Honda Crank Bolt Tightening - comparing two methods
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
Great way to distort/damage the rubber damper that many crank pulleys have. If you want to do something right, get the correct tools for the job.
I replaced a 92 and it was tight. I didn't have any fancy impact tools. The pulley has a large hex inside it. I had access to a fully equipped student machine shop with tons of scrap materials. Machined the hex from aluminum, made a proper size hole in it then made a steel bar to go on the hex with a hole in it too. The bar contacts something on the chassis. I think they make this removing tool pretty cheap now. If you have a 3/4 inch ratchet or bar this is where it comes in handy, although I used 1/2 inch with a three foot pipe over it. It was bending. Using the holding tool makes it easy to retorque the bolt correctly. When you are younger you can do anything.
I never use heat on anything because I am not an expert on bolt hardening and tempering, heat messes it up.
I looked this up the tool is dirt cheap now, this is a more expensive one some are $10. I spent a lot of time making one, but mine had a long handle screwed on the hex.
I never use heat on anything because I am not an expert on bolt hardening and tempering, heat messes it up.
I looked this up the tool is dirt cheap now, this is a more expensive one some are $10. I spent a lot of time making one, but mine had a long handle screwed on the hex.
Capri Tools Honda Crank Pulley Removal Tool CP21000 - The Home Depot
This Capri Tools Honda crank pulley removal tool allows for easy loosening or tightening the crank pulley bolt in most Honda or Acura engines by preventing the engine from turning. Features a professional
www.homedepot.com
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- Joined
- Dec 28, 2014
- Messages
- 2,847
Now that I’m thinking about it...don’t do it, I’m worrying you’ll ruin the crank pulley. I’ve done it many times but I have experience with it and I’m careful not to heat the pulley.
Like we don't know that- stating the obvious. We all know about rubber dampers and how to/not damage them.
You can "rent" one for free at AutozoneI replaced a 92 and it was tight. I didn't have any fancy impact tools. The pulley has a large hex inside it. I had access to a fully equipped student machine shop with tons of scrap materials. Machined the hex from aluminum, made a proper size hole in it then made a steel bar to go on the hex with a hole in it too. The bar contacts something on the chassis. I think they make this removing tool pretty cheap now. If you have a 3/4 inch ratchet or bar this is where it comes in handy, although I used 1/2 inch with a three foot pipe over it. It was bending. Using the holding tool makes it easy to retorque the bolt correctly. When you are younger you can do anything.
I never use heat on anything because I am not an expert on bolt hardening and tempering, heat messes it up.
I looked this up the tool is dirt cheap now, this is a more expensive one some are $10. I spent a lot of time making one, but mine had a long handle screwed on the hex.
Capri Tools Honda Crank Pulley Removal Tool CP21000 - The Home Depot
This Capri Tools Honda crank pulley removal tool allows for easy loosening or tightening the crank pulley bolt in most Honda or Acura engines by preventing the engine from turning. Features a professionalwww.homedepot.com
Two trips to AZ plus not using it on my schedule for $20 delivered to my door? Nope.
If you have worked on enough Honda's, you can tell if anyone else has ever removed the nuts and bolts your removing because Everything on a Honda from the factory is Tight!
145 to 150 PSI and an IR 231 impact usually will take care of of a Honda crank bolt that feels like its torqued to about 300 Ft. lbs.
7 years of doing honda timing belts at a dealer...as others have said, a couple ugga duggas and your golden, never had a problem.
Probably 100 ft lbs would even be super safe, I've put these bolts on just snug enough to rotate the engine and had to use an impact again to take it back off lol
Probably 100 ft lbs would even be super safe, I've put these bolts on just snug enough to rotate the engine and had to use an impact again to take it back off lol
Yep, that's what I generally do on mine.
On more than one occasion, I have used my 2235timax with the Lisle socket and several ugga duggas. Then made sure the bolt clicked at 181 ft-lbs. Not sure saying it is the correct way, but it works.
I think this change is likely to make it more tolerant of mechanics / DIYers with various kind of torque wrench, as they know which bolt it is and how far you can torque it vs which torque wrench you have and how loose or tight people will get to in the end.
