kelanel

Having trouble with getting this sucker off. Crankshaft gear took forever to get off and this looks like why. Been going at it with a punch tool and mallet for about an hour now with almost no movement. I was planning on just levering the front out with some dikes but can't get enough jut to grab on. Any suggestions? It's been pb blasted multiple times already and just lightly heated before posting.

Thanks,
Jonathan

extanker

sounds like you are covering all the bases...heat,p oil and dikes. if it is moving a bit keep at it ...just do not go crazy with the hammer

kelanel

adding picture (planning on replacing for sure at this point :P)

dr bob

Jonathan--

Clamp it with a set of real vise-grip pliers. Pry under the edge of the pliers with a screwdriver if the key doesn't walk out with just the pliers.

A small 'cape' chisel on the front edge of the key, parallet to the axis of the crank nose. Tap lightly, and the key will walk up and out at the front. A cape chisel has a trapezoid-shaped end from a square body cut at an angle. So the pointy part goes towards the crankshaft, and the angle lifts the key.

The half-moon shaped key sits in matching a round-bottom groove in the crank nose. A soft-ended drift, at the rear of the key and pointed radially at the crank, can sometimes be used with a small hammer to cause the key to walk around enough to raise the front edge of the key.



Those are the best methods I know so far.


Where are you working on the car?

dr bob

Ouch--

Just saw the picture you posted while I was typing. That key is pretty seriously mushroomed already. I propose method three, gently, followed by method two. Method two will work with what you have showing at that front edge of the key, but a little more will make it a lot easier.

kelanel

Well I just about wrapped up just after posting. Glad to see you come to my rescue bob . Hope all has been well with you.

I decided to make it a bit easier by turning the crank 180^ since its non-interference and now have a much better work spot from above than underneath. What about possibly prying it out from the back with something like a pry bar and a wedge behind it to lift the key out? There is plenty to get under in the rear and the belt guide washer already has a replacement waiting as well. Could option #1 be used on the rear now that its more accessible from above?

Also, for option 3: by drift, do you mean a chisel punch? (that's what I seemed to find using google-fu).


I'll be trying again tomorrow (mid) morning after a quick trip for tools. I've been working at home in my parking lot for now.


Thanks again,
Jonathan.

dr bob

Option 3, the drift... Sometimes pins are used to hold things together. A pin drift is a punch, round and straight so it fits in the hole the pis is sitting in.

In places where there's risk of damaging pieces, a soft (sometimes brass) bar is used instead of steel. Using the wrong stuff risks swelling or mushrooming the parts you are trying to 'persuade'. That key in your pucture has already suffered from that swelling/mushrooming, unfortunately. Anyway, a brass 'drift' was my early suggestion, since it won't do to your woodruff key what's already been done per your picture.

At this point you are extrememly limited on options, at least while the crank is in the engine in the car. Try the cape chisel and small hammer, keeping in mind that both the chisel and the key are hardened. Wear gloves and for sure wear eye protection. You don't want either piece to break, splinter, shatter, etc. and get things in your eyes or your hands. Be sure that the direction you are driving the key includes an escape path for the key.

Fogey1

Here's a decent Wikipedia article with pix.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_%28tool%29

Since you have another washer waiting you might lever the old one off, destroying it if need be. It might be the reason you can't lever the key from the front, because the washer has the rear trapped. I would first use a drift to rotate the washer's keyway back to line up with the key, my guess is it got out of line while you were hammering at the key.

I was surprised to see Dr. Bob say the key was hardened. All I've ever seen were soft steel, easy to scratch and easy to file.

Great opportunity to buy tools!!

dr bob

It's not hardened the same way the tools are, but they do chip when hit with a sharp chisel on the ends. Point was that eye protection is needed.

Jonathan is location-cramped for working on the car, think "outdor apartment complex parking space", so limited places to hide real tools and equipment. We didn't know he was attacking this project until this thread.

upstate bob

dr bob is leaning in the right direction. A downward whack with a pin punch (soft end is good, and large enough diameter to cover the key) at the
inside end of the key should rock it up at the front where you can tap the visible tip up and out.
A medium ball pein is the best weapon. Too small a hammer can't provide enough impact and too large has insufficient velocity to shock the object.

kelanel

And its out! Used my prybar with wedge method from the rear to loosen it a bit (took alot of leverage!) then hit it at the rear once it started moving with the drift and ball peen and got the front out enough to slip a flathead in there. Thanks all for your help and advice as always. Doing the woodruff dance!