Woodruff key questions and concerns

[Jayshredsguitar]

Hello all I'm new to the forum and recently purchased a 2003 explorer. I am doing the oh so fun timing chains job. I have been lurking for some time following 2000streetrods posts. Now to the point, my balance shaft chain tensioner was broke so I pulled cradle and am currently trying to figure out how to remove the crankshaft woodruff key. I have tried many methods besides welding or tapping it. can someone please tell me does this thing come off for sure or is it part of the crankshaft? It kinda looks to be made on crank like unremovable But I'm quite sure it's removable just not sure how to properly do it. But then how is the balance shaft crank sprocket removed if it does not? Any help is greatly appreciated!!! Great forum guys!

 

[William Morgan]

I do a lot of industrial mechanical work a lot of times when it doesn't come out we heat up the shaft and put ice on the drift key and most of the time it does comes out

 

[2Trux]

In the past I have used a pair of diagonal cutters. Grab the front of the key near the hinge of the cutters and rotate upward. I have also used a small chisel at the front of the key to knock it upward. The bottom of the key looks like a crescent so a thin screwdriver between the key and the crank slot can also force it out.

 

[Donystoy]

I am not familiar with this particular crankshaft but I would think that the key does not have to be removed. It looks to me that the sprocket sits on a larger diameter journal of the crankshaft and has an integral key which appears might clear the key on the smaller diameter end. If the key does have to be removed I have frequently used a small wood chisel on the end to roll it out of the slot.

 

[Tech By Trade]

It has to be pulled, a little tap and mine came right out. Not much to move it, and I had a perfect size craftsman screwdriver that fit underneath and it popped right up. Note the direction of the gears when you pull them off, I ran into some hiccups on reassembly.

 

[Chboe5771]

It has to be pulled, a little tap and mine came right out. Not much to move it, and I had a perfect size craftsman screwdriver that fit underneath and it popped right up. Note the direction of the gears when you pull them off, I ran into some hiccups on reassembly.

What kind of hiccups? My new harmonic balancer won’t quite seat all the way. Seems off by 1/8th-1/16th. Driving me crazy