Engine Removal - Question

[mn23]

On Grimjack's 49 easy steps to removing the engine, one of them is to loosen the crank bolt. My battery is dead, all the engine wires are out and long gone, the e brake is broken from an accident, and every time I try to loosen it in gear, the car just rolls. We've broken 2 craftsman socket wrenches on this stupid thing.

Do I really need to loosen it? If so, why? Thanks.

 

[suprra_girl]

well you don't "have" to loosen it in the car... if it's for a rebuild you will have to eventually loosen it.. just do it with a rattle gun.. i assume you call them that there... air wrench is your term maybe lol

 

[Supra Blues]

You can remove the engine without loosening that bolt. It may be harder with the engine out if it is that tight.

 

[kamil]

Once the motor is out and you have it down to the crank, stick something big in the block to wedge the crank (make sure its soft enough to not cause gouges in the crank) and go to it on the bolt. We ended up using a 10' pry bar.

 

[liukc]

I just locked the starter teeth on the flywheel and broke the bolt lose, but you don't need to loosen it in the bay.

 

[xt32]

You should be using a 6 point impact gun socket if you are going through regular ones like that. And if you are doing a rebuild, like every one pointed out you could remove it later. Just most people find it is easy to do when in the car for most situations. I had to stick a block of wood in the engine between the crank to get mine off, I wish i had remembered to do it before.

 

[Squid699]

if you want to break the crank bolt free in the car:

first - you shouldn't be using a wrench to break heavily torqued items free, go get a breaker bar - it will save you the aggrivation of breaking wrenches....

second - put the car in the highest gear it can go in and wedge the tires.

third - use a long jackhandle or other pipe as an extension to break the bolt free

If you wish to do it with the engine on the stand:

Flip the engine over and take off the oil pan and pump.

wedge to equal size peices of wood between the crank and block on 2 of the cylnder coutnerbalances - 1 and 6 or 2 and 5, etc

use a breaker bar and a long jackhandle or pipe as an extension.