Crank pulley problem

[keith6110]

In my winter beater, I lost power steering the other day and the car has been making noise since at low rpms when giving it a rev. I had thought I lost my power steering pump being my power steering rack is clunking something serious.

The real problem is my power steering belt had jumped off the crank pulley and now the alternator pulley is riding on about 2 grooves and the crank pulley is touching the frame.

Seriously? Is this crankwalk or does the pulley need to be tightened (pulley bolt is not finger loose).
I went and bought a 1/2in drive and am going to work on it in the parking lot tomorrow morning.

Thoughts or anyone ever heard of this?

EDIT: Car has 278k original miles fyi

[keith6110]

Does the 99 2.4l have a 2 piece crank pulley? I'm reading online about dsm's having a common problem where the crank pulley will separate.

News to me lol

[fatal1]

it is one piece....but is similar to the v6... it can break

[keith6110]

Really? Rockauto is telling me it looks like this:

http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imagekey=390116&imageurl=http%3A//info.rockauto.com/RB/594-106-007.jpg


The v6 looks like this:

http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imagekey=990285&imageurl=http%3A//info.rockauto.com/ATP/102147.jpg

If this thing is already hitting the frame, am I going to be able to get it out? lol
It looks like if I take off the 4 bolts I should be able to slide it down off the main part where the v6 I would be unable to do that without taking the main bolt out.

[gnaunited]

The crank pulley will come off without taking off the main bolt.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7069481921_381085b25e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/58449631@N04/7069481921/)
S7300426 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/58449631@N04/7069481921/) by gnaunited (http://www.flickr.com/people/58449631@N04/), on Flickr


Also you might need to wiggle it around to pull it out.

[QnzMostWanted]

yeah its easy to take out and put back Keith, just remove the black cover from the passenger side tirewall and u should have full access to it

[galantlvr34]

It looks like you got four bolts to take out,and since yours is against the body/frame you will have to use a wrench most likely.Hopefully you can figure it out man.

[oakrdrs187]

It's kinda of two pieced Keith, but it's fused. Once it comes apart it's done. I had that very same issue 2 years ago, the PS belt kept slipping off. Went to Autozone and got one that looked just like the Rockauto one. Put it on and the belts didn't sit right on it, it had the same number of grooves just smaller separation. I talked to an experience mechanic about it and he told me to return it and go OEM. He said it wasn't the first time he had heard of replacement crank pulleys doing that. And about 2 months later my buddies old 03 impala had the same problem and had to go to GM for one.

BTW I too am 1999 2.4L

[keith6110]

Thanks so much guys! I knew I wasn't the first one with this problem lol.

The harmonic balancer did split apart and walk its way off the rest of the pulley. So I had my brother come pick up the car and he's letting me use his for the rest of the week.

Great info, I had no idea being I only worked on the v6.