VOLVO 740 TIMING BELT
QI
am shortly going to replace the timing belt on my 1985 Volvo 740 (with the B200K engine) and remember that last time I completed this job I had problems undoing the crankshaft pulley bolt. I was fortunate enough to have been able to borrow an impact gun from my local garage who I have been using for years. Unfortunately, they have now retired and the unit has been converted into storage, which has meant my access to help has gone.
Is there any easy way to do this job if the pulley bolt is tight again? I normally put the car in gear with the handbrake firmly on and then tug on my breaker bar, but last time, however hard I tugged this would not free off the bolt. Other than purchasing or possibly hiring my own impact gun, I am not sure what to do. Roger Eggleston A My favoured method of releasing the crankshaft bolt is one which I have used for years and so far it has never failed me. This is to use a suitable breaker bar with the correct
size socket securely fitted in place and then wedged firmly against the something solid in the engine bay. Provided the bar is correctly positioned, the starter can then be briefly connected, spinning the engine up for a second. As the engine turns, the breaker bar will be held firmly in place and so immobile, and the effort is applied to the crankshaft nut and should normally release it.
I cannot over emphasise that this does need to be done with caution to avoid injury or damage, because the bar must be firmly in place and the socket must be a perfect fit. Any slack may allow the bar and socket to be thrown off with considerable force. The starter must also only be applied for a very brief moment, and as a precaution the engine should be immobilised by disconnecting the coil to ensure it cannot fire.