How do you remove the crank pulley on a Toyota Avalon?

Answer 1

It's not easy. In my case the biggest problem was keeping the engine from turning while putting over 1000 ft-lbs of torque on it, to get it off. I ended up having to make my own tool. If you've got more money than time, or you're without the proper tools (lathe and mill), it's probably worth it to just buy the Special Service Tool from Toyota. Unfortunately the balancer doesn't have any large holes through it, through which you could jam a large screwdriver or whatever. And all you have to grip on is the 3/8" tall "spokes" that run from the center to the outside, through which the two puller holes go.

But I like working with metal, so here's what I did: I used my lathe to create a ring out of 1/4" plate steel, whose outside diameter is small enough to fit within inside diameter of the balancer, and whose inside diameter was big enough to accommodate the pulley bolt and its socket. Then cut a 3/4" bar of steel square stock long enough to fit the outside diameter of the ring. I used my mill to cut a slot in the bar along it's long side, wide enough accommodate the "spokes". Then I welded the bar onto inside of the ring (the side that contacts the balancer), with the slot facing toward the balancer, to fit over the spokes. Then I used the lathe again to cut the middle out of the bar. (I did this because I worried that if I cut the bar and welded the two pieces on separately, I'd never get it to line up properly on both sides of the ring.) Then I drilled two holes through the ring and the bar, to fit the two bolts from the harmonic balancer puller. You have to measure these carefully and get them straight - have to use a drill press or a mill - or you'll never get them to line up. I then welded a piece of square tubing onto the outside of the ring. I used the bolts from my harmonic balancer puller to bold the thing on (the bolts were too long so I had to make some spacers out of round tubing), put a steel bar through the tubing on the outside of the ring so the crank wouldn't turn.

I then had to use a breaker bar with an 8 foot cheater pipe to get it off. I estimate I had to put around 1000 foot pounds of torque on the bolt to get it to crack loose. Which is strange because the service manual says to torque it to 159 ft-lbs.