Expert: Sean Halliday - 7/31/2006

Question
I'm Replacing the water pump on my 1995 ford contour and i can't seem to get the cams to lock. Is there any way to get the crank to lock so i can remove the crank pulley?

Answer
yes,bring the #1 cylinder to TDC then after you have removed the plugs(all of them)...turn the crank forward half a turn,,,,feed into the cylinder a 1/2 inch thick nylon cord as much as you can get in then turn the cylinder back  to tdc .Make sure the valves are fully closed,this is very important because you dont want to bend a valve,,after youre sure the valves are closed the cord will act as a block against the piston and lock the crank,when you get the nut loose just turn crank slightly and remove the cord ,to tighten is a reverse procedure,,this is an option if you dont have an air hammer or dont want to go to a shop,,,,,i have done this on many cars succesfully,,,if you want,,,you can get a special tool for to lock the crank but good old ford dont sell it and its not easy to get...