Crank shaft pulleys fell off!

Mayday mayday!!!!!My crank shaft pulley sheared the bolts that held it (the pulley itself) to the crankshaft! There is a large bolt that appears to hold the flange that the balancer and pulley is fastened to. Is this correct? If so can I remove the large bolt to remove the flange to make the repair easier? Sincerely arcnspark

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Diesel Engine Specific Aid

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Questions and Answers

Chassis Model Number

W123

You are not alone

I assume you have a diesel and don't be surprised to hear I have seen this happen quite often. Yes, you can remove the center crank bolt to remove the counter balance. If you have not done this before there are some pitfalls to watch out for and avoid. I would recommend you replace the front crank seal when you do the work. My repair kit for replacing the front crank seal with give you all the information on how to remove the counterbalance and get it back on properly. To view this kit CLICK HERE.

Kent

crak shaft pulley

Yes Kent it is a diesel (83 300 TD). I was able to repair without removing the counterbalance. Any thoughts on why this could happen(age,metal fatigue)? I think soon I will be puchasing your book seventy five things to look for...sincerely,arcnspark

Vibration is the culprit

The constant vibration from the diesel engine is the primary cause. The bolts probably started to loosen up ever so slightly and the heavy side load on these bolts from the pulley itself caused them to shear off. This is a good example why you want to check the tightness of all key bolts on your engine engine every 30,000 miles.