Stuck woodruff or parallel key

[hondaslave1342]

I have a 1997 accord 4 cylinder..the parallel key is stuck..ive been tugging on it for 8 weeks now with zero success..i dont think the jaws of life can free this demon..im about to blow this car up. Not much meat left to grab it..after numerous timing belt changes this is a first for me.any suggestions would be appreciated..

Topic

[Rob]

does your car have an anti lock key system in it?? for the shifter

check this out

[Rob]

if you got the key you can also pop the key out with the cylinder and check it out and see if any tublers are stuck…

I would rec taking out the battory and putting on the e-brake and putting blocks on tires to provent your car from rolling… if you car has a chip key.. there is a coil around the key cylinder… be careful with that.. but there is uselly a lever underneath inside the cover to pop the cylinder out… you like turn it one was and you can get the cylinder out… and you will see call the tumblers and stuff… you might have to take it to a locksmith to have them get it un stuck if it stuck in the key… hopes that helps you

[hondaslave1342]

Im talking about the key that holds the crankshaft pulley on..im in the process of changing the timing belt..sorry for the miscommunication..

[hondaslave1342]

It looks off center in the picture but its just a shadow..this thing is stucckkk..they usually fall right out..i cant use a puller..no room behind the gear..ive tried for 8 weeks now..EVERY pair of pliers possible..it dont budge..i have a new key..hhhhellllllllp

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• 0911dab735e7cdc5837b6b0263ec655e

[Mike]

There’s something about that photo I can’t quite make peace with.

To my eye, it looks like the top surface of the key is just barely engaged in the slot in the timing gear, and it feels like I’m looking down the key into the empty keyway in the gear. No matter how much I squint, I can’t feel certain that the key is fully seated in the gear’s slot. I mean, I can visually follow the top surface of the key quite a ways into the gear cavity.

If what I see has any truth to it, perhaps somebody has driven a wrong-dimensioned key into the key way, which could account for your difficulty in removing it.

[hondaslave1342]

Its a shadow..there is no gaps anywhere evil-i..whoever did the tb before really messed up other parts too so i imagine the wrong key is in it..the gear wont budge off either…

[hondaslave1342]

4 more hours with no luck..the timing belt gear has zero movement..if i can get the gear off, i can pop the key right out..cant use a puller because the gear is too close to the block..should i try some heat? The end will wiggle but the part in the gear is jammed…

[hondaslave1342]

Here is a better pic evil-1

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• b06269a8b3e40d23dae5a2e75733d25f

[Rob]

only thing I can see for you to try is freezing it and heating the outside… and see it that helps you… use a can of dust off upside down to freeze it… if you think some corotion is in it… you can use some old ATF and acid tone… and mix it 50%… you cant put it in a platic bottle becuase the acetone will eat platic.. but its the best anti seise luber cation out there… machine shops use it…
you can try using an air hammer and pulling it out at the same time and see if you have any luck with that… the air hammer vibration might help loosen it up… other then asking some mashine shops for idea’s I dont know what else to tell you

[hondaslave1342]

Well after a different approach i busted out some feeler gauges and ran them between gear and block..the gear is not flushed..also the woodruff key on the crank has a gap on one side but not the other..both are out of alignment..should i put a scoket around gear and try to align it?

[hondaslave1342]

Thanks everyone…i gave up on it for a bit..not much left of the key but still stuck solid…

[hondaslave1342]

Finally got it off..i used a punch and a big hammer and smacked the face of it and a fell right out..thanks everyone

[Author]

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