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Trouble removing the rear counterbalance

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Old Aug 17, 2013 | 07:23 PM
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Trouble removing the rear counterbalance

I r am have trouble remove weight balance rear. Lol, after removing the counterbalance nut (which took some SERIOUS MAN POWER) we tried removing the rear counterbalance to no avail. We have tried a pully puller and prying it off but we are having no luck at all. Any tips or methods to this? Thanks!
Attached Thumbnails Trouble removing the rear counterbalance-20130817_191515.jpg  
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Old Aug 17, 2013 | 09:31 PM
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pry bar and a sledge hammer or GOOD hammer from different angles.
It is on a "Keyway',and a tapered shaft so that is why it is hard to get off.
Once you nudge it from different directions by placing a Pry bar in between the CW and that rear seal ring.Bang the bar and then change position of the bar or rotate the CW to get another angle on it.
It will pop.
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 12:46 AM
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So yeah, as I was awaiting moderator approval over the message I managed to get it off! And maaaan it was a b!7c#! We tried two differen pully removers, tried beating around all the edges with a rubber mallet, tried prying it from every angle, and nothing.

I was scrounging around the garage looking for anything that could help and found this random what could only be described as a door hinge. It just happened to have the proper spacings drilled into it.

We took two screws and ran it through the spacings into the counterbalance, making sure to tighten them little by little making the bar flush with the end of the eccentric shaft. Holding the long 'handle', we used a ratchet to continue to tightening the bolts and lo and behold the counterbalance popped off!!!

I searched everywhere and only found one post about this and it was never solved by the individual, so I thought this info may be useful to someone that has one as seized as this one was. This engine had been sitting for 5 years but luckily was well lubricated inside. Picture is of tool attatched to counterbalance right after it popped off.

Also, why is the counterbalance nut tourqued to 350FT/LBS!?!?! Was a nightmare to remove!!!
Attached Thumbnails Trouble removing the rear counterbalance-forumrunner_20130818_004512.jpg  
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 09:08 AM
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Well the counterweight is bolted to 350 or Better ..
BECAUSE..How would you like a 28 pound piece of metal Rotating at 8 Thousand RPM to come flying by your Legs!!!!!!
Mazda looked at the Designers of this and noticed that they were all SHORT,so they thought ..HMMM..Put the Nut on Tighter and they Will not get their Legs Chopped OFF!..and look like Munchkins!
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 10:21 AM
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I know there is a reason for it being so tight, but I dont think you can legally get an air compressor that goes over 200ft/lbs unless its for industrial use. We have a huge one and it only goes up to 180ft/lbls. I watched the video with aaron cake in them and he made it look SO EASY.

I dont understand how one man can untorque that bolt so easy with hand tools and no breaker bar, that guy is a herculean god. Lol

Counterbalance off and painting engine today, at least all that is out of the way.
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 03:10 PM
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he is not Herculean..he just goes out with This chick!
LINK:http://www.mazdatrix.com/pictures/fa...lywheelFAQ.mpg
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 10:01 PM
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Oh *snap* snap! That explains everything, supreme hammer skills! Well, at least I know a 6ft breaker bar and me bouncing on the end is equal to about 360ft/lbs of pressure haha. But I will probably go to a shop and have someone with the tools torque it down for me when I'm ready to reassemble this puppy.
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 11:49 PM
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I actually got a 18 wheeler Wheel Repair Truck to come to my house and got the Dude to slide under the car and Zip my Flywheel nut off.I called again when it was ready to go back on..ZIP..done..NO CHARGE for the call back!..Yahoo!!
It was a local shop,and the guy charged me 20 bucks Total!!!..(I could not have made a better choice!)
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Old Aug 19, 2013 | 12:54 AM
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Lol, thats amazing..! My stepdad is a carpenter supreme, and is usually given parts randomly for helping people clean out old houses or garages. We actually were having a hard time finding ANYTHING that was big enough to loosen the nut! We started with a pipe wrench and that hella didn't work xD Eventually looking around he remembered he got a socket set from an old truck driver for helping him out, and whadya know? The largest socket in the set was the perfect fit for that nut!! So glad he had that... Harbor freight had the socket in a set for $175 or I would've had to order it online and wait, and I HAD to have it off THAT day!
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Old Aug 19, 2013 | 01:46 PM
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In the absence of your dad's gifted socket set, Sear's Craftsman sells the sockets alone. 2 1/4" is (functionally) the same as 54mm. If you have a compressor, Harbor Frieght sells impacts up to 700 ft./lbs for < $100. I bought one that goes to 450 ft/lbs for something like $60, and it worked fine on more than one FW nut....though it doesn't look like they offer that one anymore. Regardless, quick application of torque is best. Now if you think the flywheel nut is bad, wait until you tackle the front hub bolt. That'll make your vocabulary expand.
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Old Aug 19, 2013 | 03:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Sgtblue
... Sear's Craftsman sells the sockets alone. 2 1/4" is (functionally) the same as 54mm.
I think it's closer to 2 1/8". mine is. my Craftsman socket and the matching 1" ratchet handle were two of the best tools I bought for engine disassembly/reassembly.

Now if you think the flywheel nut is bad, wait until you tackle the front hub bolt. That'll make your vocabulary expand.
+1
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Old Aug 19, 2013 | 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by diabolical1
I think it's closer to 2 1/8". mine is.
Yezzzz sir. And thanks. 54 mm = 2.13 inches (2 1/8"). Sorry for any confusion.
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Old Aug 19, 2013 | 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Sgtblue
Yezzzz sir. And thanks. 54 mm = 2.13 inches (2 1/8"). Sorry for any confusion.
It will actually spin off nicely using 88 gigawatts of power from a Flux Capacitor...lol.
A DOC told me that..!
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Old Aug 19, 2013 | 06:59 PM
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88 gigawatts!? You must be insane, thats an ABSURD amount of power!! 2.21gigawatts is enough to power a plutonium powered car, lol

And awesome, I knew Sears sells tools but didn't know you could get them individually... That helps out ALOT! I will have to pick up one this weekend for the reassembly process. Need to put my Harbor Freight membership to good use and pick up that impact as well
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