Is there a special tool required to remove the crankshaft pulley on a 1992 Honda Accord LX?

Answer 1

I faced this with two different Hondas- 88 & 92. I have a pretty good tool collection, aptitude, talent, etc. I came to the conclusion that paying the garage was the way to do it. They put the cars up on hoists, had the right tools, could get leverage etc. They loosened the bolts, zipped them out, put antisieze on it, and zipped them back in with 120 lb-ft air wrenches. I drove home and finished job myself. Part of the deal is that I can take the cars back and get them further tightened.

It was an independent garage that agreed to do this. They are great guys. I pay full shop price for this, about $30. But it was worth it.

Point - while we all want to do it ourselves and save $$, do get friendly with an independent shop so you can get help occasionally.

While some home remedies are pretty creative, consider that if you mess around and break that bolt, you will have a very long day ahead of you, chewing out that bolt with dremel / drill.

Answer

You need an impact wrench that puts out at least 400 lb-ft of torque. For the home mechanic that doesn't have a 60-gallon air compressor, an electric one is the best bet. A standard 125psi home air compressor isn't strong enough to turn this bolt. I got my wrench at Harbor Freight, but I've seen them at Home Depot (the Ridgid brand) and Lowe's (the Kobalt brand). Put a deep-well impact socket on, stick it on the bolt and hit the trigger. That bolt will screw out WITHOUT holding the pulley in place.

AnswerThere is a special tool to hold the pulley while you loosen the bolt, I have done many of these. A large impact gun may work if there is enough air volume from the compressor, small compressors that most people have at home will not be sufficient. Locking the flywheel with a screwdriver, might damage the flywheel teeth (not advisable). Honda engines rotate counter clock-wise, so wedging a breaker bar with a socket on the bolt and turning the engine over will TIGHTEN the bolt more, not loosen it. Using the tool is the best method, It can be shipped overnight from DenLorsTools.com 1.800.524.9783, there is also a "How To" article with tips on loosening the crank bolt (video shows tool in use) and changing timing belts on Honda's and Acura's. Answeryou need to get a flywheel lock,it bolts on in place of the starter and keeps the engine from turning when you try to losen the pulley AnswerYes. There's a pulley holding tool that will allow you to hold the pulley while turning the bolt. The bolt ratched is inserted thru the pulley holder. AnswerI'm not sure if this is the same (because I used this technique on a 1987 Nissan 300ZX), but it may work. I read the Chilton manual and it instructed me to insert a flat-head screwdriver into something (not sure what it's called) that was located to the left of the top of the engine. I tried for a week to get the pulley off (I missed the screwdriver part at first), but it always kept pulling, no matter how hard I held onto it. After I read the instructions again, the pulley came off in less than 30 seconds. :) AnswerI'll tell you the truth. I've done this job many times and the only special tool I will ever use is a big old pnumatic impact driver with at least 150 PSI behind it. I'll tell you why. Honda has been know to torque those bolt on up to 300 foot-pounds. What's more, the bold it designed to stretch, making it even more impossible to remove with simple hand tools. I know of know lock for the fly wheel, since not all hondas have fly wheels. The only special tool I know of is a large hex wrench that fits into the balancer to hold the pully while being wrenched on, but an impact driver is all but the only good way of of removing it. DO NOT try putting a wrench on it and hitting the starter!!! This may work on Toyotas and some other motors, but Honda engines turn counter-clockwise. AnswerI wish I had seen the entry about the not using the starter before I tried. It didn't damage anything, just tightened by bolt even more. I finally got it and here's how:

I refused to wait for the dealer parts department to open M-F to get the special Honda tool which holds the crankshaft pulley and I'm too cheap to spend the $50 bucks. So, I went to Lowes and got a 1.5" X 2" galvanized coupling and a 1.5" X 1" galvanized bushing. The bushing has a hex head that was slightly too big. I used an angle grinder to shave it down and each side. I needed the coupling to give me enough length to get past the pulley. I then used a 12" pipe wrench on this with a brick wedged under it. the handle of the pipewrench was under the coupling the pointing to the front of the car. I had to turn the pulley with my breaker bar to get tension on this as it didn't fit snug enough to hold itself up. Initially, I found the only progress I was making was continuing to tighten the bushing/coupling joint but eventually it bottomed out and the torque started to apply to the bolt.

Next, I couldn't figure out how to get a long cheater on the breaker bar. Here, my friend led me to add to my 19mm, 1/2" drive socket, 10" and 6" extensions (16" total). I supported these extensions with a jack stand. I attached my 18" breaker bar to the extensions and a 4 foot cheater pipe to the breaker bar. I put all my weight on the pipe and in a few seconds I heard that beautiful snap of the bolt breaking loose. Once I got the right leverage, it was a piece of cake. Getting the right leverage took two days of talking to a whole bunch of people, trying many different setups, using heat, a sledge hammer and my friends impact. Ultimately, it all goes back to leverage.

AnswerI recently had to remove the crankshaft bolt on a 1986 accord. It really wasnt all that complicated.The pully is solid so it's one piece, there is still 4 holes about 5/16 dia. in the pully.Take a flat bar around 17"long 1"wide 1/4thickness.Home Depot or Lowes has bar stock maybe not these exact diamentions but close enough.Drill 2 holes in the bar that will line up to 2 of the holes in the pully.Stick a bolt thru the bar and pully holes and put a nut on the other end,fastening it to the pully.This allows the pully to turn only to the point the bar hits the cv shaft or whatevers stationary and solid.Same as the guy above this (mine was a 17mm.socket)put a 6&10" 1/2"drive extention together,(I used a impact sockett),Put a 1/2 drive breakerbar or ratchett with a length of pipe for levarage.I didnt use a jackstand or anything I just held everything with my left hand and pushed with my right.Came right off and I also tried the old turn the motor over trick so it was pretty tight!!!The bar held perfectly.