The crankshaft pulley serves a very important purpose in every gas-powered vehicle. It is a mechanical system that distributes mechanical power to the steering pump and alternator of your vehicle.
In other words, it is a pulley system used to connect the steering pump and alternator to the crankshaft. As the crankshaft rotates, the mechanical power generated from the rotation causes the alternator to receive power. Alternators, as you may know, generate high amounts of power for all your vehicle’s electronics. They power your radio, air conditioner, DVD player and so on.
If your timing belt needs to be changed or you have a damaged or worn-out crankshaft pulley, then you will need to remove the crankshaft pulley from your vehicle. There are two ways in which you can remove the crankshaft pulley. One method uses a puller kit, and the other method does not use a puller kit.
7 Steps Replacing Crankshaft Pulley
It is so much easier to remove a crankshaft pulley if you have a puller kit. Let’s examine the steps that you would take in this scenario.
1) The first thing you’ll want to do is gather all the necessary tools. These tools include the car jack, lug wrench, puller, impact wrench, and bolt remover.
2) Find the location of the crankshaft pulley in the vehicle. It should be located on the left or right side of the engine compartment. Check your owner’s manual if you have trouble finding the pulley.
3) Loosen the lug nuts of the wheel that is closest to the pulley. Use the lug wrench to do this.
4) Put the transmission in the “Park” position by shifting your gear appropriately. Now place the car jack under your vehicle and raise the wheel off the ground. Now you can remove the tire and wheel.
5) The bolt remover or impact wrench can be used to remove the bolts from the crankshaft. The bolts tend to be difficult to remove, so go slowly and be careful.
6) At this point, you will need to use the puller kit to remove the pulley from the crankshaft. It is so much easier to use a puller kit. If you do not have one, you can purchase one for $20 at your local auto store. The puller makes the removal process safer and easier. Just follow the instructions that come with it.
Alternatively, you can use a pry bar or air hammer to remove the pulley. This is a much more dangerous way to do it, so only use these particular tools if you are an experienced mechanic. Otherwise, go with the safer choice of a puller kit.
6) After you’ve gotten the pulley removed, replace it with the new pulley and repeat these steps in reverse.
7) Slippage tends to be a common problem when novices try to reassemble the crankshaft pulley of their vehicle. When you have slippage, then you have a misalignment of the central hub and drive ring.
As a result, the crankshaft pulley will wobble around as the vehicle moves. Even if the vehicle feels like it drives okay, the pulley will constantly slip all the time. If it slips too much, then it will eventually affect the drivability of the vehicle. That is why you need to disassemble the pulley properly so that you can prevent slippage.
Read also:
- How to Replace Car CV Boot (and Replacement Cost)
- How Long does a Wheel Alignment Take (with Procedures and Process)
- How Long does a Car Inspection Take (with Process & Steps)
Conclusion
The whole process might sound simple, but it can be a pain if you’ve never done it before. The best advice is to go slow and read the instructions in case you’re confused about the identification of specific components in your vehicle. Do not remove anything you are not sure about.
