Removing Crank Pulley - World's Longest HG Replacement

[Soup]

Need some advice here. In the midst of replacing my HG and messed up the timing as I was cleaning the pistons of carbon.

 

Was able to remove the pulley bolt thanks to the screwdriver in the ring gear trick but am now having issues getting the crank pulley off. I left the pulley bolt half threaded in and used a 3-jaw gear puller only to realize that the puller was starting to gouge and self-thread itself into the bolt! On top of that, the pulley didn't even budge. What should I do here? The pulley shouldn't be that fused on should it?

 

On top of that, I have a N42 block and head and ordered a Beck Arnley headgasket. The one that came from RockAuto is contoured to the combustion chambers on the driver side - is this the wrong one? The Felpro I pulled off isn't contoured and is a uniform rectangular piece throughtout.

 

Help is appreciated!

[beermanpete]

You should not use a gear puller to remove the harmonic damper (crank pulley). It stresses the rubber material in between the inner and outer parts of the damper and could damage it. The damper has 2 holes in the hub section with 1/4-20 threads for pulling it off. Use a harmonic damper puller to remove the damper safely. See this website for an example of the puller: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/OEM-Harmonic-balancer-puller-kit/_/N-2640?itemIdentifier=555524_0_0_

 

You might need to remove a pulley from the front of the damper first to reveal the removal holes. Some (all?) of the Zs have pulley bolted on using the removal holes.

 

Apply penetrating oil to the crank/damper and let it soak in for a while. It also helps to grease the draw bar threads. The puller will last a lot longer and you won't have to use as much force to turn it.

[rayaapp2]

Steering wheel remover/puller will do the trick. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Tools-Garage-and-Equipment/Steering-Wheel-Puller/_/N-2652 If you goobered the threads, drill and tap for larger bolts.

[Soup]

Thanks Pete. Should I leave the pulley bolt half threaded in when using the puller or remove it entirely?

[TimZ]

You should not use a gear puller to remove the harmonic damper (crank pulley). It stresses the rubber material in between the inner and outer parts of the damper and could damage it. The damper has 2 holes in the hub section with 1/4-20 threads for pulling it off. Use a harmonic damper puller to remove the damper safely. See this website for an example of the puller: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/OEM-Harmonic-balancer-puller-kit/_/N-2640?itemIdentifier=555524_0_0_

Agreed, but my recollection was that the pulley holes were 6mm, not 1/4".  Wouldn't hurt to check this first.

[Xnke]

I thought that too, Tim, but all three of mine (Except the ZX and Maxima dampers) were actually 1/4-20.

[Lazeum]

I'm with TimZ. On my 2 pulleys, they are 6mm threaded holes. Everything stock in our Z are with metric sizes.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Lazeum

[Soup]

Good to know. I'll make sure the puller has that thread.

 

As well, can anyone answer the second part of my post? I picked up a Beck Arnley headgasket and it is different from the damaged Felpro that's coming out.

Beck Arnley:

 

Felpro: 

 

 

I have a N42 block and head out of a 76 280Z. Will the Beck fit? I popped over on the AtlanticZ tech pages and the consensus there is that the Beck with the one contoured longitudinal side is for 81-83 cars. 

[beermanpete]

Thanks Pete. Should I leave the pulley bolt half threaded in when using the puller or remove it entirely?

 

Yes, unless you have a bushing to place in the end of the crank shaft for the puller draw bar to sit on. Make sure to thread the screw in most of the way and to stop when the damper hub gets near the screw so you don't damage something. Loosen the screw a bit more to get more room to finish removing the damper.

 

The small bolts in the hub are 1/4-20 on the 3 dampers I have. Others could be 6mm, I don't know. If you removed screws from there it is simple enough to ID the thread size. If there are no screws in there then clean the threads and try various screws to see what fits properly. Be sure to use the correct size thread and that there is plenty of thread engagement. There is a lot for force involved and you don't need the headache of repairing those in addition to the work you are already involved in.

[Xnke]

As far as the headgasket goes, either works fine. The Beck will blow out the side on detonation, the fel-pro will blow between the cylinders or between a cylinder and a water jacket.

[Tony D]

FelPros blow out the side just fine as well...

[Soup]

So y'all telling me the internet lied?

http://atlanticz.ca/zclub/techtips/headgasket/index.html

[Tony D]

Draw whatever conclusions you want, don't put words in my mouth, though. Call it what you want, a SINGLE photo of a SINGLE failure does not prove donkey crap.

There is a hell of a lot more to a head gasket failure than who makes it...

Simple answers for Simple People is not the hallmark of a learning establishment that I've ever seen.

You wanna open the "Church of Z" and start preaching (And on the third day FelPro was invented, and it was bad, yae tho they torqueth the head, failure was in the eyes of the Lord, and sayeth he to anybody using the banned gasket "I am the Lord thy god, I lead you out of the land of Chevy, you will use no gaskets before mine, and if thou shalt, so ye will be riddled with the bane of fire rings, seepage of the oil, and thy combustion gasses releaseth to thy waterjackets whereby they escapeth unto the heavens...")

