jjeansonne wrote:
> I just replaced the crabkshaft pulley on my 1999 Accord for the SECOND time
> after it fell off while driving the car. The first time it fell off at 65K
> miles. I bought the car new, did all the required maintenance myself, and
> had NEVER touched that assembly. I had to replace the pulley and the key
> as it destroyed both. Lucky for me the crank appeard to be in OK shape.
>
> I torqued the *@%$ out of it with a 1100 ft/lb 3/4" pnematic impact wrench
> and thought I was "done".
>
> I thought I was done with it, but, 20 months later (yesterday), it
> happended again. This time I used super high stength locktite and
> replaced the bolt as well. However, I am nervous something else is wrong
> and that this will keep happening. I had some questions I was hoping
> someone could help me with:
>
> * Has anybody ever heard of this problem?

i've seen it, but only when there's been a maintenance problem. fwiw,
it's extroardinarily improbable that the pulley & the key can be damaged
without damaging the crank - the key has to be caught between two parts
to damage it, & one of those parts is the crank. usually, crank steel
is softer than key steel.

>
> * Does anyone know how far the snout of the crankshaft is supposed to be
> recessed relative to the solder on the crankshaft pulley that the bolt
> sits on (when fully seated)? I have an 1/8 gap there when the pulley is
> fully seated and am wondering if this is the problem.

you mean the crank appears to be "too short" or it's "too long"? if
it's too short, that's normal. if it's too long, the toothed belt cog
has been put on the wrong way round. hard to do because it's keyed, but
possible.

>
> * Is the crankshaft supposed to be splined? There are splines in the
> pulley and I am wondering if there are supposed to be mating splines in
> the crankshaft that were stripped off by the loose pulley.

the crank's splined for the toothed belt cog & keyed for the pulley
wheel. if you don't put in the key, the pulley wheel should spin free.

>
> Any advice is appreciated.
>
> -Jeff
>
if the pulley holds after your loctite application, you're set until the
belt's due for replacement. after that, you'll [not] have fun getting
it off again. don't even bother trying to do anything until you've had
the heat torch on there to soften that stuff up. loctite should not be
used in this situation. if the bolt's not holding, it's because there's
a fault which needs to be remedied. heating will cook the oil seal,
probably the end bearing & ruin any temper in the crank. it'll
definitely ruin any temper in the bolt & pulley wheel.

too late now, and i'm all for maintaining my own cars, but in this
situation, for a car i'd bought new & still under warranty when it
happened the first time, if the pulley bolt had come off, i'd return
that car to honda - it's their screw up. ultimately, if this stuff is
messed up, it means a new crank, & they're /expensive/. better the
manufacturer pay, not you.