They probably got some complains in the field when crank bolts got over or under tighten despite using torque wrenches, either some cheap wrenches not calibrated or bolt got rusty and people cannot get the same torque for the same holding forces.
They probably got some complains in the field when crank bolts got over or under tighten despite using torque wrenches, either some cheap wrenches not calibrated or bolt got rusty and people cannot get the same torque for the same holding forces.
Yep -and spending hours gathering supplies, machining, fitting, cleaning up, etc. is another smart way to save $20. LOL
Side note: I've had that crank holder tool slip and shatter the hex out of the pulley before. Recommend it be a two-person job if you're going to go that route.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2022
- Messages
- 1
This is an 'old thread' by Internet measure, but here's a new 'two cents'.
After a couple of protracted struggles with the crankshaft bolt on my '95 Civic LX over the last few years, I'm inclined to go with the "... two Ugga Duggas..." technique that Snagglefoot employs. My Ugga Duggas are typically more likely to be "Mother$*@&^#% !*^#!!"s when my nearly limitless patience has been taxed too much.
As many here have generally agreed, 'Honda tight' is Herculean. Crank bolts and axle nuts are the legendary foes with Honda work, and I've battled both as a DIY guy with only hand tools. I had to go to my friend who works at his brother's non-automotive shop to have him loosen the axle nuts with a big pneumatic IR gun, and he said "Holy #&*@, did they weld these on?!" I don't remember if I got the first crank bolt loose on my own or if I relied on my friend, but I replaced the presumed factory original with an OEM one that came with markings on it and included an instruction sheet with revised degree-torquing specs and a tightening-and-loosening then 60-degree tightening procedure. I'm not a 'half-asser', but I called it good enough at 150-plus lb.-ft. when I could barely get the bolt to turn, quite short of the new value. I think the newer bolts are torque-to-yield.
Honda has long said to replace the bolt, but it's being reused this time. ; ] I'm using it again and guessing at a greatly reduced torque value precisely because, as Motu said here, even a finger-tight Honda crank bolt would probably draw down and require incredible effort to remove after a year in service -- a sentiment shared in as many words by several members, including the 7-year Honda tech who never had a problem with using a far lower torque value. I'm a 'torque Nazi', for the most part, and I respect the apparent overkill on the part of Honda's conscientious engineers, but 181 pound-feet seems insanely excessive when you've experienced the joy that is Honda crank bolt removal. It's a time-consuming and tense operation both on the removal and the installation if you're aiming for 'proper' torque. This time I rigged two bolts in the holes on the pulley -- it's not a harmonic balancer with the hex recess, which I think was for '96 and later -- bracing them against the floor and a piece of the frame that bears the scars of being bent by the force needed to loosen the bolt. I had a 1/2" breaker on the bolt, and 12 feet of two stout steel cheater pipes on that. Leverage is amazing, but the flex had me concerned as I moved the pipe about three feet and almost beyond my overhead reach until I heard the 'SNAP!" that comes with a sense of relief as well as an anxious "Did it break loose, or break?" moment.
Not irrelevant, I wonder a bit about torque values, as I've read that even the most expensive wrenches can deviate by as much as 4% under or over value. That's a potential 8% spread -- for a 35-dollar Duralast wrench or a 900-dollar Big Shop Brand tool. Isn't that silly for a 'specification' and torque Nazi dogma? Well, the bolt's going back in via the same method used to extract it. I have a deflecting beam wrench, and that style is regarded as having the greatest accuracy, at a much lower price that might seem to invalidate the claim. I'm going to get to 'tight enough' based on experience and check for stability several times thereafter. I understand that keeping the pulley on is crucial, and it's subject to vibration, but I'm banking on this staying secure at a much lower torque value, as others have done with no ill effects. Knowing well how stubborn these buggers are, I could probably have a 6-year-old tighten this bolt without concern. Ha!
