[alfa] Breaker bar vs. impact wrench

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After citing Fred's 1981 procedure for undoing the cranknut with a breaker bar and improvised flywheel lock, it is only fair to note that in 1998 (ad-V5-#405) he wrote "If you don't have a hefty air driven impact wrench, or the tool to hold the flywheel, or the engine stand to firmly hold the engine, you won't get that nut off." Fred was fairly pragmatic  what works,works, and there is often more than one way to skin a cat  and in his later, pre-Florida years lived in the boonies far from tool-rental civilization; and I don't remember seeing an air compressor or impact wrench in his four-car-with-lift garage, but that may be just memoryfade. He didn't hesitate to couple improvisation ("Grind an old screwdriver") with by-the-book rigor ("do not try to install the new seal without the proper Alfa tool"). For my part,I'm glad I have a proper Alfa ringgear locker, and equally glad to know I don't need one. 

Before there was an Alfa Digest spinoff Michael Valant mentioned, in the italian-cars-digest V2 #627, using a chain wrench around the crank pulley in conjunction with a breaker-bar on the nut. Offhand that offers an appealing symmetry, as well as some real conveniences for the operator.

John H.
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