QuestionI have a 1995 Chrysler Sebring LXI with the 2.5L V6. I am trying to replace the water pump and the timing belt. I need to know how to remove the crankshaft damper to access the water pump. How do I keep the crankshaft from turning while trying to loosen the bolt and which way should I be turning the crankshaft bolt to loosnen it?
AnswerHi Ernest,
That same question came up about a week ago. The Haynes manual show a technique for immobilizing the crankshaft pulley: insert a large screwdriver or better a drift/punch in one of the slots in the pulley and then wedge its tip against the lower surface of the engine block to lock the pulley from rotating counterclockwise which is the direction for bolt removal. In fact you might want to also alternate the bar so that you could prevent it from rotating clockwise.
That bolt was originally torqued to 134 foot-pounds but due to heating/cooling and rusting it is probably locked up tighter than that by corrosion. In my experience the safest way to loosen is to torque the bolt back and forth, tighter and looser, in order to breakup the corrosion without exceeding the torque limit of the bolt in either direction and thus breaking it. So see if you can put a metal rod into the slots in the pulley so that it is wedged against the block and will not turn in either direction depending upon how you position it. Then use a good quality socket to preserve the bolt faces, and a long breaker bar or high range torque wrench maybe set to 135 or so foot pounds and try "rocking" repeatedly to loosen it. If that doesn't do it, then try the same thing after heating it and maybe increase the torque to 150, but don't go much higher than that.
There is definitely a risk of breaking the bolt head by trying to overpower it in the left-hand only direction. It is a normal right-hand-to-tighten bolt thread, but get it to release the corrosion first, then back it out.
Once you have the bolt out you may then find that the pulley is stuck on the shaft. If that is the case you will need to borrow or rent a puller to release that. Try squirting some penetrating fluid on the joint and see if that might give the puller some help when you later apply it the task. Heating may also be more effective on both the bolt and the pulley removal tasks.
Do you have the written instruction on how to apply the timing belt so as get it on with all sprockets aligned to oneanother? If not I can copy and snail mail it to you (I don't own a document scanner). I think you will need it for sure to get this on properly.
Roland