Thanks for reading a 'new kid' ramble -- and for all being smart enough to avoid the horribly wrong advice to place a breaker bar on the bolt with the end on the ground or against some stable under-vehicle area. This will only tighten the bolt on a counterclockwise-rotating engine. : ]
After a couple of protracted struggles with the crankshaft bolt on my '95 Civic LX over the last few years, I'm inclined to go with the "... two Ugga Duggas..." technique that Snagglefoot employs. My Ugga Duggas are typically more likely to be "Mother$*@&^#% !*^#!!"s when my nearly limitless patience has been taxed too much.
As many here have generally agreed, 'Honda tight' is Herculean. Crank bolts and axle nuts are the legendary foes with Honda work, and I've battled both as a DIY guy with only hand tools. I had to go to my friend who works at his brother's non-automotive shop to have him loosen the axle nuts with a big pneumatic IR gun, and he said "Holy #&*@, did they weld these on?!" I don't remember if I got the first crank bolt loose on my own or if I relied on my friend, but I replaced the presumed factory original with an OEM one that came with markings on it and included an instruction sheet with revised degree-torquing specs and a tightening-and-loosening then 60-degree tightening procedure. I'm not a 'half-asser', but I called it good enough at 150-plus lb.-ft. when I could barely get the bolt to turn, quite short of the new value. I think the newer bolts are torque-to-yield.
Honda has long said to replace the bolt, but it's being reused this time. ; ] I'm using it again and guessing at a greatly reduced torque value precisely because, as Motu said here, even a finger-tight Honda crank bolt would probably draw down and require incredible effort to remove after a year in service -- a sentiment shared in as many words by several members, including the 7-year Honda tech who never had a problem with using a far lower torque value. I'm a 'torque Nazi', for the most part, and I respect the apparent overkill on the part of Honda's conscientious engineers, but 181 pound-feet seems insanely excessive when you've experienced the joy that is Honda crank bolt removal. It's a time-consuming and tense operation both on the removal and the installation if you're aiming for 'proper' torque. This time I rigged two bolts in the holes on the pulley -- it's not a harmonic balancer with the hex recess, which I think was for '96 and later -- bracing them against the floor and a piece of the frame that bears the scars of being bent by the force needed to loosen the bolt. I had a 1/2" breaker on the bolt, and 12 feet of two stout steel cheater pipes on that. Leverage is amazing, but the flex had me concerned as I moved the pipe about three feet and almost beyond my overhead reach until I heard the 'SNAP!" that comes with a sense of relief as well as an anxious "Did it break loose, or break?" moment.
Not irrelevant, I wonder a bit about torque values, as I've read that even the most expensive wrenches can deviate by as much as 4% under or over value. That's a potential 8% spread -- for a 35-dollar Duralast wrench or a 900-dollar Big Shop Brand tool. Isn't that silly for a 'specification' and torque Nazi dogma? Well, the bolt's going back in via the same method used to extract it. I have a deflecting beam wrench, and that style is regarded as having the greatest accuracy, at a much lower price that might seem to invalidate the claim. I'm going to get to 'tight enough' based on experience and check for stability several times thereafter. I understand that keeping the pulley on is crucial, and it's subject to vibration, but I'm banking on this staying secure at a much lower torque value, as others have done with no ill effects. Knowing well how stubborn these buggers are, I could probably have a 6-year-old tighten this bolt without concern. Ha!
Thanks for reading a 'new kid' ramble -- and for all being smart enough to avoid the horribly wrong advice to place a breaker bar on the bolt with the end on the ground or against some stable under-vehicle area. This will only tighten the bolt on a counterclockwise-rotating engine. : ]
My 2235 is the last step before something becomes liquid. I usually run my HF stubby but that IR has gotten me out of more jambs than I can count.
Yes, it does. Engine oil on theads and bolt head. Even provide a diagram in FSMTorque-angle results in a more consistent clamping force. Does Honda specify what lube to use, and where to put it, when installing the bolt?
Fastening Threads: Torque Control vs. Angle Control
Angle control is a more fundamentally sound method of measuring the tension applied to a bolted joint.www.assemblymag.com
dnewton3
Staff member
WARNING:
enough of the bickering; I've had to "cleanse" the thread of some offensive banter
knock it off or there will be time-off and locking the thread
enough of the bickering; I've had to "cleanse" the thread of some offensive banter
knock it off or there will be time-off and locking the thread
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