405 Crankshaft Pulley - Timing Belt

[Bassman 1]

Followed the Haynes manual and got my Dad to stick the car in 4th and stamp on the brakes whilst I used a breaker bar on the crankshaft pulley.

 

The pulley is turning and appears to be sprung and although as I turn it is tightening up, it never seems to stop solid enough to undo. I made sure the brake discs were not turning after initially snapping a grub screw by putting the wheel bolts in. So nothing obvious is rotating.

 

Got to the point where we had one of us holding the 22mm socket and extension onto the pulley to ensure it didn't slip with the other turning the breaker bar and still no joy. We stopped in the end becuase it felt like something was seriously going to go pop! As soon as we released the wrench, the pulley sprung back.

 

Am I missing something? Would one of those flywheel locking tools help that Pug Torque has linked to before? If so can someone explain what this does that I'm not doing my having the car in gear and locking the brakes?

 

Locking Tool

 

This is an XU7 engine, so 1.8i and 8v from a '96 405 GLX and my first attempt at changing a timing belt and I haven't even got all the covers off yet!!

 

Thanks

[Richie-Van-GTi 71 2 Cars]

yes the tool will help, but if theres 2 of you then one can simply wedge the flywheel with a chisel while the other undo's the bolt on the pulley.

[Bassman 1]

yes the tool will help, but if theres 2 of you then one can simply wedge the flywheel with a chisel while the other undo's the bolt on the pulley.

 

.. .. so what does this do that the Haynes method doesn't. That's what is confusing me. If I have the brakes locked on and the car is in gear, then is the rotation I am seeing down to flexing in the transmission and this will stop if I lock the flywheel?

[Richie-Van-GTi 71 2 Cars]

if you lock the flywheel the the crank pulley should be locked as well.