Well, I finally got around to replacing the crankshaft sensor in my Pontiac Transport with the 3800 engine. I'm hoping someone here has a trick for me. I'm trying to get the front pulley off from the dampner and the engine just spins when I turn the bolt in the center. There's a couple of slots in the pulley but I can't seem to find just the right tool to jam it up so it doesn't spin. Anybody have a trick ? It looks fairly easy after I get this pulley off & I'm guess I'm being lazy & don't want to crawl under & remove the flywheel cover to jam that up. Any suggestions ?

http://fastfieros.com or 3800v6superchargedfieros@yahoogroups.com If these guys cant help I guess its broken for life.
S.Williams

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1988 Fiero Formula T-tops
CJB 143 of 1252 "factory T-top cars"

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[This message has been edited by MstangsBware (edited 02-11-2005).]

Yup, there is a nice Kent moore tool to hold the flywheel so the 110 Ft lb crank bolt can be broke loose. You can also use a nice BIG screw driver or something heavy duty to lock the flywheel. Usually 2 people make this easier.

I hope you also have the right tool to remove the crank damper. You cannot use a 3 jaw puller. It will damage the threads inside the crankshaft. AutoZone rents this special damper puller for the 3800's.

Loyde

Actually the torque on the balancer bolt if the balancer has never been removed before is closer to 300 ft lbs. Also if you try to use a standard pulller you WILL ruin the balancer by separating it where the inner and outer sections are vulcanized together. You must block the flywheel there is no other way to break the balancer bolt loose that I know of. In the plant we use a 600 ft lb air wrench to remove them. Get a long bar, lock up the flexplate and good luck.

Thanks to all for the advise. I'l be back at it this morning. Think I'll go with the big screwdriver in the flywheel & then the special puller, if I can break the bolt loose.

I was able to remove mine with a visegrip locked in the flywheel. The visegrip was caught in one of the pressure plate bolts. I then used a breaker bar and a additional 2' cheater bar on that. Damn those things are put on tight. I wonder why they had to be so tight?

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Red 88 GT T-Top 3800 INTERCOOLED SUPERCHARGED
White 88 GT Stock
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I had that problem on a 3300 in an A-body. You can put a breaker bar on the bolt and place the handle against the subframe then tap the ignition switch to turn the engine over and loosen the bolt. Just make sure you know which way the engine will turn and brace the breaker bar carefully. If you mess up you could launch the breaker bar and hurt yourself. be careful and think.

Skitime, I think I can shed some light on why the balancer is so tite. Until the 90 M.Y the balancer was a slip fit and the bolt torque was quite a bit less. Then engineering was tearing some engines apart and found fretting corrosion between the crank key and the balancer keyway, also the keyway was slightly enlarged. The corrosion was caused by micro movement of the balancer. So we went to an interference fit and a torque spec of 150 nm + 76 degrees which translates to a clampload of approx 40k lbs and a final torque of 375 to 400 nm. In other words tite as hell. And yes in the plant we routinely hold the flexplate with visegrips......its the quick and easy way to do it.

Thanks for shedding some light on this DeVoe.

Still fighting with this 3800 guys. I got the balancer bolt loose, it was a #@&*^ !. I was trying to take FastFieros advise and get the correct balancer puller from Autozone but the local AutoZone
store here has no idea what kind of puller to use for a GM 3800. They have a three arm puller (which everyone cautions against using) and a regular balancer puller which looks like a crows foot that you bolt to the balancer & then tighten the center bolt against the balancer center to pull out. The trouble with that one is I don't have any bolt holes that I can see unless I haven't removed enough. My balancer / pulley looks to be one piece with some molded rubber & metal in the center that doesn't seem to come apart, no bolts or holes that I can see. I'm used to seeing the pulley bolted to the balancer & you would use those holes to mount the balancer puller. Enlighten me guys, how's this thing come off ? What kind of puller do I ask for ? My manual says "remove balancer".
Big help .

Ok guy, here is what the puller looks like, and the flywheel holder just for reference.

The bolts are 1/4x24 if I remember correctly. The holes are very small in the harmonic damper. The bolts are about 4-6 inches long and pass through the puller and into the damper where they screw in. If the threads are lightly rusted, they will be difficult to screw into.

Loyde