

 

Using that method to loosen the crank pulley bolt is not smart. You risk damaging your starter and/or the teeth on the flywheel, all over loosening one bolt. Not something I would recommend.

 

Bingo... not a safe practice at all. I prefer the delicate use of air combined with a puller if necessary.

 

Ive done it for years on all sorts of cars and never had a problem ever think about how many times youve started your car, the starter can handle it , I dont like using an air ratchet for the simple fact that it'll spin the engine backwards which is a huge no-no


the pully is a slip fit it doesnt require a puller , almost every mitsu ive seen is

 

Well if you use an air impact like your supposed to there is no possible way it will spin the engine just due to the design of how an impact works. I have used the starter trick long ago before I had air tools but I have to agree its definately not the safest way to go.

 

I have to say my first thought when I read this was that this was a casualty waiting to happen but after trying every trick I know (including my HD air impact) to loosen the dang crank pulley bolt with no success I gave this a whirl!

Put a pipe on a breaker bar jamming it where it could do no damage and gave the starter a click. I already had the coil packs and plugs removed as well so I tried clicking the starter one last time. I heard a big bang and the pipe hit the floor so I got out figuring this broke the socket or breaker bar but when I looked under it was still on the pulley nut!

Guess What..... IT WORKED!!!!

I would make this a last resort if all else fails but I must agree that it did work.
Tnx for the suggestion even though this post is a few years old.
BBW

 

in a stick, i put the car in gear, and have a friend hold in on the brakes and i'm able to get the nut off. also works good for axle nuts