Need some help! EMERGENCY! car in- need tommorow!!

[ericem]

Ok, well i figured out the knocking noise, it was the harmonic pulley(dad told me a new word) now i took out the bolt and it was super loose, and poured locktite all over it(blue locktite) and put it back in and torqued it down. 20mins later after i exit a highway and i hear it idling, it lossened again! Whats the best way to hold the pulley and torque the bolt, because when u tighten it, it turns over the engine, so u cant really torque it, got any ideas? Thanks guys, and i need help before tommorow, because my mom needs the car.

[Sube dude]

Ok, well i figured out the knocking noise, it was the harmonic pulley(dad told me a new word) now i took out the bolt and it was super loose, and poured locktite all over it(blue locktite) and put it back in and torqued it down. 20mins later after i exit a highway and i hear it idling, it lossened again! Whats the best way to hold the pulley and torque the bolt, because when u tighten it, it turns over the engine, so u cant really torque it, got any ideas? Thanks guys, and i need help before tommorow, because my mom needs the car.

 

If it's a manual Transmission, take the inspection cover off the top of the bell housing and jam a wide chisel or something similar between the ring gear and the housing. If you've got some help, have the person hold it in place and torque away. A little crude but it works. HTH.

[xrturbo]

dude, i guaruntee your keyway is trashed. the only thing you can do is pull it apart to the point of the timing cover coming off and the crank gear needs to come off. i got lucky enough one time that with a new balancer i was able to file the keyway back into shape and put the new balancer on. but you will deff need at least a new balancer.

[ericem]

Are u sure? It didnt fall off it just lossened and when u tighten the bolt everything is alright, just i cant seem to torque it will because there is no way to hold the pulley. U know what im talking about right, the main pulley for the alternator, power steering and etc pumps. It hasnt fallen off it just got a tiny bid lose, and it just played a little. What should i do my mom needs the car tommrow:confused:. How can i hold the pulley? so i can torque down the bolt?

[lmdew]

Manual you can put the trans in 5th and have someone hold the brakes.

 

Auto, you can put a punch in the flex plate through the inspection hole.

 

Either, You can pull a plug have the cyclinder on the compression stroke and then fill it with oil. Or push rope in to the plug hole. If using oil, put the plug back in and torque the bolt (125 ftlbs) then remove the plug and turn it through a few times to push the oil back out of the plug hole. Its messy but works.

 

Inspect the pulley, shaft and key for damage, fix what is damaged.

[tcspeer]

If it is not trashed as mentioned above it will be if you keep driving it, take it apart and use a chain wrench to hold the pully and retighten it.

Are u sure? It didnt fall off it just lossened and when u tighten the bolt everything is alright, just i cant seem to torque it will because there is no way to hold the pulley. U know what im talking about right, the main pulley for the alternator, power steering and etc pumps. It hasnt fallen off it just got a tiny bid lose, and it just played a little. What should i do my mom needs the car tommrow:confused:. How can i hold the pulley? so i can torque down the bolt?

[xrturbo]

when it loosens, the wobble in the pulley at the least will mushroom the key. and if you completely pull the pulley off and inspect the back side of it you will see the area around the key slot will be all chewed out. because of all these factors the pulley will continue to loosen, and in real bad scenarios i have seen people loose motors becasue it will oblong the crank snout and then its done for.

[msmithmmx]

I don't want to be that barer of bad news but if you harmonic balancer was wobbling you may have done other damage. As someone stated above just stick ratchet in the access hole through the flywheel that will lock the engine

[ericem]

AW!! im super PO'ed! look, heres some pics, its looks like the idiot from 2 years ago who did the timing belt did this, and he probably didnt torque it down. Ok well does it looks like the key is still alright? ANd i reinstall some new belts and the the pulley, now what about the thread, does it look right?

[xrturbo]

do you mean with a new pulley? i wouldn't put that one back on. you will find out when you get the new pulley if the keyway is ok. try to set the pulley in place by hand and make sure it goes flush and try to tuen it back and forth without the bolt. normally the threads don't get screwed up.

[ericem]

So from that pic ur saying the keyway is alright!!! IF SO HIP HIP HORRAY!!! and yes off course, i will buy a new pulley.

[ericem]

Oh one more question do i need locktite on it? And is blue locktite good enough.

[xrturbo]

i normally use blue, it didnt look too bad. just do that little check i was talkin about, so that way you dont go through it again with your new pulley.

