4-6mm allen bolts on bottom pulley

[sequoiagrapeboy]

Any tricks to getting these buggers off? I am afraid that I will strip them out as they are seriously tight.

All I have are allen keys not an allen socket...

Perhaps I should pick one up?

Any hints would be greatly appreciated, as always.

I am knee deep in the hoopla (water pump, timing belt, etc) as I type. Coolant flange on, thermostat in...

ECS sent a plastic impeller water pump. I guess their supplier switched without their knowledge and I was the unlucky customer who found out. They said the metal impeller was on the way and I should have it tomorrow.

Geez, those hoses on the coolant flange were crazy...

[Porkchop]

(why are you removing the coolant flange?)

Good luck - I'll be tackling this in a few months - fortunately I got the metal pump when ECS sent my kit.

[noR]

Get a socket; and try to turn it in a way that crosses the center of the pulley. That'll keep your chances of spinning the pulley(and wasting torque) down.

It's pretty tough, but y'know, don't want it comin' loose. Might even wanna use a little loctite to keep them in there.

Just make sure you keep things straight, or 90* and you shouldn't mess up the bolts.

[Deserion]

I just ordered my kit yesterday, should be here tomorrow. Hope I get a metal impeller the first time..

-Des

[sequoiagrapeboy]

Thanks for the tips.

I removed the coolant flange (heart valve) because the mechanic I brought my bug to (to read some engine codes) said it was leaking and that it was quite a normal thing to have happen.

So, I figured, why not do it all at once.

Getting into it, I've already snapped the dipstick plastic holder thingy -- I think it was already cracked. My thermo looked fine (but does one really know without testing it?) and I put my finger into the recess of the thermo to feel (for loose chunks) the impeller of the water pump and see if there was any play. No play and no chunks. My timing belt doesn't even look too bad but I guess I am going to go through with it, as long as I can get those bolts off.

[sequoiagrapeboy]

I hope you get the right pump Deserion... Just be on the look-out!

[jbehm]

When I changed my belt last weekend those 6mm bolts came out easily with just one of those ball ended "gorilla proof" allen wrenches.

I found that if you insert the allen wrench so that it goes across the center of the pulley instead of so that the whole allen is sticking out the left side of the pulley it helps with the pulley wanting to turn so much. Like placing the wrench in one of the bolts on the right side and having it hang off to the left. I hope you understand what I am saying because I really do not know how to explain it other than that.

Make sure you put some white out on the hole that the little bump sticks out of. Mine had two holes, either of which way it would fit on the crank but only one way of course was the timing lined up. You can figure it out without doing this but it will sure save you time if you do and there won't be any doubt.

You may want to just go buy a socket if you can't get it since you'll probably need it to re-torque them later.

Hope you read my timing belt completed part 2 of little things I did wrong in hopes of saving you time.

And I did receive a metal impeller, must have just been some of them that weren't.