Urgent Maintenance Advice - Desperate

#1

Hey Y’all,

I’m preparing to go to VIR this weekend for the Tarheel BMW CCA HPDE. I’m causing more trouble for myself than is wise, and I’ve got 3 questions as I prepare to change the timing belt:

  1. Any suggestions for how to get the 4 bolts off the water pump pulley? Every time I try to loosen them, the damn pulley just turns and I cannot get the nuts loose.

  2. What’s going to happen when I remove the 6 bolts on the vibration damper/crank shaft toothed pulley? Will it slide off over the large 22mm fitting that’s used to turn the crank shaft, or will this come with it? Do I need a pulley puller or any other special tool?

  3. I had a little jacking accident as I jacked the car with the pad on the driver’s side integral frame "rail" behind the rear control arm mount. The jack slid off, and I had my jack stand placed under the car near the tie down tab. When the car fell, I crushed in the floor board a bit, which is a bummer but I don’t think it’s a problem. However, the jack stand crushed what appears to be a vaccuum line running along the exterior of this rail. I don’t know where it goes at the back of the car (I assume it taps the exhaust pipe), but I followed it into the engine bay and it appears to go into a tall cylindrical thing under the power steering reservoir. Is this the charcoal canister? What will happen with this line crushed? Can I have this repaired by splicing in a new piece of tubing?

Thanks,
Sasha

#2

too lazy to type…if you want give me a call at 650 207 3203. I am in CA (PST)

Igor

Post edited by: igor, at: 2006/07/04 20:09

Post edited by: igor, at: 2006/07/04 20:21

#3

Not necessarily the RIGHT ways, but ways that have worked for me:

  1. I use two ratchets, one on tightening and one on loosening. The "tightening" ratchet goes on the bolt 180 degrees from the one I wish to loosen. This works for all but the final one which I can usually just tighten another one down and then loosen by hand.

  2. I’ve just used a rubber mallet and gently persuaded the pulley to come off.

  3. Sounds like a ventilation tube from the gas tank to the charcoal canister.

Was it a hard-line? If so, the only ones I can think of are the fuel and brake lines.

Call me if you need anything else Sasha. I’ll be @ VIR with you this weekend.

JP
336.462.0823

Post edited by: 155mph, at: 2006/07/04 21:22

#4

  1. If you don’t have the pulley holder tool, a long screwdriver with a square shaft (like the Craftsman flathead ones) can be used to against two of the bolts to hold the pulley still while you crack one of the other bolts.

  2. A gentle pry with the same screwdriver used in part 1 will pop it loose after removal of the 6 bolts. The big 22mm crankshaft bolt will not come off with it.

  3. That is the fuel tank breather line. If it is crushed to the point that the tank can’t breathe properly then you need to replace it. In a bind, I would get rid of the hard line and run hose all the way from the tank to the charcoal canister. It doesn’t need to be a high pressure rated hose. Any ordinary hose rated for fuel will work.

#5

These guys gave you good advice. The other way to get the pulley bolts out is to leave the belt on and apply tension to the belt to hold the pulley.

hard lines under the frame rail are either brake or fuel like mentioned. Uh…Oh
Best of luck