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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: motah33 on 12 June 2014, 16:48

Title: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 12 June 2014, 16:48
I've got a MKII GTI 1.8L 8V 1990.

I've removed the 4 hex bolts relatively easily but that pulley seems to be welded on. I tried 'tapping' it with a hammer, spraying it with Plus Gas etc. but nothing.

Is there any puller that people have used that they can recommend? I am right that you don't need to remove the central crankshaft bolt? I thought I'd just double-check as I'm pretty sure you don't.

Thanks
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 12 June 2014, 16:59
I used a big screw driver to pry it off and some hammer action. Stay with it and it will come off. I removed one about at hour ago which has never come off before.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 12 June 2014, 17:57
Thanks for that.

Did you use a normal hammer or some sort sort of mallet and you did you turn the crank as you hit just to keep it all even? I used a hammer, tried to wedge a bar from behind and tried to hit that instead to stop the pulley getting damaged. I was just fearful of the hammer damaging the wheel.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 12 June 2014, 19:52
I used an Ali drift and kept cranking the engine so I was hitting it on all sides. Once it gets that initial movement it's not hard to wiggle off.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 12 June 2014, 21:59
What an "Ali drift"?
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 13 June 2014, 14:00
Aluminium drift. A drift is any large all metal chisel or bar used for hitting things you don't want to damage. If your hitting a softer material you need to use a drift made of even softer metal.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 13 June 2014, 14:33
Thanks!
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: VW BUSH on 13 June 2014, 15:28
I have a little plate that bolts onto the bottom pulley using the aux pulley holes with a 12mm Thread tapped into the plate directly on the centre of the crank.
Do up the 12mm bolt and off pops the grank gear, no hitting or bashing required.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 14 June 2014, 00:52
Thanks. Those aux holes are not threaded, are they, if I remember rightly? How do you fix your plate on?
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: VW BUSH on 14 June 2014, 13:53
Thanks. Those aux holes are not threaded, are they, if I remember rightly? How do you fix your plate on?
The 4 bolt holes in the crank gear that take the bolts which go through the aux pulley to hold it on, M8 iirc.
Or am I missing something and is it the aux pulley that's stuck on and not the toothed gear?
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 16 June 2014, 23:19
Aux pulley I thought. Only way is lube, wiggling and some hammer persuasion.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 17 June 2014, 04:09
You're right, it's the pulley, not the crankshaft gear. It does have some additional holes, other than the 4 one's for the bolts.  It looks as if the hammer is what's left. Just don't want to knacker anything to do with the crankshaft.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Steve_B on 17 June 2014, 09:35
The 4 additional holes are for the bolts to go in to push out the pulley, although chances are the thread on them has rusted so can't use them anyway. Just have to keep tapping it with the hammer.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 19 June 2014, 19:15
Thanks Steve. That makes sense. Yep, the threads in those additional holes have completely gone.

I've been using a dead blow hammer which is rubber coated. I can't hit it from behind because the sump is in the way. So, I've been hitting it from the side, rotating the pulley and then hitting it again etc. to give it same force from all sides. It's not worked so far.

To give you an idea of how badly it's jammed in there... the space around the spacer on which the crankshaft pulley's main bolt sits, was completely filled and looked like a solid lump of metal! I had to use a tiny screw driver and hammer to remove the rust in order to reveal there was some space between the spacer and the pulley itself.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 19 June 2014, 21:12
Have you tried heating it up first? Then use a big block of wood and try and get an angle on it from somewhere and give it some big hits.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 24 June 2014, 16:04
I've got nothing to heat it up with, I'm afraid. I've tried to get a piece of wood in there but it's so difficult to get a good strike with a hammer. Would this work: http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_spares_Tool-crankshaft-pulley-puller-AC000122_act_shop.product_pID_142453.htm
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 24 June 2014, 16:36
For the price of that thing I would buy a slide hammer, you have much more chance of using it again for something else. So many awkward things can be made easier with the right tool and a slide hammer is one of the things you didn't know you needed till you own one.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 24 June 2014, 22:11
Thanks. I looked at slide hammers but wasn't sure how effective they would be. I've seen that other puller before but for a one-off it's expensive.
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: motah33 on 30 June 2014, 17:56
Sgt_Lemon - the slide hammer did the trick! I wrapped some tape around the end of one of the attachments I used so it didn't damage the pulley and it didn't take long at all before it came off! I rotated the pulley, hit it a few times before rotating it again and following the same procedure. Eventually, it fell off.

Thanks for that suggestion!
Title: Re: Recommendation for crankshaft pulley remover
Post by: Sgt_Lemon on 30 June 2014, 19:33
Always happy to help  :smiley: