394 water pump

[Guest faxbob64]

Can someone tell me what size socket I need to remove the crankshaft pulley bolt ona '63 394? 1 1/8 inch? Also which way to turn it to loosen? I've been messing with it for hours trying to remove the water pump and the bottom-most bolt is impossible to remove without taking off the bottom pulley. The book says it's torqued to 100 ft. lbs. minimum. How do I keep the crank from turning while I try to loosen this bolt? Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew! I am not a mechanic, just trying to save a few bucks.

Does anyone know an easier way to remove the water pump?

According to the shop manual, this was to be an easy job. HA!

Bob

[rocketraider]

You shouldn't have to pull the balancer to R&R that water pump. There's a notch in it to allow access to the bottom water pump bolt. Rotate the crank so the notch is at the top, and then use a deep 1/4" drive socket (forget what size, been a while since I did one) to remove the water pump bolt.

Look on p 479 of 1963 service manual, FSC engine section 8-33, NOTE in left column step 3.

[Guest faxbob64]

Glenn, yes that's what the book says, but the rim of the pulley is above the notch and right next to the balancer. I can drop a socket (3/8)in the notch and get it on the bolt but there is no room for a ratchet handle and using a straight handle, the angle is too great to get a good grip on the bolt. A 3/8 box end wrench barely gets on and it was a [censored] to get it off. This car is someone's "garage special" being a '64 Starfire convertible with a '63 engine and for all I know, this might not even be the correct crankshaft pulley. I have the 5 book '64 manual that I bought before I knew it was a '63 engine! I'm following diagrams and text in book 1, pgs. 3-32 and 3-33. It says just what you said, but in practice, it doesn't work for me.

Bob

[Oldsfan]

Is this a design change from '61/'62? I don't recall having problems with the pulley when changing water pumps on my '62s.

Paul

[rocketraider]

Yup. The timing cover and water pump on 63-4 are very different from 62-earlier. Aluminum timing cover AND w/p.

Seems like I had to use a short 1/4" drive socket and extension to get in there. I remember swearing lustily at it because I was doing the job out at my parents' place and didn't have the 1/4" drive set with me. Unbeknown to me my Mama and her neighbor were out in the back yard. I came out from under the shed just in time to hear Mama say "You might hear him say something. He's working on his old car." <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Just curious- does this car have an extra pulley bolted onto the balancer? Factory A/C cars had three belt grooves made into the balancer. My green car has an add-on A/C and has an extra pulley bolted onto its two-groove balancer. If that's the case you may have to remove that pulley, though I'd be tempted to "machine" enough of a notch in it to get to the w/p bolt.

An impact wrench is the easiest way to break the balancer bolt loose. You might be able to do it by rapping the socket sharply while turning.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[dlh61olds]

If you haven't already done it , you should have some " P B Blaster " soaking that bolt until you can get a wrench on it.

Dave