This is one of those times when Harbor Freight pulls through. Like Bill said, 3/4 in drive does it, 1/2 will break.. and slap on a four foot steel pipe for leverage and then put some man on it.

 

Make sure your life and injury insurance is completely up to date, if you try this method. It's only a matter of time before someone gets hit with a chunk from a broken 1/2" breaker bar.

 

Picked up a NOS 6 point Blackhawk deep impact socket and a HF 3/4" breaker bar today. Will have another go at it tomorrow...

I've done timing belts on a number of cars before and my 1/2" breaker bar (with a cheater) has always done the trick. Every other fastener that I've touched on this particular car has been over torqued (including the oil drain plug), so I suspect that the crank nose bolt has been as well. Some clown with a rattle gun has been at this car before. Everything is way tight.

James

 

This. Absolutely no drama. I have a heavy duty MAC 4:1, which means (obviously) that to loosen a bolt that has been tightened to 400 ftlbs I need only apply 100 ftlbs to the tool. Duck soup.

 

A torque multiplier is sweet and you don't bust a gut - have used it on the crank bolt and 2 other projects where bolts appeared to be frozen on. The multipier also puts a gradual pressure on the bolt and does not snap at you like a breaker bar can. You just eventually see the multiplier bar relax and its loose.

 

I got mine on sale for $90. Simply the best tool I have ever purchased, like said above its like a hot knife through butter. Also much safer when used correctly.

And you can just pull the fans, no need to pull the rad as you need to do with an impact gun.

 

I have had the torque multiplier tool for almost a year now but I haven't had the need to use it yet. My crank bolt has always come off without a problem and I haven't had the need to take off the axel nuts. It was on sale though, so I figured I'd need to use it sooner or later.

 

3/4" breaker bar + a deep impact socket + a floor jack handle. Done.

This nose bolt was just a lot tighter than the others I've dealt with, so I was afraid I was going to break something getting it loose. Now I just have to deal with the two water pump bolts that sheared off...

James

 

Yes, when you look at what is available nowadays, between the 3/8's and 1/2 inch drive electric impacts, they just make sense and are a great alternative to compressed air, especially for home or in the field use. No noisy compressor running or taking up valueable garage space, no dragging a stupid hose around behind you...snagging on every little thing in its path...or worrying about the hose being draped over the fender/wing.

We have two 1/2 inch drive Snap On impacts at work...and even though I was quite skeptical about them at first...they get the job done.

There only draw back is there weight distribution and overall size, but they're still worth the extra effort or weight.

Brian.

 

The latest generation of cordless wrenches are game-changers, especially taking into account newer designs like Ingersoll's Hammerhead.

But still worth having a compressor around for their versatility even if not used with impact tools. Just recently was invaluable having air available for caliper refurb job (pushing out pistons), and for blowing dirt away from spark plug ports. Also very fast and easy way of going round car(s) and getting tyres to correct pressure.

This sounds like an argument for buying yet more tools!

 

Yes, they do not totally eliminate the need for a compressor, but a small 10/20 gallon one will do the trick for most of your other needs. I was referring to the large stand up compressors, that cost a substantial amount of money and takes up plenty of valuable space.

Yes, granted, always a reason for more tools.

Brian.