crankshaft keyway

[bubaru21]

has anyone had their keyway on their crankshaft get torn up? if so any pointers on a fix that does not require an engine swap or complete engine rebuild. i was thinking of putting in a woodruf key and jb welding it in the keyway.

[Strakes]

Most people do the following: Get the help of a friend or a shop that really knows how to weld. If the keyway will still hold a key it can be fixed. Mark where the keyway should be. Fill in the keyway and cut a new one. Replace the crank pulley & timing belt sprocket/gear with a new one at this time as well. Improper torque on the crank bolt usually causes this keyway problem. It needs to be in the 125-135 ft lb range with a little bit of loctite for good measure.

[bubaru21]

thanks man. yea i had a friend help me do the waterpump a while back and i think that the pulley didnt get torqued down right leading ot pulley wobble and killed the keyway.

[drift-n-sr20]

is there another way to fix this? or is this the most cost effective way

[ouch1011]

Any other method aside from attempting to replace the key will involve swapping out the crankshaft. The keyway has to be dead on because it is what holds the crank sprocket and pulley in the correct position, both of which are crucial for proper engine timing. Even 5 deg off (which is way less than would be visible by looking) can cause severe running problems.