Running out of ideas - need help with flywheel bolts removal

[tmwnn]

So I decided to do my 1st clutch swap instead of taking it to a shop because I wanted to save money, but most importantly because I wanted to gain experience and learn how to do it.

I got as far as taking the transmission down and removing the oem nissan clutch that was there, but now Im stuck trying to remove the flywheel.

How the hell do I get those bolts off? I tried an impact gun rated at 250lb, and nothing. Then I tried buying a propane torch, heating the bolts, letting them cool down, and then using the impact gun and nothing. I even risked it and went all the way to 140psi to no avail

I read the how to on nico, and also a lot of other info I found online and even a magazine. But supposedly these bolts are easy as hell to take off??? The guides simply mention "remove flywheel bolts" as if it was cake. One how-to even said to just use a regular wrench and a hammer....so they shouldnt be so hard.

Anything else I could try? Ive searched even on other car forums and most people say that heating them and using an impact gun does the trick. I just dont want to have to tow the car to a shop just for the flywheel bolts

thanks for your help

Modified by tmwnn at 1:38 AM 6/3/2009
Modified by tmwnn at 2:35 AM 6/3/2009

[j-z]

i forget how i always removed mine, but it was always a PITA!! oh yeah, when you heat it up, dont wait for it to cool down. that defeats the purpose. heat=expansion. OH!!! i remember how i did it.... put a socket and wrench on one bolt with a pipe and let it hit the ground to hold it.... then i used another socket and wrench with a breaker bar to bust them b****es off. when you get down to the last two its a lil tricky, but easy. you should have already busted those two loose. then just hit the ratchet with a hammer and theylll bust right off. i have a nice impact, and compressor, and that doesnt even take them off... good luck. what i said WILL work. just show that turd whos boss.

[Firewind]

You're trying too hard, get a 3 foot breaker bar, apply steady pressure slowly adding more pressure to it, comes right off. Make sure you're going counter clockwise.

[PHeller]

I hate using breakers for fear that I'll go snapping bolts...and I've snapped plenty of bolts in my day.

[slyedog240sx]

[QUOTE=tmwnn]I tried an impact gun rated at 250lb, and nothing[QUOTE]Get a better impact.

[CSUPUEBLOTIM]

Make sure you have the air regulator on the gun turned up as well. You can send 140psi all day but if your gun is regulated to 25psi what good is it. If the flywheel its self is still spinning they make a special tool that locks itself to the teeth so that you can hold it from spinning without loosing a hand.

[aceofspds]

Yeah the gun probably isnt getting enough air, i zipped mine off w/ an impact.

If that wont do it for you get someone to put a breakerbar on the crank and go up under the car and use the biggest cheater bar u can.

[1unar3clipse]

took me 20 minutes.

Impact, or breaker bar... it ain't hard.

[tmwnn]

Aight first of all thanks to everyone who answered.

when you heat it up, dont wait for it to cool down. that defeats the purpose. heat=expansion.

I tried heating it up for 2 mins then spraying it with water to make it cool down really fast. Supposedly its the fast change in temperature that breaks it loose. However, I read that doing this weakens the bolts....right now Im scared as f*** of snapping one of those bastards or rounding them off because then I will trully be fubared. I will try your method though...gonna pick up a longer breaker bar in a few.

Make sure you have the air regulator on the gun turned up as well. If the flywheel its self is still spinning they make a special tool that locks itself to the teeth so that you can hold it from spinning without loosing a hand.

Yes Ive already adjusted the regulator on the gun itself. I saw on some fiat forums those tools to lock onto the teeth and was thinking of getting them. Im going to harbor freight today and if I see them I'll pick them up...dont want to have to buy them online and wait even more to get this done with.

If that wont do it for you get someone to put a breakerbar on the crank and go up under the car and use the biggest cheater bar u can.

thanks for the advice will give that a shot as well....only problem is that Im doing this by myself and the only help I have is the fsm and online forums

Btw I left them soaked in PBblaster overnight and had another go....managed to get ONE off but the rest wont budge. Im heading to HF to buy a better impact and a longer breaker bar. Will report when I get back. The bolts will be defeated. Good shall prevail!

