I am in the middle of replacing the crankshaft oil seal. Currently, I am am down to the crank pulley (harmonic balancer). I am having trouble removing the 30mm crankshaft nut off the pulley and realized i need a new impact gun for this as the one I have is a hand-me-down tired worn out one, or i will try the bump start method.
The main concern is, I believe the crank shaft may have slipped one or two teeth counterclockwise. I placed a cam locking tool on the cams when I initially turned clockwise to TDC. I then tried to use a pry par to loosen the crank pulley nut off and the timing belt tensioner released tension and the crank moved counterclockwise. I am still able to turn the crank by hand with the timing belt and cams. So here are my questions...

1. If i remove the timing belt and spark plugs, can i freely turn the crank to reposition to the appropriate spot?
2. In what direction does the motor turn? (counterclockwise or clockwise) I ask in case i need to do the bump start to remove pulley nut.
3. What kind of impact gun do you use? How many ft lbs of removal torque?
4. What is the 30mm crank pulley nut torque spec?
5. Can someone look at a photo of my pulley position and see if its off. (I'll post a photo later)

I know how important the timing is and don't need to screw the pooch on this. My luck is already bad enough as is. Thank you for your response(s) in advance.

 

did you consider using a cheater bar ? see if you can buy a 4 ft long 1 1/2 inch ID steel pipe and slide it over a 1/2 or 3/4" socket breaker bar. That can give you 4x the torque you'd get from a standard breaker bar and more if you can line up a jack to move the handle. LOL if that doesn't work, buy a 6 ft bar :-)

 

No I haven't tried the extended breaker bar yet, it's on the options list. I'm going to first get a new impact gun since mine is old and tired and people keep giving me their old crap and end up going bad.
Do you know anything about realigning the crank?

 

I don't think it really matters which way you crank an engine - other than just remembering one way will tighten the nut, the other way will loosen and don't go too far with the timing belt off and the head still on... should be some Youtube vids for ideas on holding the pulley in place.

 

Currently the timing belt is still on.
The cams are in the correct position.
The crank is off by 1 tooth counterclockwise.

How do I turn the crank back into the correct position?

Do I need to take the T belt off and then turn the crank?

Once I remove the T belt, will the crank not move due to the cams being in the correct position and the pistons have compression?

 

how did you determine the cams are in the "correct position" and are you looking at the correct mark for the crank pulley? There are timing marks for both the cams and the crank but they can get confusing, so you can also scribe your own marks (or dab finger nail polish etc) since its easier to get it close that way. Just google "Volvo XC90 cam timing" and you'll find some articles with pictures and there are some good Youtube vids.

here's one:

How to replace a timing belt on a Volvo XC90 - Professional Motor Mechanic

 

The markings are lined up with the cover. I was trying to remove the crank pulley nut, with a cam holding tool then the T belt tensioner gave slack and the crank slipped one tooth.

So can someone tell me if the crank will turn by hand 1 tooth if the belt is off?

 

So I was able to loosen the belt and get everything aligned and turn over by band without valves hitting. I was able to get the crank nut off by using the cars starter then use the air gun. I got the flywheel and timing pully off too.

What is the best approach to get the timing pulley back on?

How would turning the crank feel if valves were bent? Would it just not turn?