[ericem]

ok, thank alot man, so ur like 99 percent sure the key is alright? Tommorow ill pickup the new pulley, and belts. SO just when i put on the pulley, make sure the key grabs right? THen put the bolt and and smere blue locktite on the bolt, and torque it down good, right? ANd just jam the flywheel? WHere exactly do i jam it, and i really appreciate ur help, this is our only car in the family(at the moment).

[njdrsubaru]

i have done many timing belts on subs and i have always jamed the flywheel with a prybar and tighten it untill you cant. it did work for me all the times.

 

the opening by the belhouse on top of the engine you'll seea square window leading to the flywheel

 

cheers

 

Neo

[ericem]

i have done many timing belts on subs and i have always jamed the flywheel with a prybar and tighten it untill you cant. it did work for me all the times

 

cheers

 

Neo

 

Ok, but where do i jam the flywheel lol?

[njdrsubaru]

the opening by the belhouse on top of the engine you'll seea square window leading to the flywheel, it is on the right side of the throtle body

[nipper]

DO use a torquewrench and properly torque the bolt down (70-80 2.2 and 90-100 ft lbs 2.5). Also inspect the front main seal and see if it is leaking or needs replacement, just in case.

Then praise the subaru Gods that your keyway survived. You may need a new key too.

 

nipper

[ericem]

DO use a torquewrench and properly torque the bolt down (70-80 2.2 and 90-100 ft lbs 2.5). Also inspect the front main seal and see if it is leaking or needs replacement, just in case.

Then praise the subaru Gods that your keyway survived. You may need a new key too.

 

nipper

 

So i need a torque wrench ? Doh, new tool to buy, ok, and the front seals are perfect, and did u check out my pic off the key nipper? did it look right?

[nipper]

So i need a torque wrench ? Doh, new tool to buy, ok, and the front seals are perfect, and did u check out my pic off the key nipper? did it look right?

 

i cant tell from the pics, they are too distorted. the worst case scenario if you dont want to go through the pain of replacng it, is you may have to clean it up a bit with a file.

PS a beam type torque wrench is juat as good as a digital or a snaping torque wrench.

This is really one of the most important bolts on the car. You have no idea how lucky you are that the keyway did not get mangled in the crank.

 

nipper

[ericem]

ok, well tommorow ill take some better pics with my acual camera, then u tell me if i need a new key. but it definitly wasnt mangled from what i saw.

[jsavrtka]

ok, well tommorow ill take some better pics with my acual camera, then u tell me if i need a new key. but it definitly wasnt mangled from what i saw.

Here's a pic of my 2.2's keyway with balancer. As for torque value, Emily from CCR says 125 ft-lb; that's what I used (with blue threadlock). A lower value probably caused this issue to begin with.

 

jim

[nipper]

Here's a pic of my 2.2's keyway with balancer. As for torque value, Emily from CCR says 125 ft-lb; that's what I used (with blue threadlock). A lower value probably caused this issue to begin with.

 

jim

 

the keyway looks good, how is the key? i had mine let go and do some damage. The previous "owner" had the timing belt changed, but the shop didnt torque the bolt properly. It started as an odd vibration i couldnt nail down. I had to fly to Anchorage for work, car sat in laguardia for 2 weeks. i started it up and all hell broke loose.

i guess it didnt like being alone at the airport in winter.

 

nipper

[frag]

Here's a pic of my 2.2's keyway with balancer. As for torque value, Emily from CCR says 125 ft-lb; that's what I used (with blue threadlock). A lower value probably caused this issue to begin with.

 

jim

Yes, I've been on this board a few years and the consensus is that the torque value found in the shop manual and in Haynes is not high enough and that something around 120 ft-lb is more like it. That's the torque value I used three years ago when I replaced my belt and the pulley is still in perfect shape.

Good luck!

[idosubaru]

nipper is correct, you should use a torque wrench, but i never do. i do guarantee i'm getting well past the recommended value.

 

it's a cast iron crank and i've never seen one strip. i use a 3 foot pipe over my socket wrench and crank that mofo hard as i can. they never come off that way. i've done a few without the pipe and they've always held as well, but i don't hold back if you know what i mean. i even have a torque wrench, but have no plans on keeping it only to the recommended spec's, i'll go all out on that one. this problem is too common and causes too much headache to risk.

 

if the motor is turning or the wheels are moving at all (if MT is in gear), the bolt is not turning with all the force you're giving it. make sure the car and crank are locked in tight so the bolt does the turning and nothing else.