Buggrit - anyone have some spare 2.0 exhaust valves?

[andmcit]

I am at a total loss what to try next!!!

I have been unable to pin the flywheel and despite plenty of probing about through the aperture
behind the starter motor, I cannot find the locating hole to time/lock it in place at that end and
tried getting a bent bar into the lugs behind the crankshaft end pulley through that timing hole
and he damned bottom bolt IS tight. I tried combining the twisted bar and a hammer through
solid metal screwdriver against the starter teeth that I can see and nothing instils any confidence
in levering a two foot bar against the bolt.

Any slip and I'm swinging the bottom end around against a static camshaft and valves so I'm all
out of ideas.

Andrew

[kenhall]

Andrew

Back in the days when I maintained a ZX 1.9TD I made a toothed tool to do the same flywheel locking job as the official Citroen one. Use of the tool means taking off the starter motor and bolting it to the bell housing to lock the flywheel ring gear. Making the tool was fairly easy by doing a bit of creative carving using an angle grinder on a length of flat iron bar. I can post a picture if you are interested.

Ken

[andmcit]

Hi Ken,

thanks, an interesting direction I hadn't considered and a more elegant engineering solution to the clumsy
shattering off of the old lower timing cover; effectively the only reason the bottom crank pulley needs to
come off anyway is to allow the one piece lower cover to be removed after all...

Andrew

[citroenxm]

I probably have a cover Andrew, off the spare block in the shead....

The flywheel lock tool sounds the way to go...

Paul

[andmcit]

Thing is Paul, is the bottom bolt cracked loose to actually get the cover off!!

Ken, your suggestion stirred the already scattered brain cells and I made a concerted effort
to rummage about the place and I actually DO HAVE a Franklin locking tool, yay!!:



It's never been used as there's not been a need before now and I totally forgot I had it.

The tool's 'eye' doesn't remotely align against anything on the ME5T gearbox but it appears it
can be engaged onto the flywheel teeth and wedge against the edge of the starter motor
aperture. The more the torque strains onto the robust locking tool the tighter it appears to
get wedged into the crux of the bellhousing so It does look a lot more promising than earlier.
I'm not going to have a go now as I'm sure that would spell disaster being 'clever' in the dark...

Andrew

[Dean]

Hi Andrew

Looks like just the tool for the job (probably because it is ), so you WILL have that bottom pulley off tomorrow then

D

[andmcit]

Looks like just the tool for the job (probably because it is )

It's not exactly the right piece of kit for the ME5T gearbox, sure for the BE3 box it'd be perfect.
With my current run of poor luck at the moment a big chunk of the gearbox casting will pop
off and allow the lot be mash itself together so I'll be looking for a new engine AND gearbox
this time tomorrow...

So you WILL have that bottom pulley off tomorrow then ;)D

If there's no sign of me tomorrow evening I'm out rebuilding the timing belt/water pump and
varied removed items from the engine bay - just so long as it's not raining as it's forecasted to.

<edit>...or I've set fire to it all as the tool has let go BIG time and I'm out getting hammered?

Andrew

[steelcityuk]

Hi,

I realize that you couldn't use the starter to loosen the bolt so that's why I tagged it to the end of the message. After struggling in the past I know how bad they can be, especially if liberally coated with thread lock.

The only other suggestion I could make would be to use a scrap starter motor with the gear and shaft welded in position - I don't know if this would even be possible, it would depend on what metals are used. I think I'd feed plenty of sash rope into each cylinder as a extra precaution in case the welds broke.

Good luck with it.

Steve.

[robertmnorton]

Hi Andrew,i use that tool very effectively.From your teeth nashing the bolt is obviously tight.However i fit the flywheel locking tool on the bottom of the flywheel using the spindly 10mm bolt that holds the lower flywheel cover plate. I confess i still had to use a 4ft lever to crack it, but it went with a mighty bang and splayed me across the garage floor.No damage though, and the weedy liitle bolt and theads survived intact.

[andmcit]

Hi Robert,

The XU turbo engine uses a different box to the n/a BE3 one and I'm not totally sure the
lower flywheel plate on the gearbox bellhousing undoes on this ME5T box or I'd try this
in preference to slotting it through the starter opening.

Yep, it IS tight as pressure I have managed to apply on it so far hasn't been that gentle!
I've 'cracked' undone similar bolts in the past and when the do let go there is a risk of
injuring yourself. I do plan on using the trolley jack handle on the 1" drive 2 foot bar...

it's even stopped raining so there's a chance I can give it some time this evening!

Andrew