[Wc240]

better impact= NOT harbor freight. at least go to sears or somethin. id never trust anything from them. 10 bucks for a torque wrench and you think its acurate?i had an impact from them when i was 16, first tools. gun said 300 ft lbs. wouldnt even take off lug nuts that i torqued to 90!

[IanS]

Get a better impact, mine is rated for 1000 ft lbs or reverse torque.

[Fibre guy]

I've broken my fair share of bolts but I've never heard of anyone snapping a flywheel bolt while unbolting it. They handle all the engines power....I don't use air tools for engine work unless its my mini air grinder. I have all of them I just prefer doing it by hand. Harbor freight has lots of bad/worthless stuff. Unless you can return/exchange it if it broke, don't buy it.

[tmwnn]

Thanks for your replies and I agree with you. Believe me ever since I started working on cars and learning everything by myself, one of the greatest lessons I've learned is the importance of having good quality tools and using the right tool for the right job. I would love to have a sick set of snap on tools and air guns but if I don't buy them its because I can't afford them. Right now Im in college, unemployed, and the reason I got into cars is not because I wanted to be a tuner but simply because I have 4 siblings and I wanted to save my mother money when it came to auto repairs. Hell, I even had to lower the transmission using a 2 ton trolley jack because I didn't have a 3 ton one.

I was considering renting a heavy duty impact gun, but the smallest one they had consumed 24cfm and there's no way I could run that...

With that said, Im gonna test the HF impact gun and see what it does...I want to get my hatch back on the road already. Wish me luck

[Wc240]

igersol rand (IR) makes some of the best guns. try them

[slyedog240sx]

igersol rand (IR) makes some of the best guns. try them

yes IR does make good tools. They make most of matco, and mac i know for sure.You can get a IR for around $125 that will do the job.Remember to oil it and it will last a long time.Also fyi turning up you regulator doesn't do much good.For many years air tools are meant to be ran at 90psi for optimum performance.Ian i assume you have the newer snap on 1/2" that hits over 1000 ftlbs reverse.

[IanS]

Thanks for your replies and I agree with you. Believe me ever since I started working on cars and learning everything by myself, one of the greatest lessons I've learned is the importance of having good quality tools and using the right tool for the right job. I would love to have a sick set of snap on tools and air guns but if I don't buy them its because I can't afford them. Right now Im in college, unemployed, and the reason I got into cars is not because I wanted to be a tuner but simply because I have 4 siblings and I wanted to save my mother money when it came to auto repairs. Hell, I even had to lower the transmission using a 2 ton trolley jack because I didn't have a 3 ton one.

I was considering renting a heavy duty impact gun, but the smallest one they had consumed 24cfm and there's no way I could run that...

With that said, Im gonna test the HF impact gun and see what it does...I want to get my hatch back on the road already. Wish me luck

Everybody has been there, tools are expensive, really expensive. I honestly have more money into my toolbox at work than I do into my car.

That being said, there are certain places where spending money is important.

Snap-On makes really nice tools, but honestly their 1/2 impacts are kind of worthless. Ingersoll Rand is THE ONLY WAY TO FLY. They are reasonably inexpensive, indestructible, and make the most torque for the money. I have 2, 680 ft lb QT, and a 1000 ft lb Titanium. I use the QT more often because its quite. They really are not that expensive either, I know Ive seen the QTs on sale at Sears for like $170.

I

[DRIFTKNIGHT_240]

did you try WD-40?

[hbpignosePA]

buddy of mine had a good idea for this.... put a chain around the motor.

put the chain near one of the transmission bolts

thread it

that way the flywheel doesnt rotate

use a breaker bar

cakewalk then

good luck

[IanS]

did you try WD-40?

WD-40 does not work as a penetrating oil, hell, it doesn't even do a very good job of lubricating.

If you want penetrating power, try PB-Blaster, JB-80, or Liquid Wrench.

