Gretch

Been said before.......

Big Dave

I'm still running scenarios through my head while I wait for the flywheel lock, and I keep concluding that a nut that backed off is the most likely scenario. I know I tightened it down, but I didn't have a locking tool to really crank down on it.

I've already been looking through the pics I took when I was doing the rebuild. The oil pump gear looks to be seated exactly the same before and after replacement, including at least the outside thick washer between the nut and the gear:

Before/After:

Chris

It may be the angle but looks like the gear is sitting higher and is offset, I can't see the keyway in the 1st photo.

Chris

Kevin in Atlanta

Is that really likely when there is a keyway involved? The pump gear would have to migrate quite a ways to get past it, right? Looking at the pictures the gear has not moved.

Big Dave

These are pictures from before I changed the gear and after I replaced it. I don't have pictures of the gear as it is currently (since I can't get the center belt cover off yet).

The woodruff key wouldn't prevent the nut from backing off, but without the nut, the gear certainly could wobble it's way free and eventually get slanted on the spline as it looks to be now.

In the before/after pictures, it looks to me like the spline of the pump is equally flush with the nut. If I had a missing spacer, I would expect the nut to sit farther down on the spline, exposing a couple of threads.

Kevin in Atlanta

ok, I get it now.

Bill Ball

Dave:

You're smart to wait for the flywheel lock.

Received from Jim Bailey:

"that timing ring for the automatic is simply pressed on and as a result with enough force it may move spin and the ignition timing gets all ****ed up..... that has made more than one mechanic really really crazy after doing a t-belt water pump job and now the car runs really bad or pings or will not run at all. When we make a custom 5 speed flywheel and fit the S-4 auto timing wheel to a double disc 85-86 manual flywheel we spot weld the ring after we index it so it will not move,"

Ugh. I appreciate informed corrections. I did use that ring to undo and redo the flywheel bolts, but they are only about 60 ft lbs. I never did it for the crank bolt, so it was kind of stupid of me to post that. I recalled that it was pressed or shrunk on but thought it was firm enough to take a lot more torque.

Thanks again to Jim for stopping something stupid.

Big Dave

I wondered about that. I'm NOT going to blip the starter with a breaker bar on the crank, either. With the oil pump gear the way it is, I'd risk jumping the belt.

As much as I'd like to keep conjecturing about the situation, I'm stuck until I get the cover off. I'll check tonight to see if I can wiggle it free enough to get a closer look at the gear.

Has anyone gotten the center belt cover off with the pulleys still in place w/o breaking the cover?

worf928

I've never been particularly interested in using that method either.

Yup. I don't remember exactly how I did it. But, the center cover came off and went back on without permanent deformation or damage.

Imo000

I've also pulled the center cover off my '85 withouht removing the balancer. Give it a try, it should come off.

Bill51sdr

Just reaffirming the above... the center plastic cover will come off w/out removing the crank pulley.

goliver

Looks to me like it is just the nut coming loose and the gear wiggled itself off of the splines a bit.

Dave,

You deserve some luck buddy!!! Heres hoping that is all there is to it.

Regards,

Mongo

just outta curiousity is there a shim behind the gear to help it maintain alignment or some sort of washer???

Big Dave

Here's the PET diagram:

Mongo

thought so....thanks!

Hopefully you can get her back to normal by Friday Dave.