AMF Crankshaft Sprocket Removal

T

TFG

A2OC Donor
Evening All. My query is as the thread title - can anyone suggest a good way of removing a stubborn triple-square 19mm crankshaft sprocket bolt on an AMF? I've got the "Y" shaped hold tool for the sprocket and a 240v (Clarke) impact gun and a 27" breaker bar, but no amount of trying has budged this bolt. I'm a bit stumped.

The engine is out of the car, head off, sump off and the block is on an engine stand.

I'm trying to get in to change the balancer chain and tensioners.

Cheers, Matt
 
How are you blocking the crankshaft for this ?
From my experience if somebody has reused this screw and tightened it according to manual then it is very hard to remove it …
 
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I've had the handle of the hold tool so that it's pressing on my bench. But tbh when I then use the breaker bar on the nut and stand on the bottom rung of the engine stand, all im succeeding in doing is lifting the whole lot off the deck! The Clarke 240v impact driver normally makes light work of this kind of thing and doesn't even need the locking tool to stop the crank turning, but this time all it's doing is making the impact socket very, very hot....
 
Problem solved. I left the bolt to soak for a while after a liberal application of my favourite penetrating oil mix (50/50 ATF and acetone), then had another go using the holding tool and my breaker bar. The release, when I finally got it to let go, was suprisinigly "soft". It didn't crack off - just slowly gave in. The bolt threads and the mating surfaces of the sprocket and crankshaft nose are very clean, thankfully. The sprocket just wiggled off the crank once the bolt was removed.
 
I currently have a tdi from a Lupo on my bench and this needs to be done. I have a 6ft metal tube, a Milwaukee pro impact gun and a big engineers vice which I am sure I can use somehow to keep the engine in place!! Thanks for the report!
 
The biggest problem I had was stopping the whole lot (engine + stand) rotating while I was trying to undo the bolt. I that respect, it may be beneficial to get it loosened while the engine is still bolted to the car, if one can get access. I'm surprised that the two rather weedy-looking M8 bolts in the holding tool come through unscathed, but they are fine. They must be made of some tough stuff. It's an Asta A-8250. I've found all the Asta stuff I've bought to be good quality and well priced.
 
TFG said:
The biggest problem I had was stopping the whole lot (engine + stand) rotating while I was trying to undo the bolt. I that respect, it may be beneficial to get it loosened while the engine is still bolted to the car, if one can get access. I'm surprised that the two rather weedy-looking M8 bolts in the holding tool come through unscathed, but they are fine. They must be made of some tough stuff. It's an Asta A-8250. I've found all the Asta stuff I've bought to be good quality and well priced.
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I had a hard time with this bolt with the engine on a stand. Wedged the hold tool against the floor at 7 o’clock. Took a long 3/4 drive breaker at 9 o'clock to the bolt.
 
Bordos said:
How about your oil pump chain ? Drop a few pictures :)
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All in good time. I'm stripping and cleaning stuff, atm. The chain looks in very good condition, as do all the gears. I'm seriously considering whether to replace the gears, even though I've got the full Febi four-gear kit. Might just do the chain and tensioner?
:)
 
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I had a look at that, over the weekend. I had the LH ends up against a block of wood, then stretched them to the right. The old chain is the top one. I reckon there's not much more than a mm of stretch compared to new. Not bad, considering it's the original (to the best of my knowledge), so it's about 23 years old, approx 118k miles.

1712688784601.png
 
Hello, thanks for the photos. Will you be documenting your progress as the engine is taken apart and rebuilt?
 
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