[sebazztard]

hmm ill admit i had a problem with these but all i used were hand tools. nice socket, short extension on a reliable ratchet and a BIG f***ING HAMMER. it was the only way mine came free and i tried a breaker bar with a "cheater pipe". excuse the backyard slang

[sebazztard]

one of the greatest lessons I've learned is the importance of having good quality tools and using the right tool for the right job.

nonsense, all my tools are from walmart and advanced auto, i dont make enough to buy "quality" tools..but then again ive NEVER busted any of my tools yet and i put my s*** through hell...as stated above with the bfg, on a walmart ratchet..still using it too, have been going on 3 years. right tools for the right job...eh most jobs on these cars require some sort of rediculous compromise and creativity lol.

[24j0hn]

did you get it off yet?... im gunna be doing my clutch tomorrow and friday at school...

have you tried w/ a hammer? also try to hit the bolts themselves with a hammer to loosen all that grime on the threads...

also Righty tighty Lefty loosy

[GIJOE69]

put a socket on a 1/2 breaker bar attached it to the crank bolt; place the break bar handle end into a jack stand tripod 3 or 4 point stand; lower the car so the jack stand tripod doesn't move and the break bar is locked on a hard solid surface such as garage floor concrete ...spray some PB Oil and a nice cheater bar and your set.....

[tmwnn]

That being said, there are certain places where spending money is important.

Definitely agree, but with my current situation I cannot justify spending $200 on a tool. Ingersoll is nice as hell though so in the future I will upgrade when I have the chance.

did you get it off yet?... im gunna be doing my clutch tomorrow and friday at school... have you tried w/ a hammer? also try to hit the bolts themselves with a hammer to loosen all that grime on the threads...

Yes I tried going Thor on the bastards but didn't really work and I didn't even want to risk messing up the head so I stopped.

buddy of mine had a good idea for this.... put a chain around the motor.

Sweet idea, Im sure that would allow a big breaker bar to be used.

Now with all that said here's what happened : I drove 30 mins to HF amd bought a $60 impact that was on sale for $44.99, as well as a big a** breaker bar and a metal pipe to try some of the ideas you guys mentioned. Drove 30 mins back home, fired up the compressor, said a prayer and tried the new gun. Bam. 1 minute later the bolts were off.

Looking back I can't believe it was all a matter of "bigger is better".....I guess I started freaking out because all the how-tos I had read said the bolts were easy. It was my first time using air tools and I kinda expected the bolts to come out on the first try.

A big THANKS to everyone who helped If it wasn't for Nico I wouldnt even be trying to do my clutch...

Now that thats done....what do I use to lubricate the shaft and the other parts ? Guy at autozone said white lithium is fine...but I suspect theres a specific lubricant???

[slyedog240sx]

buy some crc whitelube.http://www.crcindustries.com/a...1&S=N

[sebazztard]

nice work...now the easier stuff is left.

[tmwnn]

One more question because I dont want to clutter up the forum with more threads : I had a machine shop press the new throw out bearing that came with my Exedy OEM kit while they did my flywheel, and Im just wondering if only the inside of the bearing is supposed to spin???? I did it at some shady shop in Hialeah so I wanted to check before installing it back on the transmission......

Then today I go to install my new pilot bearing, and when Im about to install the clutch I find that the clutch aligment tool doesnt go in. WTF . It goes into the old bearing, so I guess the new one is defective or something. Now I have to go back to autozone, rent the tool, and try to find a dealer that stocks the pilot bearing

[cody180sx]

i just did mine yeah the inside is the only thing to spin was it a nsk bearing if it was it's the same thing. For some reson also mu clutch tool that came from exedy didn't fit also i just went to advanced auto and bought a 1.99 tool. I have an electric impact from hf that is BA took of the bolts with the quickness.
Modified by cody180sx at 5:35 PM 6/7/2009

[Matej]

When I did it, I used a jack to lift the end of the wrench until the bolts broke loose.However, I do not recall what I did to prevent it from spinning, but I am sure you can come up with something.

[24j0hn]

well when i did my flywheel we had a hydraulic lift luckily so we had extra leverage...

so i brought my trusty 3 foot 1/2" drive breaker bar and to counter my counter clockwise spinning of the fly, i had my friend with one of the other breaker bars hold the opposite bolt and spin clockwise(yes it tightens the other bolt but makes it easier to take it off at the same time)