I did something dumb (re-titled 4.0L SOHC engine tear down)

[koda2000]

I was taking my 4.0L SOHC engine apart and I got to the harmonic balancer removal. Months ago I'd watched several YouTube videos on different ways to do it and I should have gone back and re-watched them because I remembered it wrong (combining 2 separate methods). I'd recalled how I used to remove alternators from BMW motorcycles and thought it was the same procedure. You remove the bolt in the center, put a piece of shaft in the hole, reinstall the bolt and tighten it. It pulled the alternator off the end of the cam shaft. The difference was that the alternator's hole was threaded - the SOHC harmonic balancer is not. Tightening the bolt did not pull on the balancer, but I managed to get the little piece of shaft stuck deep in the crank shaft hole. I tied a magnet to pull it out but it's stuck and will not move.

I watched the videos again and saw that the guy removed the HB bolt and inserted a rod that he pushed against with his standard 3 hole puller. This pulled the HB off the crank shaft. The other method involved using a longer bolt in the crank shaft hole and pushing the 3 hole puller against the bolt, backing the bolt out as you went.

So, now I have to go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy the weird size bolts needed to screw into the HB's holes (8mm x 1.25 90-100 mm long) and maybe a 4" bolt with the same threads as the OE HB bolt to push against the 3 hole puller.

Once the HB is off I'll have a slightly better view and access to the stuck piece of shaft in the crankshaft. Maybe I can drill it and easy-out it out, but even if I can't get it out I think I have enough threads remaining for a correct length HB bolt to grab on and the bolt is only torqued to 37 FP + 90 degrees. I guess the crankshaft's threaded hole is slightly tapered at its end and that's why the end of the little piece of shaft is stuck in there... ? I'd made the shaft out of hardened upper ball joint pinch bolt, so it shouldn't have mushroomed.

Anyway, I've learned a lesson to not trust my aging memory. Watch the videos again just before trying a procedure I'm not familiar with.

 

[donalds]

I used the oem bolt to push on you have to use a puller with 2 8 /1.25/100 mms bolts for the puller run a tap through the harmonic balancer holes for the puller or they may break off like 3 threads in
So pull a bit then unscrew the oem bolt a bit and pull some more a bit more do it a little at a time at the end just wiggle it off

If you go with a longer bolt I THINK it's m12 /1.75
Hope this helps I have used this method a few times

Oh when you want to put the hb back on just put it in the oven at 250 degrees for 15 min and just slide it on

 

[410Fortune]

holy crap! So there is piece of ball joint shaft stuck/jammed inside the end of the crankshaft? Past the threads?
Is the piece you made smooth or threaded?
I always use the crank bolt to push against, just re install it 3-4 thread deep and use the center of it for your puller to push against.

Might be able to just leave the bit of steel in there if you have enough room for the crank bolt to thread in. Not that we would want to do that but I am not sure its going to throw off the crank balance or hurt anything stuck in there.
Easy out wont do much since its press fit not threaded.
Drilling it out is the best option if it comes to that
or drill a small hole in it, tap the hole, thread something into it and then pull it out like that

Holey smokes! You are just like me! Must love a good challenge
Let us know what the dealio is once the balancer is off

 

[donalds]

A suggestion I have used this set in the past Screw Extractor and Left-Hand Drill Bit Combo Set

 

[koda2000]

holy crap! So there is piece of ball joint shaft stuck/jammed inside the end of the crankshaft? Past the threads?
Is the piece you made smooth or threaded?
I always use the crank bolt to push against, just re install it 3-4 thread deep and use the center of it for your puller to push against.

Might be able to just leave the bit of steel in there if you have enough room for the crank bolt to thread in. Not that we would want to do that but I am not sure its going to throw off the crank balance or hurt anything stuck in there.
Easy out wont do much since its press fit not threaded.
Drilling it out is the best option if it comes to that
or drill a small hole in it, tap the hole, thread something into it and then pull it out like that

Holey smokes! You are just like me! Must love a good challenge
Let us know what the dealio is once the balancer is off

Yes, I find that sometimes life just isn't challenging enough so I like to spice it up by doing something stupid... LOL. I don't think stuck piece of bolt will effect the crank balance as it's quite small, short and stuck in the center of the crankshaft. I also believe I have enough threads available to catch the HB bolt on, though I may need to add a washer or two under the head of the bolt if I find I'm hitting the piece before the HB is fully drawn in. I could also cut the HB bolt a little shorter if necessary. We'll see, I'd prefer it if I can get the stuck piece out.

I've just finished bolting the engine to my engine stand and moved my cherry-picker out of the garage. I need to make another trip to the hardware store to get the right bolts and washers for my 3-hole puller to bolt into the HB and I may want another HB sized bolt (slightly longer) to be able to push against.

Some good news. I was figuring I'd need to pull the trans dowels out of the engine block in order to get the engine stand arms even, but it turned out that my engine stand arms are the perfect size to just fit over the dowels. I also found that my A/C bracket bolts are just the right size and length to attach the stand to the engine. Someday's you eat the bear and someday's the bear eats you.

Earlier I had reported that I saw no sign of the rear TC cassette. Under closer examination I see most of it is still there, its just the plastic piece that hooks onto small bolt near the top of the head that's MIA. Its probably laying on top of the engine girdle in pieces, or maybe in the oil pan, though there was nothing there last time I had it off.

