RH or LH thread

RH and it often takes an impact wrench to get that crank nut to break free. On the V8s, there is a crankshaft locking tool, 3207, but not sure there is a V12 equivalent. The WSM says lock the crankshaft, but not how to do it.

 

You can't get a gun in there, can you? The tech I talked to suggested it was torqued to about 300ft-lbs and he had quite the wrench to undo it. The crank was locked I assume by jamming something in the flywheel teeth.

 

See if this thread helps.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/456-550-575/334008-1998-550-maranello-sorting-thread-diy.html

Philip- Not sure if one will go in there or not. May be thinking of Bradan, who often pull the radiator to give themselves more room.

 

I pullled the radiator on mine to get access, then used a Craftsman 19v impact to get the bolt loose. It's a normal right hand thread (CCW to loosen).

I don't think you'll get it off without an impact gun.

 

You should be able to shift into 5th manually while stopped with no problem. 5th is not direct drive, though, so 6th would work even better.

 

Can you get an impact gun on the pulley bolt without pulling the radiator? I ask because I'm going to do a 'lock and swap' sometime this year. Thanks.

 

My Ingersoll-Rand 2131 QT with a fat 1/2 inch hose works well. No need to remove the radiator. I don't think it is possible or advisable to remove the bolt by holding the whole mechanism from rotating by locking the complete drivetrain for a couple of reasons. (The main one is, it isn't easy due to the amount of torque required and the springyness of the system from the bolt all the way to the rear tires). In any event the impact wrench is quick and easy and very little rotational force imparted to the engine/drivetrain.

 

I’m sure this will be frowned on, but I loosened the dampener bolt with a 36mm socket and a breaker bar by bracing the breaker bar on a wooded block and bumping the starter.

I've used this trick on many other cars, but was wary of breaking a tooth on the F-car flywheel. I wasn't going to be the first do it on a Ferrari, but after consulting a 550 owner/f-chatter who did it that way, I gave it a whirl. Worked great, but do it at your own risk.

Regards….Mark
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Mark- I am not brave enough for that.

 

Me Either!!

 

Taz, I wasn't brave enough to be the first either. I wouldn't do it (on my F-car) until I talked to someone else who actually did it successfully.

I wouldn't have been the first guy to eat a raw oyster either....

Regards....Mark

 

Thanks, Dale.

 

The trick is to ensure it's braced on the right.....errr the "correct" side of the car, so it doesn't spin over to the other side and give the unsuspecting owner/tech a 300NM whack up side the head

 

Problem is the crank pulley holds the helical gear for the cam drive in place. When the crank turns without the drive gear held in place it can slide on the snout of the crank dramatically retarding cam timing and the valves can get destroyed.


Seen it happen.

Really really bad procedure.


One more reason why a shop manual is far superior to this place for technical information.


I just use an 18 inch breaker bar by hand, never had a problem. They are only torqued to 212 NM if memory serves.

 

Scary stuff. I would never use the starter motor to loosen the crank bolt. Use an impact tool and or find another way to hold the engine still. I would rather risk breaking teeth off of the flywheel than trashing the starter motor and or flywheel or anything else that may fly around.

 

the lower drive gear is keyed to the crank, no?

From every car I've messed with, the crank pulley doesn't just fall off and I don't think this guy is running the starter for more than a second or two (i.e. bumping the starter).

Is it ideal...certainly not. I don't see how you're gonna end up with bent valves if the crank gear is keyed.

 

Post 98 on Pete's thread. Impact gun.
Same thread, post 190 shows eased flywheel teething bell housing. This strikes me as where you'd jam it.

 

Do you know what a helical gear is? When it moves axially it turns it's mating gear.

This is not theory or guess work on my part.

It is a well accepted situation for people that actually know these motors or basic physics for that matter. Simply tensioning the timing belt can displace the gear if the pulley is not torqued in place. I have seen it happen many times.

 

Impact gun my ass.


Jesus Christ people at least try and do something right.


Look ahead. If you can't hold the crank properly to get the bolt out how do you expect to hold it properly to retorque it?

And if you don't have a book that answers most of these questions how do you expect to be able to perform the job properly? Going to ask directions on the internet and get answers like we're getting here?

No wonder we see so many totally ****ed up pieces of **** needing major repairs to do simple servicing. I've got a 550 here right now some of you guys must have worked on.

 

Brian, I've never done this job. How do you hold the crank properly to remove the balancer? I'd like to know because I'd use an impact gun in ignorance of knowing how to do it any other way.
Philip

 

Brian- Is there an equivalent for the 3207 tool the 360 guys use to lock the crank? Not mentioned in the WSM, which just says lock the crank.
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Yes there is. Don't know the number off hand but there are a great many ways to block the crank from turning. A simple screwdriver in the clutch works.

I guess the point is if something that rudimentary really needs to be explained people should really rethink replacing the timing belts on their Ferrari. There are a great many questions I never answer on this site because they indicate a lack of knowledge great enough they shouldn't be doing the job. I am not talking people in over their heads.


And if there is really a shop or anyone else out there removing 550 radiators to get a crank pulley off they need to have their tools taken away before they do any more harm.
It is so simple it is beyond belief. Yet we have a whole thread on it filled with bad advice and debate about BS.

I have worked on these since they came out and yet the one I am just finishing I had all the 550, 456 and 612 books I own out to get enough info to do the job yet here we have people wanting to do it the first time and are planning on getting all their knowledge on a half assed website full of disinformation.

It makes our life hard and their car sale proof.

 

I think a few things need to be put back into context. Is it necessary to pull the radiator just to remove the front dampner? Obviously no, as Brian so clearly explained; but what else are you planning to do? You’re probably not pulling the dampner off just for the fun of it.

So looking at the larger job, is it necessary, or maybe just desirable to have the radiator out to improve access for other work? If so, then why not do it early, so you can improve access to everything else you’re doing?

Sorry for any confusion from my earlier comments where I said I pulled mine to “…get access”. I had pulled mine for other work that “required” it to be out, but it certainly “improved” my access to that dampner bolt and other things, having it out.