While installing the Alta pullley (15%) and going around in the X pattern as described one of the 4mm Allen bolts started to strip, but I got passed that, then as I am doing the X thing with the torque wrench, one of the bolt SHEERED right off at ONLY 35 lbs. WTF!!!! They say to take it all the way to 80 lbs which is difficult enough with the pulley turning, but now I need HELP what can I do I have a dead car!! If anyone can get ahold of Randy Webb or anyone at Alta or Outmotoring, I would be much appreciated.

Got passed it, thanks for your helpful advice people

 

That sucks!

You should be able to remove the other three bolts and separate the pieces. An allen screw like that should be easy to source so you can get back on the road.

Note, though, I would check those torque specs. LUG BOLTS are torqued at 80ft-lbs, and they are BIG. Those little allens shouldn't be anywhere near that. 80 in-lbs?? At the last pulley party, Randy just snugged them up with a small T-handle.

Best of luck!

 

so i have all 3 other bolts out, but the pulley isnt coming off, what is the best way to get the pulley off? any help is appreciated! Thanks

 

You think they would BOLD the IN/foot

 

I would defer to the experts if you can wait, but given that the tip of the screw sheared off you should be able to *lightly* tap the 'hat' of the pulley off the tapered base, or possibly *carefully* lever it off.

 

if you still need help tomorrow give me a call and we can help you out.

but the best way to get the pulley back off is insert a screw that is the same thread, but longer, into the two holes that you see on the face. they have threads in them and a bit of pressure and the pulley pops off. they are also good to just start a bolt into while torquing the bolts (you need it insert a screw diver to add pressure in the opp. way). and yes it's inch/lbs not foot/lbs. once it is all apart and cleaned back up, you should have no problems now. getting a new bolt is normally easy to do at any good hardware shop. hope that helps.:smile:

 

agokart, thanks for your help. I will call tomorrow I have to call it quits, I have RUINED the pulley trying to bang it off the shaft and it will not budge. I guess I totally screwed the pooch on this one. Everything went flawless up until I made the ******* mistake of lbs per foot, instead of paying closer attention to in/ ft. I sure wish they would have bolded that or mentioned it in one of the numerous install guides, but I guess I am the first idiot to make this mistake. Any suggestions on how to get the pulley off, the only thing I did not do was to use the screws in the other 2 holes, any ideas on the size?

 

Remove all the screws from the pulley (dont worry about the broken one).

Clean off any locktite from two of the screws.

Insert two screws into the non-countersunk 'extra' holes in the pulley face, tighten them till you feel them bottom out.

Alternately tighten each of these two screws one after another. This action presses the pulley hub outwards from the pulley body. Eventually the hub will release. This can be helped with heat from a heat gun. Do NOT use a torch.

Slide the hub from the shaft and remove the broken piece of bolt. If you used locktite on the screw, you will have to heat the hub to 400+ degrees to loosen the locktite in order to remove the bolt piece.

Acquire new bolt and reinstall, torquing the screw to a maximum of 80 INCH pounds.

 

I wrote tech guides/instructions for doing engine swaps for our company. There are numerous torque specs that people mis-read, ft./lbs. for in./lbs. All I can think is that they have no common sense, and have no idea how much a certain torque feels like. It baffles me how they can start to feel a tiny bolt stretching and striping, and yet continue on to completely strip or shear it! Yet it happens over and over, every week. I've tried bolding the instructions, putting in a blurb specifically about it...however I've found it does not really help. Some people just shouldn't be wrenching on thier own engines.

 

Got it off, thanks all for your help unfortunately I marred some edges of the pulley and such that I dont feel comfotable using it, as I probably have thrown off its balance.

Special thanks to Outmotoring for helping me through this on a SATURDAY morning, and offering to Fed-ex overnight a new pulley on monday for Tues. Delivery. So it looks like I am down until Tuesday!

Should've just called it quits last night, and waited until my mind was clear this morning, as well as I could have read the good advice.

 

Yeah thanks a lot for the support. This is the first time in 6 years of building up cars that I have encountered in/foot, and not had it really stressed.

Also thanks for the words of wisdom, your post is not called for nor is it appreciated.

Think about common sense here, a Supercharger pulley spinning very rapidly and it only calls for a small torque? I wouldnt have second guessed the fact that it would need to be torqued way down so it doesnt fly off, tell me where common sense is wrong on that? GEESE, glad you arent my friend!

 

Common sense says a 4mm bolt doesn't take more than a few ft./lbs. of torque, let alone 80! Anyone that tries to torque one of these (this is the actual bolt off an Alta) to 80, has no common mechanical sense.

 

kaelaria: let it go. This obviously isn't a great day to be riding someone's case for a mistake that he made, when he admitted it and came here for help.

 

Itsdchz, ignore kae here. I'm sure he's never stripped a bolt or biffed something on a motor before, so he's got his right to make noise I suppose.

 

Itsdchz,
We will be changing the instructions to state "torque to 80 in/lbs, not 80 ft/lbs". At this point i belive 90% of the people that are getting pulleys installed are getting them done by a professional shop, so this hasn't been a problem. The more the DIY'ers out there the more we have to refine our instructions to make them perfect. Again we are sorry you had a tough time with your install, we will make sure this won't happen to other DIY'ers.

The pulley can be extracted pretty easy by inserting the screw into the non counter bored hole. Doing this will pop it loose.

Also do you have the black or silver screws? The black socket head screws are now used along with a lock washer. If you have this there is no need for any loctite. Feel free to call us or email us to get you a new screw if need be.

Again sorry for the inconvience.

 

Hey thank you! I appreciate the fact that you came on here to post and add some help and info. Outmotoring will be contacting you to have another 15% pulley dropshipped to me, as you did friday (thank you BTW), for Tuesday delivery. If you can make sure it goes out so I can get up and running Tuesday night it would be appreciated.

After all is said and done I have to say I am impressed with the quality of the pulley as well as the ease of install. My only gripe is my misreading, which I am happy you see my stupidity as a way to improve your product

I did have the black screws with the lock washer, but I will still use loctite to be safe.

Thanks for the heads up and I will be looking for the Pulley on Tuesday!

Thanks to all who helped out, and for those of you realizing that my "lack of common sense" doesnt mean I shouldnt be wrenching in my motor...

 

Well put Itsdchz. I once rebuilt a 73' 240z all original #'s and forgot to to tighten the timing chain sprocket on the head and destroyed the head.

 

Geez.........lighten up dude !

 

Perhaps you're just a poor technical writer

 

 

pwned!

 

Well then Alta is too, because they now have the same problem of customers that can't read!

 

Kaelaria: let....it.......go.

Stop gloating, start helping.

 

I did let it go...others felt the need to keep it going

 

And just for clarification...I'm letting it go- here it goes.....*poof*