Hey gang!

I'm installing my Steeda UDPs right now and have run in to a road block.

I CAN'T GET THE HARMONIC BALANCER BOLT OFF!!!

I pulled the electric fan housing so I have plenty of room. Impact gun just flails away. 1/2 breaker bar makes the engine creak but does nothing to the bolt.

QUESTIONS:

1) Is the harmonic balancer bolt REVERSE THREADED? I'm going COUNTER CLOCKWISE. (the normal way to loosen a bolt) The Steeda pilot bolt looks like a normally threaded bolt.

2) Can I damage something? I have a stick shift. Currently car is on the ground, ebrake engaged, trans is in second gear.

My next plan is to put a jack handle over the breaker bar and flog on the bolt that way but I don't want to damage something.

HELP! I don't want to tuck my tail between my legs in defeat, I want to finish this NOW.

 

sometimes there just like that. You need a bigger breaker bar. I used to use a super long breaker bar and actually have someone crank the engine if you can believe that, not really crank, just bump it real quick to get it to turn. then take off normal. But if your scared of that and that you might hurt yourself or the car. Then just find a bigger breaker bar, you can do this also by using a long pipe that will fit over the breaker bar etc. If you have a long pipe of some kind it will be super easy to just bump it, just make sure your on the right side of rotation. Good luck leverage is the key,the longer the better they always say, LOL.

 

Try some spinach.............




Really though get a big breaker bar and go at it forcefully but smoothly- don't round-off the bolt!

 

I ran into the same thing, no air gun would loose it. I finally put the Breaker bar on it and the top half of my floor jack handle and pulled and bang it came loose.

 

DEFEATED...

for now. I put a 4' jack handle on my 1/2" breaker bar and whaled away! The belt started stretching really bad so I pulled it.

Bad move.

Like I said earlier, the car is in 2nd gear, all four wheels on the ground. Ebrake firmly set. When I started whaling away with my "4 foot breaker bar" I could hear ominous creaking noises coming from under the car, and the engine kept turning backwards. While I was struggling with it I heard a metallic CLACK occur from somewhere around the center of the car. Not sure what it was, could it be the clutch?

At that point I gave up.

Does anyone have suggestions as far as penetrating oil, maybe something to immobilize the engine so I don't destroy my drive train? I'm at a loss. Between the failure of my impact gun (full size, 90 psi, max setting) and my large "breaker bar" I don't know what else to do.

Help!

 

I hope someone helps you out! The UDP's for some reason always scared me so I never did it. Good luck~

 

Man...that's a bummer that it's being so stubborn. My only suggestion woud be to put the tranny in 4th or 5th...by having it in second it's applying much more torque through the tranny to the drivetrain than it would be in 4th or 5th. Putting it in 4th or 5th would make the engine harder to spin, thus hopefully allowing you to loosen the bolt instead of having the engine turn (and the car try to move).

Best of luck!!

 

Man that stinks, maybe spray it with a good penetrator and let it sit for a couple of hours. I don't know of any other tricks- mine was stubborn and the car kept wanting to creep forward too even with the e-brake on and the car in gear- but I kept at it and got it loose eventually.

GOOD LUCK!

 

I feel for you, man. Trying to install mine tonight, also. Taking a break and drinking a beer right now.

 

Man you guys! are freaking me out!....I got a set of steeda UD's I plan on installing next week!.......Well maybe?............PS: did you try chocking your wheels!!

 

Don't worry STD, you're only a state away we can hook up if we need to!

 

As the old saying goes" You ain't having FUN unless your breaking something" Now get back out there and pull harder.........LOL

 

I had the same problem. I went to sears and "bought"/borrowed a more powerful air impact gun. I took a while, just press the trigger and hold it in. Eventually, she'll give. It only took about 2 minutes.

When I was done, I took the gun back to sears and they took it back. Wow, it was like a free rental.

When you put the UDPs on, make sure you grind the bolt on the alternator, otherwise, it will rip your belt to shreds.

Here's a link to my write up on changing the UDPs. I made a lot of mistakes and documented them all so other would learn from my errors.

http://www.cherod.com/mustang/HowTo/Pulleys.htm

 

A good half inch beaker bar with a cheater should get you there. Take your vitamins first. Using the drive train for backup requires a lot of room to accommodate the movement as everything winds up. Use a six point socket! Get in a position where you can get you foot against the bar ... have a assistant help keep everything straight.

 

My girlfriend installed them for me.






No, J/K, they're really a pain in the ***. I would use some 2+2 and let it sit for a while. There's not much corrosion around it (especially on a 05+) but that will just help lubricate it a little. I also agree with 4th or 5th gear.

If all else fails... isn't there a plug on these transmissions like 2v 4.6L Mustangs and F150's where you can shove a wrench in it to hold it from turning? I've never had to go that far on a new Mustang, only stubborn 97-03 F150's.

Chris

 

I'm glad i let my mechanic do mine. He said they were no problem.

 

When I did mine I also had to go to the shop and get a longer pipe to make a longer breaker bar. I couldn't do it with an 18 incher.

 

Maybe try heating it with a torch? Not a big acetylene torch, just a handheld torch.

 

Be very careful using heat. If you didn't know the stock harmonic balancer has rubber bonded between the inner and outer hubs. Not to mention if you get the snout of the crank to hot you could damage your front main seal.
Scott

 

Add some air tool oil to your gun and make sure the pressure is all the way up. If this does not work, you can use a small amount of heat as mentioned above. Only apply heat to the head of the bolt. It doesn't take much.