Due to having at least one blown head gasket I'd like to pull the heads off now and I think I can do it if I hold the camshafts and remove the camshaft bolts (yes I know the rear bolt is LH thread) and cam gears. I don't want to buy the OTC cam tool kit until I'm sure that this engine is salvageable. After the heads are off I can get the Ford cam follower/spring compressor tool before removing the cams from the heads, but I figure I can do this step on the workbench. Do you see any problem with this approach?

 

[shucker1]

A suggestion I have used this set in the past Screw Extractor and Left-Hand Drill Bit Combo Set

As @donalds said.

I would be more inclined to use a left hand drill bit carefully before I snap an EzOut in there.

 

[koda2000]

As @donalds said.

I would be more inclined to use a left hand drill bit carefully before I snap an EzOut in there.

We shall see.

 

[koda2000]

Update:
Today I went to Ace Hardware and bought two 8mm x 1.25 x 100mm bolts and washers to use with my 3-hole puller on the harmonic balancer. I also brought along my OE HB bolt so that I could get a slightly longer one for my puller to push on while pulling the balancer off.

Once I got the two bolt holes in the HB cleaned out I tried running the new longer center bolt into the crankshaft to see how many threads I could catch. It seemed to thread in with a bit of rotational notchiness, but it went in easily using a ratchet. I removed it and cleaned out the center hole with parts cleaner and then WD40 maybe 3 times. Quite a bit of dirt/black stuff washed out of the hole, but eventually I was able to screw the bolt in all the way with the head almost flush with the tip of the balancer. This didn't make sense to me, because I expected the longer bolt (maybe 1/2" longer than the OE HB bolt) to stop when it hit the small piece of spacer shaft that I'd gotten stuck in the crankshaft hole.

Next I installed my puller on the HB an backed the new center bolt out about 3/4" so that I could push against it and allow the HB to begin pulling off the crankshaft as I tightened the puller's bolt. This went smoothly, but I needed to back the center bolt out an additional 1/2" before the HB came loose (this was expected).

Okay - With the balancer now off and I can clearly see inside the crankshaft's hole. I expected to see the stuck spacer, but all I saw was the end of the threaded hole. Hugh? What happened to the stuck spacer? I flushed out the crankshaft hole with parts cleaner and WD40 one more time, cleaned and screwed in the new hardware store longer center bolt and it now screwed in smoothly by hand and it screwed in nearly 100% of the way, so a new TTY OE HB bolt will work perfectly.

I was done working on the engine for the time being and started to pick up and put away my tools and clean up my mess, when there on the floor in front of me was the spacer that had previously been stuck. How it came out, when it came out I have no clue, but I'm thrilled it did. Perhaps it was never really stuck. Maybe the reason I couldn't get the piece out using a magnet was because it was catching on the inside of the HB's center hole and pulling off the magnet? IDK.

Crisis averted, the autopsy may now continue. No one commented on whether my thought of removing the heads with the camshafts in place would work (I figure as long as I don't let the cams turn while I remove the cam gear bolts I should be okay). I'm anxious to examine my head gaskets to see If I can id where exhaust had been blowing into the coolant expansion tank. There's no real mystery regarding my timing chain rattles - just disassembly and replacement of parts.

I'll let you know what I find tomorrow.

BTW - I also bought a 5 gallon jug of Purple Power at Walmart today. Lots of greasy, grimy parts to be soaked and cleaned in the future.

 

[koda2000]

I have a question:

After I removed the fuel rails and fuel injectors I noticed that apparently the injectors are set into some sort of plastic sleeves in the head. 2 of these sleeves came out with the injectors and the other 4 did not. How do I get the remaining sleeves out of the heads and what are they called? I plan on replacing all 6 fuel injectors with new O-rings, but I assume I should also replace these sleeves. I tried pulling the sleeves out with a dental pick, but they didn't budge.

 

[Turdle]

1:46 in this video



He calls them "Mickey Mouse setup"

 

[koda2000]

Thanks.

 

[donalds]

hope this helps you @koda2000

 

[floridacatfan]

The fuel injector isolator are a challenge bc they just kinda crumble and you concerned about the bore - my technique was tu use a soldering iron with a small tip and I literally melted a v groove in the isolated - with a v groove you can then use a good strong pick and they will pry out - I pulled 6 injectors just to test / clean / test - it was a ***** - so I got all new isolator sand replaced - I overdrive one and made a semicircle damage to one and had to pull it also - I have the pn here if you need it - I would suggest buying 8 or 9 in case you screw one up

 

[donalds]

Dang I must have been making the video while he posted his sorry about that

 

[floridacatfan]

I think they are nylon

 

[koda2000]

Thanks everyone. I got the PN. Best price I saw on eBay was around $23-$25 for all 6. As my heads be off I'm not worried about pieces falling into the engine during the removal process.

 

[floridacatfan]

My gf considers my ex the second women - when you get the isolaters out and install the new ones in you might wait to put seals back on until your really ready to install - I think you get a little swelling if you put them on with a little engine oil and the you start questioning if you have the injector deep enough - if you put the ring on, lib the and then install they go in a lot easier

 

[koda2000]

I think they are nylon

Whatever they're made of mine are a hard and probably as brittle as Bakelite,

 

[koda2000]

My gf considers my ex the second women - when you get the isolaters out and install the new ones in you might wait to put seals back on until your really ready to install - I think you get a little swelling if you put them on with a little engine oil and the you start questioning if you have the injector deep enough - if you put the ring on, lib the and then install they go in a lot easier

I'll keep that in mind.

 

[floridacatfan]

Just as a clarification - I did not lube the isolaters - they go in dry - the lubrication I referred to is for the injector orings - attached are the remains of my 6 isolaters and I do not know why I keep them )))