Hey guys, new here and need some help! I have an '80 2.3L non-turbo Mustang that I road race in SCCA-type racing. I needed to change the timing belt (it was looking ratty) and had some trouble in taking the crankshaft pulley off. The bolt came off fairly easy, but needed a puller to get the pulley off (it was stuck on pretty hard). The puller bent the pulley pretty bad. So I need help with 2 things - 1. What is the right way to pull the pulley off without damaging it? and 2. where can I get a new pulley? The local auto parts store (Murray's) wasn't much help! Thanks for your help! Alec
Well you might have to rent a puller from a rental parts store, I had to do this. Is yours a 3 claw? If it isnt it will bend the pulley. Put the bolt in the crank about half way down and put the puller shaft on there and it should come off pretty easily, if it dosent put some pb blaster or penetrating oil on there, let it sit and try it again. You need to put the pulley shaft on the bolt in the crank, so you wont accidentally screw yourself and get the shaft stuck in the crank. Oh yes the pulley, you might be able to bent it right again, if not I really dont know, go to a junkyard? Josh
Thanks for the reply. I was doing it mostly right - I was using a 3 jaw puller, but still bending it (it's really thin at the back, where the timing marks are). Then I moved to one of the v-belt groves, and that's how I finally got the 1st one off (the second one on the junk motor I started on the v-belt and bent it from there even). I was using penetrating oil, well, WD-40, I'm not sure if that works too? I didn't put the bolt back in, that's a good idea, hope I didn't mess up the threads. But at least the puller didn't get stuck. The pulley has a slot and two holes right around the center bolt, which makes it look like a spot for a special puller tool (but the 2 shop manuals I have don't mention a tool). If anyone else has any ideas... I'm all ears. I'm taking it to work, there's some good motor heads there who might have some ideas too.
The damper should come off with a damper puller. It should either have bolts to screw into threaded holes in the damper or pulley, or thread into the center and push against the crank hub. I have not done this on a 2.3, but I can guarantee doing it the wrong way will damage something. I have done bunches of 5.0 and similar stuff, and it all goes this way. The only exception I have done is a Mazda 2.0, where the pulley/damper bolts on with 6 bolts to the front of the crank.
I talked to a guy at work who works on these alot. He said that it's supposed to come off easily (w/o a puller). I think mine had been on for a long time, so maybe it's rusted closed. I probably should have used some penetrating oil for longer, and possibly heat on the damper might have helped. Anyways, I was able to order a new pulley from Racer Walsh (a billet one) and a stock one later this afternoon from Green Sales, out of Cincinatti. Hopefully one of those will work for me... thanks for the help! Now that I found this board, I'll have to look around and see if I can get some ideas for more power... (once I get my POS fixed!)
20 years of oldness on a pulley and nothing comes off easily, mine didn't and when I put it back on(sanding the rust off) it still had some stick to it so dont think this is abnormal: its perfectly normal. Come off easy
