i am currently in the process of disassembling a motor and have noticed that the woodruff key is broken. Can anyone give me advice on the best way to extract it? I have tried to chisel it with a flathead and hammer, and also tried prying(lightly) on the the gear itself. Also, note the irregularity on the thrust side of the keyway. its rounded off. Should i be worried about the replacement pin not being able to slide in securely? is the damage major enough to warrant tig welding repair or a new crankshaft?

thanks in advance for the advice, removing this key is one of the last things i need to get this block ready for machine work!

 

Can you get a gear puller on the... gear?

 

The keyway needs to be repaired, so pop that gear off. Have a shop weld and grind the keyway square, or it won't hold the new key right.

 

Yep, use a gear puller to get the crank gear off then you can repair it properly.

 

I can't imagine attempting to repair that when good, un-fucked cranks are $50.

 

What Sav said. Junk it for a good crank and sprocket.

 

please tell where these good cranks can be found.

 

I found mine in the bay of E.

 

i will keep a lookout on the auctions! turns out a friend of mine may sell me extra shortblock for a decent price. awaiting confirmation of the condition on the crank before i proceed with the purchase though. hopefully i can get this build going soon. i replaced the timing belt on my current motor approximately 4,000 miles and noticed a little bit of play on the original crankshaft

 

Call one of the parts places. Partsgroup probably has a pile of them.

 

Do they break down short blocks? The used Miata part "recyclers" I've talked to mostly want to sell complete bottom ends.

--Ian

 

No idea, but it's worth a call. Hell, if it's cheap enough, just buy a short block and toss it in.