69gaugeman

When my breaker bar won't easily do it I use a torque multiplier. It works every time and doesn't require a lot of force. Mine is 4:1 multiplier with a 3/4 drive out put and 1/2 input.Safer too as you apply force gradually until it moves.

Bill Ball

I've always used a long pipe over the handle of the HF 3/4" ratchet. In one instance nothing short of a 6' pipe would budge the bolt with all my weight put into it. I estimate the torque required to loosen that crank bolt was around 700-800 lb ft. No red Loctite or corrosion was found. This was Nicole's car. She witnessed it. You'd be surprised at how little effort is required when the bolt is only 218 lb ft.

dr bob

I have done a double-take and verify the setting on the torque wrench when tightening the bolt back up. The wrench clicks at a fraction of what's often needed to get the bolts out, seems like relatively nothing. I suspect that many bolts are put in there with "that's not going anywhere!" torque, estimated by the installer based on what he/she remembers from removing the bolt. Less careful shop mechanics and DIY's often figure that having the bolt come loose has much more immediate consequences than one that's extra-tight, since that's not likely to be discovered until years later.

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I have a pretty decent 3/4" air impact, but can't seem to get enough air to it with my home compressor (125 PSI but with 1/4-NPT fittings) to pop rear axle nuts. Can't get it onto the crank snout without pulling the radiator and condenser. My 1/2"-drive IR impact makes short work of stuck suspension bolts, but does nothing but ring the crank trying to get the front bolt out. The big-bar method has been enough so far.

Toughest was Ryan P's GT motor more than half a decade ago. Sitting in the engine stand, he pulled on his 4' jack handle locked through the web of the stand at the flywheel end, while I pulled on the 5' bar at the crank nose. It took careful coordination of forces to get the bolt loose but not roll the engine and stand onto the floor. Moral: Loosen that bolt before you take the engine out of the car. Trust me, it's a LOT easier and safer.

Adamant1971

+1

Mine would not budge with a 5 foot bar, torque multiplier worked in seconds.

Big Dave

I slide the 3' pipe from my hydraulic jack over a 3' gorilla bar and just pull like hell. Never had a problem with the crank bolt, but I have snapped a few tools trying to loosen motor mount bolts!

Adamant1971

I have an 86.5 crank bolt that won't budge with my toque multiplier or impact gun. My compressor is kinda small so I think I may need to rent and electric impact gun. Someone must have used red loctite on this bastard. Arrrrg

928FIXER

""""Put a long enough breaker bar on it that it will reach the floor. Stuff a sheet of plywood to protect the radiator. Then just tap the starter""""

An old experienced tech showed me this why of crank bolt removal 40+ years ago,when a lot of shops had no air compressor.

I haven't used it in decades,but that made me smile when I read it.

Today,when it won't come out,I grab the 3/4 inch,impact gun that is.

thepurpleblob

There's no such thing as bolt that won't come undone (or break!!). Just a breaker bar that's too short

Adamant1971

Ya I need a longer bar to fit over my 3/4 persuader. LOL

Bulvot

If you're going to use an impact wrench for difficult bolts, I recommend upgrading to 3/8" fittings and 1/2" hose. Even on cheap impact wrenches it makes a huge difference. If you're looking for a new 1/2" drive impact wrench, the Aircat 1150 is a great deal. Rated for 1,295 reverse torque. That combination really does make jobs like this very easy. I've got a Makita 1/2" drive battery operated impact wrench supposedly rated for 1,180 ft lbs. It is really nice and works great. No worries about air delivery. But, the Aircat eats it for lunch with the right fittings and hose. Plus, you can cheat and turn the pressure up on a pneumatic gun if you really need more power (at the risk of breaking the wrench).

There are always 3/4" and 1" drive impact wrenches, but that's probably unnecessary for this situation.

For doing it manually, it's hard to beat proper 3/4" drive tools. For that amount of force, even by hand, I very much prefer to use impact sockets. Leverage is key. The longer the breaker bar handle, the better. It makes using an extension pipe less likely to slip off.

For tightening (and occasionally loosening) things like the crank bolt, I really like the Capri Tools 3/4" drive torque wrench, 100 to 600 ft lbs, it makes tightening things so much easier and controlled than a shorter 1/2" drive torque wrench. I've also occasionally used it for loosening things. I just set it to the maximum torque before using it to loosen something. It's 4 feet long and a nice large diameter shaft, so it works very well to break stubborn nuts and bolts loose. It is designed for loosening torque, so no problem there. Plus, I really like the torque setting locking method that they have on all of their wrenches. It prevents me from accidentally changing the setting when doing lots of nuts/bolts/lugs back to back.

Adamant1971

Got a 3/4 27mm socket en-route. That on my cheater bar with an extension should do the trick. Will have it when I get home from work.

My compressor is like a fart in a hurricane. Lol

buccicone

This^^^

Adamant1971

No, but I will be tonight. 3/4 socket enroute from Amazon.

karl ruiter

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-1...W292/202512216

This did the job last time for me after I bent my 1/2" breaker bar 20 degrees. Have to pull radiator and condenser to get it in there, but 345ft-lbs will do a lot.

belgiumbarry

with my max 200 NM torque wrench i could not even fasten it to max on the engine stand as danger of flipping it over.... so must be done in the car now . Tomorrow i have a borrowed bigger one to get it up to 300 NM.
I assume this is for a dry bolt/thread and not greased.