 

But that ain't my style...

 

And thussly He came amongst them, usething the forbaden FelPro, and annoited was He with the boost. And boosted was he, speaketh He to all who would listen: "I have gone to the mount, and boost was his name, and verily no spite was rendered unto my FelPro! Yea tho the false prophet calleth and sayeth FelPro is forbidden, I have tasteth of the fruit of knowledge and have boosted unto the heavens and no such plague has beset me! Verily I keepeth a flat head, and flat block, and most importantly torqueth as directed, and retorqueth regularly to prevent the turgid and rancid embedment whilst keeping a weather ear to the heart and lifteth my foot whence evidence of the deto-debbil comes haughitly laughing with his hoarse tik tik tik laugh, like a serpent of the desert barren lands. And by avoiding thee the temptation of planted foot in the face of the serpent, so have I avoided the downfall bespoken by the prophet...

Edited March 19, 2013 by Tony D

[La260z]

*AHMEN*

haha, epic Tony... epic.

Edited March 19, 2013 by La260z

[Tony D]

I have recently been called "The Antichrist" by someone...

So figured I best start acting the part!

[NewZed]

He's been confused by the pictures on the atlanticz site about which gasket fits which block, or which head.  The real question is "should the HG match the block or the head?"  I've thought it was the head but the AZ site says the block.

 

 

These internet sources might be worth a little more.  There's pictures.  If you've got a matching block/head combo it's a no-brainer.  Notice that the Nissan part numbers contain the head ID, not the block ID.

 

http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsunS30/DatsunZIndex/Engine280Z/CylinderHead/tabid/1600/Default.aspx 76 number

 

http://nissan4u.com/parts/280zx/us_s130/1982_4/type_23/engine_mechanical/cylinder_head_rocker_cover_camshaft_and_valve_mechanism/illustration_1/ not quite right year-wise but you can get the P79 number

 

http://www.beckcatalog.com/

 

http://www.fme-cat.com/PassengerCarLightTruck.aspx

Edited March 19, 2013 by NewZed

[Soup]

Thanks NewZed, this is exactly what I meant... I wasn't asking about HG failure.

 

He's been confused by the pictures on the atlanticz site about which gasket fits which block, or which head.  The real question is "should the HG match the block or the head?"  I've thought it was the head but the AZ site says the block.

 

 

These internet sources might be worth a little more.  There's pictures.  If you've got a matching block/head combo it's a no-brainer.  Notice that the Nissan part numbers contain the head ID, not the block ID.

 

http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsunS30/DatsunZIndex/Engine280Z/CylinderHead/tabid/1600/Default.aspx 76 number

 

http://nissan4u.com/parts/280zx/us_s130/1982_4/type_23/engine_mechanical/cylinder_head_rocker_cover_camshaft_and_valve_mechanism/illustration_1/ not quite right year-wise but you can get the P79 number

 

http://www.beckcatalog.com/

 

http://www.fme-cat.com/PassengerCarLightTruck.aspx

[Tony D]

"(T)his is exactly what I meant... I wasn't asking about HG failure."

 

"So y'all telling me the internet lied?"

 

From the two above statements, how is that reconciled?

From "So y'all telling me the internet lied?" and a link about gasket failures, posted nebulously after Xnke's head gasket blowing we are to NOT infer the concern was head gasket blowing?

 

"Verily I sayeth unto thee: be clear in thy statements and inquiries; lest the wraths of JC be upon ye and scrutinized be thee therefore, a reasonable time afterwards"

[srgunz]

He's been confused by the pictures on the atlanticz site about which gasket fits which block, or which head.  The real question is "should the HG match the block or the head?"  I've thought it was the head but the AZ site says the block.

 

 

These internet sources might be worth a little more.  There's pictures.  If you've got a matching block/head combo it's a no-brainer.  Notice that the Nissan part numbers contain the head ID, not the block ID.

 

http://www.carpartsmanual.com/datsunS30/DatsunZIndex/Engine280Z/CylinderHead/tabid/1600/Default.aspx 76 number

 

http://nissan4u.com/parts/280zx/us_s130/1982_4/type_23/engine_mechanical/cylinder_head_rocker_cover_camshaft_and_valve_mechanism/illustration_1/ not quite right year-wise but you can get the P79 number

 

http://www.beckcatalog.com/

 

http://www.fme-cat.com/PassengerCarLightTruck.aspx

 

 

I believe the Atl Z site is correct. (Block)

How sayeth the Lord?

[NewZed]

Why do you believe that?

 

The Beck Arnley site has a picture of the product that looks exactly like Soup's gasket.  They probably put the picture up because they keep getting calls about it.