Lock the crankshaft

[Phillytwotank]

Hey y’all

I’ve got an engine on a stand an Om602. Basically stripped down to the long block. My mission is to change the out everything under the timing cover and the cracked cover itself and a new shaft seal.

I’m having a time finding a way to lock the engine so I can slack off the shaft bolt and remove the balancer.

Can anybody help me out with a tip, trick or tool to get this done?

[Frank Reiner]

Is the starter ring gear still on the crankshaft? If so, make a device that bolts to a couple of bell housing bolts that will enter the ring gear teeth to lock it.

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by Phillytwotank

Hey y’all

I’ve got an engine on a stand an Om602. Basically stripped down to the long block. My mission is to change the out everything under the timing cover and the cracked cover itself and a new shaft seal.

I’m having a time finding a way to lock the engine so I can slack off the shaft bolt and remove the balancer.

Can anybody help me out with a tip, trick or tool to get this done?

You will need to decide if the parts are strong enough. On Old gasoline engines when the Oil Pan was off I used to take a piece of 4x4 stick it on the side of the crankcase and rotate the engine until one of the crank journals pinned the wood against the crankcase/block.

If you do that during assembly you need to be sure to get out any wood chips or splinted.

As mentioned there is a tool.

[Phillytwotank]

This is he way... I’ve seen what look like generic tools for this. I’ll orobably try to fab something.

Originally Posted by Frank Reiner

Is the starter ring gear still on the crankshaft? If so, make a device that bolts to a couple of bell housing bolts that will enter the ring gear teeth to lock it.

[Phillytwotank]

Problem solved. I was able to get this generic locking tool from Amazon. It worked.

[Junkman]

Usually an impact gun and socket will remove the harmonic balancer bolt if the engine has decent compression.

My electric gun wasn't enough for the 00 Cummins and I had to get the air tools out which don't see much use these days.