Guys,

I know I haven't been on in a while, but I will be on more when I have more money to spend on the Monty! OK, here is the problem, like it says above the crank pullies are free spinning! I attempted to tightent the bolt that hold the pulley on but it seems to be just turning the crank, my manual shows a key/keyway for the pulley to attach to the crank so I hope that the key didn't break! My fiances mother the previous owner told us that the bolt backs out, and her dealership tightens it everytime she took it in for service.

Questions:
Do I need to pull the radiator shroud and all that stuf to get that pulley off and check the key?

How do I get it loose when everything is free spinning and no way of holding the crank from rotating? The manual tells me to hold the vibration dampner, but it is free spinning also! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

Is the key pressed into the crank? or is it a key that just sandwiches between to keyways, one on the crank and one in the pulley?

Thanks for the help,
John


*** EDIT *** Edited to add the update to the title!

Remove the crank pulley bolt and the pulley itself and inspect both for damage. Either you had the very common pulley bolt breakage or the keyway on your crank pulley wore out, but most likely it is a combination of both. Count your lucky stars if the bolt hasn't broken off in the crank.

The key should come out easily when the crank sprocket is removed. To get this far, you're in for a lot of labor - it's the equivalent of a timing belt job.

He cant get the bolt out.

Shouldnt he be covered by the recall?

Yes, but he also mentioned that the bolt backs out by itself which is a prime indicator of the recall. No, the '91 is not covered. If the dealer just kept tightening it without replacing the bolt, even while being aware of the service recall campaign, then there is your issue.

Basically, what you need to do is read here, then do a search for "3.0L crank pulley"... because we get about 1-2 people/month posting about this issue.

EDIT: I can already formulate a working theory for you...
The bolt has been backing out, and because of that, the harmonic balancer (crank pulley) hasn't been balancing harmonically. What I mean to say is that it's rotation hasn't been perfectly circular and it's worn out the sleeve and keyway. The wear, when left unattended, will eventually damage the key and your pulley now has nothing to make it spin with the crankshaft.

So, if worse comes to worse, I'd say you're out for...
[*]new crank pulley
[*]new key
[*]updated pulley bolt & washer
[*]anything you want to clear up with the timing belt since it's already apart (timing belt, timing belt tensioner, timing belt tensioner spring, water pump...)

Again, count your lucky stars if you have no damage to the crankshaft either. Reading that the bolt has a history of coming lose and all the dealer did was continually tighten it is appauling. They knew what would eventually result. They only put a bandaid on the problem so they could get return business when things really started going wrong!

Wait, wait, wait... this is all new info to me about a RECALL?

My '90 is dead in the garage with a bolt that backed out of the pulley a good 2"... does this mean I can get it fixed free?

I was seriously just about to click order on a $185 pulley, but if I can get it fixed free forget that.

No, you are not covered. Mitsubishi decided upon a cutoff date which does not include GenIs. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all the responces I was doing some searching and now I see how I can do this, it does suck that this happened, but you guys are great!

Oh OK I got clarification, does this make sense? I was told the bolt broke and that the dealership was just retightening the old bolt? I guess it broke and they couldn't get the other end out so they just go ad retighten it everytime my mother-in-law took it in for service? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

OK,I will do the starter trick to get the bolt out, check the bolt, pulley and crank for damage.
Then replace if possible, if not is the crank toasted?
This is going to get expensive ian't it?

BTW - I do a lot of the work myself, but I should have done more reading up on that damn crank bolt! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

If there's a piece of the bolt stuck in the crank, then you've got a lot of work to do, but if the dealer knew about it and tried to cover it up by continually tightening it up, at least you know who's directly to blame for it. Even though it won't do you any good, I'd confront them with your findings. Personally, I love getting into yelling matches with service managers over thier "antics". I would make a hobby out of it if I could.

The problem with that is that this truck has spent all of it's life untill 6 months ago going to the same dealership in Oregon, now it lives with me here in Philly, PA. No good yelling at the dealership! but I know I would damn sure would if they were a little closer then 3000 mile away!