I have bought a TH wagon and it has a leaking crankshaft oil seal. The crankshaft pulley slipped off without problems but the sprocket does not want to move. Is there any trick to getting these things off?

Thanks guys

Should be a sliding fit like the pulley. Try some penetrating oil. The optical chopper behind it is fragile, so pry with care if you are thinking of doing that.

Have seen some with minor corrosion between the crank & the sprocket which can cause problems ie: WD40 (don't get it on the cam belt) & mucking about in general to get it to move. I usually unbolt the crank trigger mechanism and check the trigger plate is clear to slide off with the sprocket, usually they just come straight off. Make sure you put a suitable retaining clip in the hydraulic tensioner before you remove it as this will stop it fully extending once removed. For some reason not all hydraulic tensioners like being retracted in a vice & may give problems further down the track ie: rattling noise on start up.

Cheers

Appreciate the prompt response guys. I have never done one of these.

It should slide off, you say? In that case it looks like it may have been forced on by a previous operator. I will probably have to damage it to get it off then. Bugger

Cheers

Appreciate the prompt response guys. I have never done one of these.

It should slide off, you say? In that case it looks like it may have been forced on by a previous operator. I will probably have to damage it to get it off then. Bugger

Cheers

Forced on? Not likely, it is clamped between the edge of the pulley and the shoulder on the crankshaft. It is most likely just corroded on. Any sign of coolant leak onto the cog or water entry into the plastic cover?

Drown it with WD40 or similar and with a hammer tap the face of the sprocket, doing this will eventually loosen the rust holding the sprocket onto the crank.

I spent a long while trying to shift the thing by different methods. Did manage to move it a few millimeters. Once I applied a little heat I was able to pry it off fairly quickly.

There is rust on the inside of the sprocket and on the mating surface of the crankshaft. That is no doubt the cause of the problem. I cannot see any sign of a coolant leak so far.

I did remember to have a grenade pin ready as I removed the hydraulic tensioner, but it didn't want to cooperate, unfortunately

Cheers Guys

I did remember to have a grenade pin ready as I removed the hydraulic tensioner, but it didn't want to cooperate, unfortunately



Good you got it off. Probably got road water in it, when putting it all back together check that the plastic splash guard on that side is intact, and the rubber bung is in place. Had the same problem on a Lancer because the rubber bung had disappeared, crank pulley had rusted on. Penetrating oil and wriggling got it off, eventually.

Manual says to put the tensioner in a vice, then clamp it and put the pin in when the holes line up. Go slow, really slow, when winding the vice closed, otherwise you risk damaging the tensioner.
I use the rear run of the belt before taking the belt off to compress the tensioner slowly so the pin goes in, a 17 mm spanner on the rear cam cog turned clockwise (just apply pressure, cog doesn't actually move much) to apply tension to the rear run. Next time perhaps?

Check that in getting the sprocket off, you didn't bend the thin slotted cam plate. I bent mine because I used a lever to pry the sprocket off and when I put it all back together, it was rubbing the crank angle sensor. That didn't last very long (about 2 weeks) and the whole thing stopped. I bought a new CAS and straightened out the bent lobes on the sprocket and all was well, except that I had to strip the lot to get at it again.

Learn from the mistakes of others cause you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself.

Considering the corrosion, replace the water pump and seal while in there, it's not expensive and about the only source of water down there.