If the Acura starter had broken off a couple of flywheel teeth, or the headof the crank bolt hadsheared off, something tells me that your reaction would have been a bitstronger than"whoops"!

Thetheorythat the individualcombustionimpulses are transmitted through the mass ofentire rotatingassemblyto further tighten an already-tight,small-diametercrank bolt is avery weak theory, imo.

Themagnitude of thechange in the rotational velocity of the crank from one combustion pulse to the next combustion pulse would determine the amount of force being exerted by the rotating crank on the "free" bolt it is holding on to at its center of rotation. In order to furthertighten the bolt, the inertial force exerted on it by the changing rotationalspeed of the crank would have to fully overcome the great staticfriction forcealready present between the bolt and the crank. If that force did not do that, it's all or nothing and the boltwould simplynot move relative to the crank.

On a single-cylinder, 4-cycle engine,the power stroke lasts for onlyhalfof a single rotation of the crank. During the ensuing exhaust, intake, and compression cycles, it is logical to assume that the engine must be slowing down. By virtue of its mass,a heavy flywheel "smooths out" the highs and lows of rotational velocity.

Obviously, in a four-cylinder engine the rotational velocitymust beeven more narrowly constrained. In a twelve-cylinder engine, even more so.

To further erode the credibility of this theory,I think it ishelpful to imagineacrank bolt that has beeninstalled onlyfinger-tight ......by a two-year-old. If the impulse theory of tighteningis correct,we have nothing to worry about, because that bolt is only going to get tighter as the miles are piled on (unless the theory applies onlyto bolts that are already really reallytight!).

We should be able to fearlessly run the engineuntilwe need toreplace the timing belt years down the road. When that day finally comes, the big question is: how much torque will it take to remove the bolt that the two-year-old put in there finger-tight years before?
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Here's asurprsingly cheap, light (only 40 lbs)tool I just stumbled acrossthat I know will loosen any Accordfastner lickety split:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=95666

(Withthat tool in hand,a personholding a grudge could do some seriousinfrastructuredisassembly pretty quick.)

 

That's a serious piece of machinery!

The CV joint drive shaft retaining nut on Honda's is easily as difficult to remove and the nut has less height making it more difficult to stay engaged on with the socket. I've also had similar battles to loosen this nut also. Since this nut is far from any engine combustion pulses, there must be another explanation.

regards

 

Yes, A 3/4 breaker bar and a 5 ft length of 1 1/2 inch black steel pipe did trick nicely. Lol