Crankshaft damper removal

[Larry & Norma]

Is it possible to remove the crankshaft damper with the pulley attached without pulling the engine?
My crankshaft pulley has damaged socket headed bolts which will need to be drilled out.
I am attempting to replace the crankshaft oil seal with the engine in situ.

[Shvegel]

I think it would be very tough.  I have the factory tool for that but it relies on the threads where the pulley bolts on.  You "Might" be able to pry it off but you cannot pry at all on the large diameter disc between the hub and pulley that acts as a harmonic damper.  It is rubber faced with cast aluminum and very fragile.  Having had the same problem with the bolts I can tell you that they are frozen in the Aluminium hub of the damping disc.  I had to drill all of mine all the way down through the hub.  Not fun.

If you get hung up on the reinstallation I have the factory hub installer as well as the remover for the ring the main seal rides on.  I will not be home until October but I can send it to you after that.

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi, Larry,

You need to remove the 6 screws (119) to take the damper off.

Then the pulley can be removed using a puller.
Can be done with engine in situ

naj

[Larry & Norma]

Hi Naj,
My problem is that 4 of those screws are damaged and cannot be undone so will have to be drilled out.
As I do not want to take the engine out I will have to put up with a slight oil leak from
the crankshaft seal I think:-\

[Larry & Norma]

Thanks Shvegel, that is what I thought so I will put up with a slight
oil leak until the day comes to pull the engine!

[Shvegel]

Larry,
Are the 2 screws that you can undo across from each other?

[ja17]

I have run into this problem many times. The factory uses a very tough thread locker on these bolts. The solution is use a large blunt heavy drift and a heavy hammer, ued directly on the head of the bolt, to break the threads loose. The head of the bolt will deform inward from the impact, but you can drive the allen socket into the head and then loosen. The rounded out socket in the bolt head will deform inward from the heavy blows and will allow the allen tool to grip again so that the bolt can be removed. Replace the damaged bolts during re-assembly.

[Tyler S]

Entirely possible to do. Removing the Hood, Radiator, and Grille gives you much better access.

[Larry & Norma]

Shvegel they are unfortunately adjacent bolts.

Tyler S. All those items have been removed.

ja17 thanks worth a try but I don't think I will get much of a swing
with the engine in the car!

[Benz Dr.]

I usually heat the screw up first before trying. Heat will loosen a lot of things.

[ja17]

Yes heat works good when the heads of the bolt are still good. Otherwise try the hammer method. If you cannot get a good swing, use an air chisel with a blunt flat hammer bit.

[Benz Dr.]

Yes heat works good when the heads of the bolt are still good. Otherwise try the hammer method. If you cannot get a good swing, use an air chisel with a blunt flat hammer bit.

Yeah, but I heat them before I destroy them.