so i was on a road trip and while on the highway my battery light came on and i noticed a difference in my power steering. i pulled over to check it out and both belts for the alternator and powersteering had fallen off the "pully" that links the 2. i noticed that it was just loose so i got the belts back on and tightend it back up but now if i start the car the belts dont move but the bult itself just re-unthreads to make the pully loose again..... i need help on this one!

from what i understand those are also linked to the timing so im really hoping that the bolt may just not be locking in or something simple?? really really hoping the inside of the block that the pully screws into isn't just stripped

The accessory drive belt has nothing to do with the timing belt behind the covers. It sounds as if your main engine pulley spun the key on the timing cog behind it. The key holds the main engine pulley in place and if it's spun off, it will never work right. You will probably have to pull the radiator and fans, pull the pulley and timing covers, rotate the engine so that the 3 hash marks point up to the marks on the rear plastic covers behind the cam pulleys and the crank sensor mark for the crank sprocket ( not the arrows ). I use 2 1/4" roll pin punches in the crankshaft sprocket holes along with a pipe to turn the motor over..  remove the timing belt. The crankshaft timing sprocket should also come off fairly easy by just pulling. You will need a new 1 as the key is part of the cog.. To reinstall the timing belt, the tensioner has to be compressed in a vice ( slowly, they can blow out and cost a min $60 to replace ) and then pin it with a rivit or something. I find that pulling the sprocket next to the water pump, installing the belt and then muscling that sprocket into place is the easiest..

 

I would get a tap for the crankshaft threads, just so you can be sure

Edited May 6, 201312 yr by matt167

Common problem usually caused by last timing belt job being doen by someone who doesn't realize how tight the crank bolt needs to be.

 

I sued to have a couple of pice here in my photo album.

 

I used to pull the engine, weld the crank end, dremel it out/clean it up for the key, and reassemble with a new pulley and sometimes oil pump depending on damage.

 

Some folks choose easier methods.  But I'd sell these cars and didnt' want them failing.

Timing is probably fine. The key way is only for locating the crank pulleys. It doesn't hold them from spinning once the crank bolt is tight.

 

Remove the crank pulley and clean up what you can of the mangled key. Put the crank pulley back on and tighten it up good it should hold just fine.