Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools

Posted By: SPWC

Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 07:13 PM

So I rented a Harmonic Balancer install tool and it went back on with no trouble,easy as can be . Now I have got to torque the Bolt that holds it on (3/4-16)

I dont have access to air tools and I have tried to wedge something in between some longer bolts I had threaded into the balancer where the pulley bolts to.

The bolts keep bending. I want to get this over with and torqued to the proper specs. How can I do this when my bolts keep bending and I have no access to air tools?

Posted By: Hotwheelsjr

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 07:21 PM

Wedge a screw driver or something similar between the teeth on your torque converter (or flywheel) and the tranny bell housing. That will keep the motor from turning over while you torque the crank bolt. If the motor is out of the car, feeding rope (clothes line) into a cylinder through a plug hole will provide a cushioned stop and keep the piston from traveling to TDC thus preventing the motor from turning any further.

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 07:50 PM

the rope in cyl is fastest in the car too

use the other side to brak it loose

if a helper is around screw driver to block edge and teeth on fly wheel or TC

i use the same little diddy for spring swaps with head on engine also

Posted By: HealthServices

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 07:58 PM

Before air tools I used a rope too.

Posted By: AndyF

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:01 PM

I'm always amazed when people ask this question and nobody provides a link to the tools that are available. Mancini Racing sells a damper holding tool which is inexpensive and easy to use. I also posted a new tool thread just the other day on this board for a crankshaft holding tool.

Attached picture 5925356-AR042.jpg

Posted By: AndyF

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:03 PM

Here is a link to the tool thread that I posted a few weeks ago.

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...e=0#Post5878114

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:03 PM

whats a crank shaft holding tool??

I use the dogs rope then tied him back up later when done

Posted By: AndyF

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:05 PM

Here is another tool that I make for the same job. This one works with the engine on a dolly or an engine stand. The damper tool works best in the car when you can't get to the flywheel.

Attached picture 5925366-AR308.jpg

Posted By: scratchnfotraction

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:07 PM

OOOHHHH!!! thats nice

bad azz dolly wheels too

you seem to make top notch cool stuff there Andy

Posted By: Snoopy

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:09 PM

Drill 2 holes in a piece of 2 feet long angle iron and bolt it to the balancer. This will give you the leverage you need. Use a stout piece of angle iron.

Posted By: sharpie

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:10 PM

I just tightened it with the flexplate on and shoved a screwdriver in one of the holes between it and the block.

Posted By: HealthServices

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:14 PM

Quote:

I'm always amazed when people ask this question and nobody provides a link to the tools that are available.

Sorry...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Qty4-15-X...essoriesQ5fGear

and a picture...

Posted By: HealthServices

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:15 PM

Posted By: SPWC

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:25 PM

Quote:

I'm always amazed when people ask this question and nobody provides a link to the tools that are available. Mancini Racing sells a damper holding tool which is inexpensive and easy to use. I also posted a new tool thread just the other day on this board for a crankshaft holding tool.

That tool looks like it would work well,however,I want to get my truck buttoned up,and am sorta impatient and would have to wait for that tool to arrive.I rarely do any kind of engine teardowns so I would probably use that tool once a year.Id probably end up misplacing it anyway.Ill keep the tool in mind,and maybe suggest it to others.

I did use the rope trick(removed the anchor line off my Jon Boat) and TA-DAH... Worked like a champ!! Tightened to 135 ft/lbs as suggested.

Thanks for the suggestions. Im that much smarter now and will share the rope trick with everyone I know,whether they already know the trick or not!!

Thanks again it worked like a charm!!

Posted By: hooziewhatsit

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 08:33 PM

Although I suppose the rope trick only works if you have heads on it

In which case one of the other tools would come in handy

Posted By: Commando1

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 10:22 PM

Crowbar.
Stuck in anything that I see turn and if it stops it...

Posted By: Snoopy

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 10:37 PM

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't feel comfortable introducing possible FOD into my engine. I would rather stick with external remedies.

FOD - Foreign Object Damage

Posted By: SPWC

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 10:49 PM

Whats the worse a strand of string can do to an engine if it were to come off the rope.It would probably burn up in the combustion chamber and get spit out the exhaust.

Posted By: NachoRT74

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 10:58 PM

Quote:

I just tightened it with the flexplate on and shoved a screwdriver in one of the holes between it and the block.

Posted By: Snoopy

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/14/10 11:41 PM

Quote:

Whats the worse a strand of string can do to an engine if it were to come off the rope.It would probably burn up in the combustion chamber and get spit out the exhaust.

It is what the rope drags into the cylinder, I would be worried about.

How hard is to cut a piece of angle iron and drill two holes in it. You can get the metal for free, just go dumpster diving at any mattress supply store. They throw out all the old steel bed rails.

Posted By: dulcich

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/15/10 02:10 AM

Really, Andy,
What kind of a chump do you think would shell out for an expensive tool like that when you can just pull a plug and shove a fat phillips screwdriver in the hole? That'll lock her up like a ... , well, I'd better stop now.

-dulcich

Posted By: MNobody

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/15/10 03:36 AM

Just put a wrench on the bolt and give it a couple sharp blows on the end with a hammer, use loctite on the threads of the bolt.

Posted By: Hotwheelsjr

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/15/10 03:45 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I'm always amazed when people ask this question and nobody provides a link to the tools that are available. Mancini Racing sells a damper holding tool which is inexpensive and easy to use. I also posted a new tool thread just the other day on this board for a crankshaft holding tool.

That tool looks like it would work well,however,I want to get my truck buttoned up,and am sorta impatient and would have to wait for that tool to arrive.I rarely do any kind of engine teardowns so I would probably use that tool once a year.Id probably end up misplacing it anyway.Ill keep the tool in mind,and maybe suggest it to others.

I did use the rope trick(removed the anchor line off my Jon Boat) and TA-DAH... Worked like a champ!! Tightened to 135 ft/lbs as suggested.

Thanks for the suggestions. Im that much smarter now and will share the rope trick with everyone I know,whether they already know the trick or not!!

Thanks again it worked like a charm!!

Glad to have helped... :-)

Posted By: buildanother

Re: Best way to tighten a crank bolt without air tools - 04/15/10 03:50 AM

Just open a moparts tech post and become awe-struck at the many qualified responses.

....and no, I have not tapped into the "oldman" doctrine.