Questions and Answers
Ford Crankshaft Pulley
Q. We're working on a 1991 Ford Explorer automatic transmission, 4.3 liter V6. High mileage vehicle. There is a coolant leak that appears to originate on the engine below the thermostat and directly above the water pump. We originally thought it was the water pump, but after replacing it, the leak persisted. We suspect it is the timing chain cover seal, but given the location, it could also be related to the cylinder head. At any rate, we want to replace the timing chain cover seal/gasket, but to do that we need to pull the crank pulley off. We can't seem to get it off. A couple of questions: which way does the bolt need to turn? (The engine cranks clockwise). Someone suggested putting a socket with a breaker bar against the frame, then cranking the engine. Will this work (it seems that it would only work if the bolt holding the crank pulley in place loosens by turning counterclockwise instead of the left, which is the opposite of what we would expect; can you confirm this?)? Also, do we need to worry about Crank position (i.e.; TDC) once we pull the crank pulley and the seal on the oil pan/timing chain cover?
Thanks in advance for any help.
A. The crankshaft pulley bolt is a normal right hand threaded bolt so you take it off as any other bolt. What I do to remove it since it is really torqued on, is take the inspection cover off the flywheel and use a fly wheel holder to hold the engine and take the pulley bolt off. Yes, it does require another pair of hands but you don't run the risk of doing any damage with the starter trick.
There is no worry about lining the pulley up, there is a key that will allow it to only go on one way when you put it back on.
