6G Celicas Forums

I replaced the oil pan seal last weekend as I was leaking some oil & after driving it and looking harder, it looks like I have a small leak in the crankshaft seal - not confirmed as its covered, just guessed.

Lifted the engine, removed the right hand engine mount, pulled off the camshaft cover and the tried to undo the crankshaft bolt. I managed to bend a bolt, crack the side of the wheel (crowbar was touching it & holding the bolt) and the dam nut didn't even budge. Used a long (2ft) extension torque bar & nothing apart from damaging the crakshaft wheel.

I put it back togther & pretty hacked off. I fear I'll do more damage to the wheel, offbalance it - if I haven't already & wondering if its time for the garage.

Any ideas if I was to give it a second go ?

$20 in seals & no doubt the garage wants a couple of hundred....

95 Celica GT, 145000

I haven't done it before but could that bolt be left hand thread? Also you will need a puller to remove the pulley from the crank. Usually it will have a "L" on the bolt head.

make sure you use wd40 or some other oil to losen the rust.

Then make sure your using those 6 point sockets so you dont strip the nut.

You can try two ways of removing it.

1) super powerfull impact wrench

or

2) put the wrench on the nut and lower the car to the ground. Then crank the engine with the starter. The wrench should be locked against the ground, so the bolt should be unscrewed.

Since the second step is slightly more dangerious i recommend option 1 first.

if you're talking about taking off the crankshaft pulley at the bottom you need to do one of two things,

1. get the Toyota Special Service Tool thats made for that, I believe it uses those 4 little holes in the pulley itself

2. (the presure2 way) take off the oil pan and wedge the handle of a hammer or similar to stop the crankshaft from moving while you loosen the bolt

if I were you I'd make sure thats where your problem is before you do all that since you did just have the oil pan re-sealed

I just did mine and I don't remember having any problem but anyway ... I recommend a couple of things:

1. PB Blaster, like WD40 but better. Make sure you let it soak for a couple of hours for maximum effect. Also this is not a left handed bolt otherwise the engine would loosen it when running.

2. Tap the bolt head with a hammer (then repeat soaking ideally may need a few stages of this). This should loosen up the rust that is apparently holding it. Do nice 12" throws in the hammer, don't go nuts or you'll end up worse.

3. IMPACT wrench. If this is not available be creative and recreate the impact effect yourself: maybe a long pipe on a breaker bar and a hammer. Have someone put a lot of torque on your pipe/bar combo and then goto town on it with a hammer while it is pre loaded. Remember: without the impact hammer you are going to be turning the engine when loosening the bolt. You're going to have to keep it from turning, hopefully you can jam something in the pulley but be careful where because you'll end up breaking something flimsy.

4. You WILL need the pulley puller (Autozone or Advance Auto will loan you one, use metric bolts). After you get it off make life easier and sand down the nose of the crank so it will go on easier (it's hard to line up that keyway so don't force it and mess it up).

5. Make sure you don't overtorque it when you put it back together, so you or the next guy doesn't have this problem again.

Hey, the only reason why your are having so much trouble with the crank bolt is because from factory, those are set to like 160ft.lbs. If you really want to get it off, it's gonna have to be a to man job with a 3' poll on a breaker bar. And you don't have to spray anything on the bolt, although, it wouldn't hurt. One person said it in here, hold the bolt and crank the motor, although a very good idea, but like he said, very dangerous. Best way is to have on person, underneath the car and take off the cover that reveals the flywheel. That guy will have a pry bar and pin the flywheel against the bar thus allowing the crank from not moving. Then you will have the pole and crack it loose. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!, before you even do allllll this, make sure you have the correct tool to take out that seal, because if you even have a small KNICK on that crank, having that little oil leak in the beginning will be the lease of your problems.

that's what i did..i even had trouble getting it off and my motor was outta the car!

Two words: Impact Wrench.


If you go to any major auto parts store, they usually rent them if you don't wanna fork over the clams to buy one.

3/4" impact didn't work. cheater bar with 1/2" breaker bar worked great.

So you cann't just replace the seal like a transmission seal ? ie tap it in ?

What about putting the car in gear (first), having someone hold the brakes & then breaking the bolt off, or would that strip the gears ?

I've done a valve job & thought this wouldn't be as bad, but if its going to be a real bind then it may be worth sending it off to the garage......

Crap !

x2 on that impact gun...but use a really powerful one if you can