Loose, but very stuck crankshaft pulley

[esde]

I took the car for a several hundred mile shakedown cruise on the 4th of July, and had a blast. Having recently fitted a front whiteline sway bar, and rear 944 porsche bar, and adjustable GAZ rear shocks it was the first trip where I really got to drive it hard. I stopped a few times along the way to adjust the shock settings and check the car over. All in all, it was great, until the ride home. I started to get an occasional buzz/ rattle that wasn't at any specific speed or engine rpm. Must've stopped 20 times, and eventually pulled the rear lid off so I didn't have to keep opening and closing it. And finally I saw it. The pulley is loose.

Link

The berg bolt with the two big belville washers was in w loctite, and it wasn't bottomed out in the bore. When I assembled it, the pulley was a snug fit, or I think it was. It seems that it must've had just enough play to slam back and forth against the key, and distort something. I'm really praying that it's not beaten up the keyway in the crank, but right now I can't even get the pulley off to evaluate what the damage is.
First generation puller

put in a good effort but failed

Take 2

But also failed, started to twist the 1/2" bolt. You can see it's only pulled about 3/16"

So, where to go from here?
I can make a hydraulic puller, but I'm worried that it's stuck well enough that I could cause further damage to the crankshaft that way. Something like this

Or, I thought that maybe I could carefully drill the pulley, just on each side of, and above the keyway. This might relieve the "lock" that's happened, and then a puller would work. Pulling the engine and splitting the case is the last option for obvious reasons.
This really kills me, it's the only Empi part on the car. Berg was backordered on their pulley, and I thought that it's just a dumb pulley, surely it would be pretty hard to screw up, right? Has anyone run into this, what did you do? What not to do? Help?
Thanks. SD

[jfats808]

Seth,
Hard luck man. I wonder if the key broke in two that way you have motion both ways till it binds? Either way its gotta come off. Im hoping you can get it out without tearing up the key way..... keep us posted on what you err... decide to use to take it off.

Can you slip your phone in the betweens and video the keyway as you jog the pulley?
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[rs58rag]

Do you have stock style pulley puller where claws clamp around pulley? If so, clamp it on in opposite direction you have now, spray penetrting oil front and back of pulley opening. As you tighten puller, smack pulley all around with a plastic dead blow hammer. Also, can use two thin prybars behind pulley and wiggle out ..carefully!......Hopefully the dead blow method works.

[esde]

[gears]

Have the pulley threads somehow picked up material from the case ?
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[esde]

[platatomi]

Drop by Harbor Freight and get a three-size two-jaw puller kit. You can mix and match parts from the three sizes to get the thing to fit the pulley without dropping the engine, and it should pull it right off. Depending on the exhaust setup you have, you may need to pull the header or muffler to get clearance to put a wrench on the puller though.
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[modok]

Sorry about that.

I think you will have to replace the crank.
The ghost of berg that lives in the pulley hates cast cranks, and they got in a fight. It's not the first time.
Look at the bright side you didn't lose the flywheel.


Have DPR make a stroker with porsche width rods! From STEEL

OR

Weld the pulley onto the crank and keep going until the new one is ready. Weld, install bolt, weld bolt. Not joking, I would do it!!!!!

[Boolean]

I would pound it back again, twist it sideways and try to find another path for it.
Failing that, go with Modoks advice.
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[esde]

[Dale M.]

I'm sort in though process of jammed key.... I would drill pulley with 1/4 or larger drill just so edge of hole intersects with key way and try again... No matter what you do, the pulley will be toast so nothing to loose...

Dale
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[mark tucker]

pull the engine take it appart and cut that peice of junk off the crank. I seem to remember somebody saying they wont run those and nobody should.they will do what it did or break crank.........or was that internet hype? if you try to pull it you will effup the crank.

[gprudenciop]

die grinder with a cut off disc!!!
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[rs58rag]

Then its time to butcher that pulley....

[Dr OnHolliday]

Hacksaw, die grinder and careful chisel work.
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Use a cut off wheel and cut all the way around the pulley about 1-2 inches from the crank. Once the outside comes off, then you can cut rest off. That's how I did it.
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[jpaull]

I would use a plumbing torch with mapp gas (usually next to the propane at your hardware store). with your puller connected and ready to pull, Heat up the pulley close to the center so that you expand it enough and then crank down your puller. Add enough heat and anything will come loose.

Jeff
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[Chip]

I have seen Berg pulleys weld themselves to cranks after flywheels have come loose. Might be time to pull that engine and verify that is not the root cause of your problem. Your crank might already be junk on the other side. Sorry for the disappointing post, but I have seen this or similar twice. Aluminum pulleys crack, steel ones weld themselves to the crank.

[theKbStockpiler]

Make a wiggle bar that you can bolt to the pulley to try to change it's orientation with the crank. 2 feet long,and eqaually extending past each side of the pulley. Use inertia and smack one of the ends with a dead blow. Next try a little heat. Just get it a little past warm.


Make sure you don't damage the cranks threads with the bolt of the puller inserting it'self into it. If you can't make a decent puller out of a36 steel, buy a cheap puller and modify it.
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[Brian71]

Heat up the outer rim of the pulley with an oxyacetylene rose bud(or map gas torch as an alternative.). The bore of the pulley will grow towards the heat. Apply this in conjunction with the use of your puller. Just be sure you don't allow enough time for the crank to heat up and grow along with the pulley. This should loosen the pulley bore anywhere from .003" to .005" if done properly.. which may or may not help depending how badly that pulley is galled on the crank. If that doesn't work, its time to cut that sucker off.