Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Engines, Transmissions & Final Drive questions and answers

Moderators: timk, Stu, zombie, Andrew, The American, Lokiel, -alex, miata, StanTheMan, greenMachine, ManiacLachy, Daffy

Staaahp
Driver
Posts: 61
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:32 am
Vehicle: ND - 2 GT

Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby Staaahp » Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:27 pm

Hey guys,

In the process of replacing my belts and seals at the moment. Managed to get the crankshaft bolt out but the backing plate behind it seems to be stuck lol.

Does anyone have tips on how to remove it?

Pics for reference:

Image

Image

User avatar
smy0003
Racing Driver
Posts: 1870
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 12:35 pm
Vehicle: NA8
Location: Melbourne

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby smy0003 » Thu Oct 13, 2016 7:33 pm

In this order:
Penetrating fluid
Heat
Hammer

The pulleys can be a real PITA but stick at it

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
[b]Then: Sunlight Silver NB8B
Now: Chaste White NA8

Staaahp
Driver
Posts: 61
Joined: Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:32 am
Vehicle: ND - 2 GT

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby Staaahp » Thu Oct 13, 2016 11:38 pm

Thanks dude!

Ended up finding a little gap at the bottom to pry against with a flathead. Heated up the timing gear behind it and that came out easy, thank god.. 8) 8)

project.r.racing
Speed Racer
Posts: 3722
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:16 pm
Vehicle: Non MX-5
Location: Glasshouse Mountains, QLD

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby project.r.racing » Fri Oct 14, 2016 5:02 pm

For future reference. Just loosely bolt the balancer back onto it an pull.

User avatar
shirtz
Fast Driver
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:24 am
Vehicle: Clubman
Location: canberra

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby shirtz » Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:37 am

so I am at the point like previous posters with getting this ^#^$& timing gear off.

have broken 2 edges and no way I can get the key out. bolt is out. I will try rubber mallet and heat, but what penetrating fluid do you recommend?
ive got the cam gears locked at TDC, but with all this bashing the crank seems to me moving left and right a few mm. is this a big drama when it comes to doing the timing??

have a new timing ready to go on.

funny thing is I have a short nose and what I considered a "wobble" but looking at the think its not moving at all and the key looks fine! perhaps its the harmonic balancer that had a wobble? crank bolt was rusted in good too.

manga_blue
Forum Guru
Posts: 4897
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:27 pm
Vehicle: NA8
Location: Moruya, NSW

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby manga_blue » Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:56 am

Normally you use a pulley puller though I had to make up a custom puller for a really tight one once. 100+mm length of solid steel bar, about 30mm x 8mm. Drill two holes equal in distance to opposing holes in the belt sprocket. Put the pulley bolt in loosely. Put two long bolts through the holes in the bar and thread them into opposing sprocket holes and tighten them down until the bar presses on the pulley bolt and starts to pull the sprocket. Sometimes helps to tap the sprocket with a small steel hammer as you go.
’95 NA8

manga_blue
Forum Guru
Posts: 4897
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:27 pm
Vehicle: NA8
Location: Moruya, NSW

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby manga_blue » Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:39 pm

BTW wobbles in the harmonic balancer itself are rare but they do happen. Sometimes the rubber bond inside the balancer breaks dowm or the rubber itself crumbles or cracks. Anything but the tiniest bit of play between the inner and outer sections of a harmonic balancer is pretty suss.
’95 NA8

User avatar
shirtz
Fast Driver
Posts: 220
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:24 am
Vehicle: Clubman
Location: canberra

Re: Removing rear plate behind harmonic balancer/crank bolt

Postby shirtz » Wed Oct 25, 2017 3:47 pm

thank you for your help with this. got it off with a tap puller and some heat.

nose is badly worn (prob should have left everything how it was!) so have done the Loctite fix and we will see how we go. thanks gents.


Return to “MX5 Engines, Transmission & Final Drive”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 57 guests