The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Help!! 12V conv. - Removing alternator pulley bolt

Help!!!
I just got a 12v Alternator and the other various pieces to convert my 3100 from 6V generator.
I got a replacement 5/8 pulley for the new Delco alternator but can't budge the old one! The nut is incredibly tight.
I have the alternator clamped in the vice on the workbench, with an allen wrench with 18" pipe over it with the workbench keeping that in tension.
Then I have 24" piece of pipe over a wrench to apply additional leverage on the nut.
I thought about an pneumatic impact wrench, but how do you hold the shaft from turning?
Would it work with the impact wrench on the shaft with an allen socket and holding the nut with the wrench wedges against a hard-stop?
The shaft allen face is beginning to round and I'm using quality tools - starting to get concerned it will strip beyond point of holding at all.
Another thought was to hold the pulley in the vice and just try to crack the nut with a socket and breaker bar; but looking at the new pulley, it's not keyed so I fear it would just slip.

I'm usually pretty creative with things like this but this one giving me bother, especially as it's starting to strip the socket-cap.
Any suggestions before I do more damage to the allen socket-cap in the shaft would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

I managed to achieve the result by this method.
The shaft indeed still turned (no surprise there) but now with the pulley clamped tight, as I tried to loosen the nut with the socket & breaker, what happened is the lock washer opened up because the nut was now turning against that.
So after it relieved the preliminary torque was pretty simple to get off.

I think my fundamental mistake was that I was using 'inch' tools - although the allen wrench had seemed like a good tight fit, I was able to use a metric one to tighten it up & got really good torque on it without it rounding.
I guess I just assumed American alternator (plus setting out to work on the '51!!!) it would be std. I'm not sure however I still would have been able to crack it - I had tremendous torque on it before it started to round.

For anyone else in this situation, the only caveat is that the pulley & washer are pretty worthless afterward - that wasn't a concern for me with the new pulley going on anyway and frankly no room for washer with the new pulley (although it would be to source another if required). I just applied Loctite for extra security & torqued it really good with my extender pipes.

Incidentally it may seem like I'm talking to myself, but I know the forum gave me inspiration!!! Made me think as I was typing the request too!

My son removed the pully from my alternator this weekedn, he used and impact wrench aqnd just held the pully with his hand, it came right off without much resistance. He said thats how it is done in the shop where he used to work.


Ed

D'Ecosse,

Listen to Ed Blouch....he speaks the truth!

A 1/2" drive impact wrench and a gloved hand...UNLESS someone went nuts with the red Loctite. It's a standard left hand thread, so make sure you don't think bass-ackwards!

Stuart

I don't doubt that Ed & his son are accurate with their own experience - There was no way this one would have come off with a gloved hand however.
As for left-hand thread? Think that one over again!

D'Ecosse,

I must be dyslexic...I thought it over again, and you're right. Bay area 1/Stu 0.

Stuart

No worries Stu. I used to be dyslexic but now I'm KO

I use an old fan belt held tight on the pulley with a pair of vise grips. It helps if you can do it while its on the engine, but if not you can do it on the bench. An impact wrench makes all the differance.

used to teardown 2 to 3 hundred a day! impact and a gloved hand worked great. when they didn't come apart they ended up in a barrel for later. the idea of using a belt also works great.

Yup impact, Changed many that way with no problems

Impact wrench is the way. Hold the pulley with a glove.