Woodruff key?

[opethmike]

Pulled my crankshaft pulley and timing cover today, working toward getting the cylinder heads removed.

I've read numerous times that the keyway in the crank needs to be at 12 o'clock when pulling the crankshaft pulley, as to not drop it into the oil pan.

Well, either I am misunderstanding something, or there is something going on as it looks like on my car that the key isn't removable, and hence wouldn't fall into the oil pan. Huh?

[Ozzie]

Pulled my crankshaft pulley and timing cover today, working toward getting the cylinder heads removed.

I've read numerous times that the keyway in the crank needs to be at 12 o'clock when pulling the crankshaft pulley, as to not drop it into the oil pan.

Well, either I am misunderstanding something, or there is something going on as it looks like on my car that the key isn't removable, and hence wouldn't fall into the oil pan. Huh?

Probably just a little seized. It's a very tight tolerance fit.
If you need to remove it, wrap duct tape or something like it, and tap it gently with the tip of a thin screwdriver to "persuade" it.

[opethmike]

I don't need to remove it. I was just a bit confused on what I was seeing. Thank you for the explanation, Ozzie.

[dmc6960]

This is all it is...

http://www2.gpmd.com/image/o/osmg9360.jpg

It floats in the notch in the crankshaft and pulley. No problem if yours isn't loose but they can very easily fall out which is why great care is required when doing that.

[kings1527]

I wanted to revisit this subject for a minute. I was told that there are two woodruff keys to lookout for: 1) for the crankshaft pulley and very easily visible. Right on the crankshaft itself as you pull the pulley and timing chain cover off, and 2) for the oil pump.

It's #2 that's concerning me. I was told to me real careful with that one since it's possible (and has been done) where you can drop the oil pump woodruff key into the pan, not know it, and then seize your engine once you put everything back together and run it. Obviously you wouldn't see any oil pressure on your gauge and I hope that'd be clue #1, but still.

I have everything apart again since I'm doing some powdercoating but for the life of me I can't locate the oil pump woodruff key. I was also told that this is something that you have to worry about more if you were to take the timing chains off. I'm pretty confident that all's well but I'd still like some visual confirmation or more info on this.

Thanks!

[Ozzie]

:hmm:
I removed my timing cover to get it sandblasted, as a prep for painting, and I only recall seeing and removing one Woodruff key, which was for the crankshaft pulley.

[dustybarn]

There are two Woodruff keys, one for the camshaft sprockets and one for the oil pump sprocket.

[DMCMW Dave]

:hmm:
I removed my timing cover to get it sandblasted, as a prep for painting, and I only recall seeing and removing one Woodruff key, which was for the crankshaft pulley.

If you had dropped the other one you would know it by now.

http://store.delorean.com/c-328-1-1-2-crankshaftpiston-assembly.aspx part ID 10

[kings1527]

:hmm:
I removed my timing cover to get it sandblasted, as a prep for painting, and I only recall seeing and removing one Woodruff key, which was for the crankshaft pulley.

That's what I did last summer and didn't have any issues. You'd instantly have no oil pressure upon starting it up if it fell out.

So I took another look at everything, and I haven't found it like the diagram. The notch on the crankshaft pulley is only involving the outer woodruff key and then the pulley is flush against the crankshaft.

So as far as the inner key, I can't find it but I can't even find where it would go. Like if there was a notch on the crankshaft where it's supposed to be seated, I can't even find that.

Dave: is the inner key 'sealed up' by the sprockets? Are you able to see it with the timing chains and sprockets in place? And how easy is it for it to simply fall out after taking the timing chain cover and pulley off but leaving everything else in place? According to the parts diagram, it should be right behind the outer key.

Thanks.

Just took this pic21710

That's obviously my outer but trying to locate the inner

[DMCMW Dave]

When you pull off the crank pulley you only see the outer key. It would be hard to lose it actually unless you take the oil pump off and remove the sprocket.

[kings1527]

When you pull off the crank pulley you only see the outer key. It would be hard to lose it actually unless you take the oil pump off and remove the sprocket.

Thanks Dave!

[Ozzie]

When you pull off the crank pulley you only see the outer key. It would be hard to lose it actually unless you take the oil pump off and remove the sprocket.

Ah, thanks. That would explain why I don't recall seeing the second one - I stopped at the crank pulley.

I typically take many pictures each time I do these type of jobs, and I would refer to them in the future (or use them for blogs entries). Unfortunately in this case a disk crash several weeks after that job, caused me to lose those reference pics.