I started installing A/C on my '65 Barracuda that has a 1983 hydraulic lifter slant 6. The instructions call for removing the pulley and replacing it with one they provided.

How do you remove the big bolt that is holding the harmonic balancer and the pulley in place? When I try to loosen the bolt, it just turns the engine. What's the trick to remove it?

Also, while trying to get the bolt off, I noticed quite a bit of play in the timing chain. How much is too much? The engine runs ok, but I'm sure that it must throw off the timing with this much play (at least 1/4").

It looks like timing chains are not that expensive, so I want to fix it while I'm taking everything apart anyways.

Any tips and tricks?

I use an air impact wrench to buzz the damper bolt out (you are lucky you have one, they aren't a stock item). If I don't have that on hand, I find some way to keep the crank from turning and use a ratchet and 1 1/4 inch socket to remove the bolt.

Yes, 1/4 play is too much. If you can move the crank more than 3-5 degrees before the cam starts moving, the chain is stretched and needs to be replaced. Just replace the timing set while you are in there, but beware that you will need to degree the camshaft since chances are the alingment dots on the gears are not aligned to true TDC due to manufacturing sloppiness.

Nice Cuda by the way. I once had a 66 Cuda Formula S project.

One very-old-school way of keeping the engine from turning over, is to remove a spark plug, feed some rope down into the cylinder, (leaving a tail of it hanging out), then turn the engine over by hand until the rope keeps it from turning anymore. Then you can apply torque to get that bolt loosened up, and leave the rope there in order to tighten the bolt. When you're done, it's a simple matter of backing the engine rotation up some, and slowly pull all the rope back out.

Roger

You can put a socket and breaker bar on the crank bolt and bump the starter to break it loose.

If you do replace the timing set you will want to degree the camshaft so that you don't have to take it all apart a second time to get the cam in phase.

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Joshua

Thanks for your help! I think I will try that rope trick and look up how to degree the camshaft.

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I like the rope idea. It's soft and spreads the force out, unlike a piston stop tool; don't use one of those unless you want to gouge the top of the piston. Ask me how I know.

I've also used the starter with a breaker bar wedged against the ground... just make sure the bar is oriented the right way. Also maybe put a piece of cardboard behind your radiator in case it flies off.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

This is the method I use.
Make sure to remove the coil wire, before doing this. Don't even ask how I know.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 225 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170

I am pretty sure this is not an OSHA approved method!!

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2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Luckily there is no approved method.....that leaves it wide open for the other 17 methods.....

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

Haha, that is the beauty of this forum: I don't have to make the mistakes someone else made before me. I hope to get to this soon

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