Well I never could get it out. I seem to recall the replacement harmonic balancer I put on a couple years back came with a key and the fit was pretty snug. For some reason I thought the slot in the timing belt sprocket didn't go all the way through, but it did. I worked the claws of a hammer behind the sprocket and finally got it slide out over the crankshaft and key.
Then after all that, I had rubber residue from the old front main seal stuck around the bore of the oil pump. Had to use my Dremel with wire wheel to clean it out. If it ain't one thing it's another. But thankfully now I'm finally starting to get everything buttoned up on the massive weekend job I have undertaken:
- Replace radiator & heater hoses
- Replace timing belt
- Replace water pump & water neck hose ($14 for a 1 ft. length of Gates 1 3/8" hose that I cut down to 3" long!)
- Replace front main oil seal
- Clean off and replace liquid sealant on both oil pan and block reinforcement section
- Replace fuel filter
- Replace spark plugs
- Replace valve cover gasket, plug tube gaskets, and bolt grommets
- Replace coolant bypass hose
- Repair broken TVV vac hose port
To do all this I have also had to remove the A/C compressor and alternator + the mount bracket (to get to that one last oil pump bolt), and the exhaust downpipe, and had to drop the lower crossmember. I should have replaced the camshaft oil seal, but I didn't think about it last week, and I have to get this thing drivable before tomorrow.
By the way, "Hairball" was a cat of mine.
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