Today's project was changing the timing belt. I was done. Tightening up and about to put the car back together. My usual method of holding the engine still has been to insert a wrench through the timing belt pulley and under a boss on the side of the cylinder head, and push down on said wrench. Apparently, now that I have a manual transmission, it would have been a better idea to reinstall the passenger front wheel, lower the car, and leave the gearbox in first to hold the engine against rotation while I torqued the crank pulley.



The pulley broke. Brokety broke McBrokepants and now the car is down until I can lay hands on another pulley.



Any central Texas members have an exhaust cam they want to send my way or drive down to me this weekend?

 

Well that sucks. Are you no longer mobile? I checked Austin wrench a part they have a few beta cars there. I junked my j2 or I would have pulled the part and brought it to you, I think I'm the closest memeber to you.

 

I also do what you do, maybe it's time to get one of these bad boys:







Best of luck getting another pulley and removing all the broken sh*t dude

 

We still have my wife's Suburban to get around in, so getting to a part shouldn't be a problem. I'll look around today, call around tomorrow, and hopefully come up with a pulley or a camshaft/pulley assembly by Monday.



Before I converted to standard transmission jamming something in the ring gear was the only way I could think to hold the engine. Last night I was thinking about it and I think I may have invented a fixture for holding the BELT still, using some scrap lumber and parts of the old belt. There has to be a fixture to do this that the dealerships use. Maybe I'll ask a dealership mechanic.



JUST yesterday was the first time I ever heard of anyone breaking a pulley. Wheels, gears, sure they break. But pullies? Then the guy at the parts counter (while I was buying this belt set) got a phone call while he was helping me out and some cat had broken a pulley on their truck. I was thinking, "WTH who breaks a pulley?" Now I know: rarely, anybody.

 

can we see pics of the broken pulley?

 

Only after I take and then upload them. Unless you can read my mind from there, you'll have to wait.

 

When I was working on my RD1 way back when I called the dealer and asked them how to keep the motor from rotating. They told me to block the camshaft pulley. Snapped it good I did. I've been in that boat. I called the dealer back and there were surprised. Then asked me to bring it in so they could see. LOL. I was told by somebody on rdtiburon, way back when, to take the valve cover off and grab the camshaft with a vice grips.



Sucks but I feel your pain.

 

That sucks. I had the dowel/pin snap off the exhaust camshaft.

 

Pulling the valve cover off is WAY more work than just inserting a block of some sort in the gear. Then you always have the fun opportunity to foul up the polished lobes on the cam too, when your vise grips slip as you try to apply 130lbs/ft on the other side of the engine. No thanks.



Pushing the brakes should work, shouldn't it? You'd have some backlash in there but surely not so much it prevents the crank bolt from being tightened (?).



At any rate, I'm good on the crank bolt torque for now. I like to click a torque wrench a couple times to make sure it's a good setting of the fastener. Earlier in the night, the belt wasn't tight and a second 'click' attempt caused the belt to skip a tooth, repeatedly, until I figured out what was going on. This time, after re-tightening the belt, I was headed for click #3 of the torque wrench when the sprocket broke. It's really not that bad of a break I guess, and I suppose I could bend it back in position and drive on it if I HAD to. But with local parts sources and a spare car, I think I'll just let it sit until I get it replaced.



So is there some sort of a guide slot/keyway deal or a locating pin so the pulley goes on the right way, or is it just bolted on? It seems like there'd have to be some sort of an indexer. Is that what you are referring to, 2000J25SP?

 

I broke this pin on the end of the camshaft.



But, yeah holding the break pedal seems to be the easiest way to tighten the crank bolt.