My crankshaft pulley problem

so the crankshaft pulley flew off last week. The pulley itself is still intact instead of breaking in two (which is a problem i read a lot about here) but the center is pretty grinded and torn up. Thats not the biggest problem though. My biggest problem is that the piece BEHIND the pulley. That piece has a little nub that connects it to the crankshaft, unfortunately, that little nub got grinded down to the point that it doesn't exist anymore, so it can't turn the pulley anymore. What is that part called? What is your guys' opinion on how hard/expensive it is to replace?
here's a pic (sorry about the blurryness) of the piece in question:

[gsodonis]

That pic tells us nothing. It might as well be evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction for all the good it does us.
From your description, the only 'nub' that drives anything is called a "woodruff key' or 'key' for short. The key is cheap and if you can't get it from your dealer (you should be able to), any machine shop can make you one, provided you have the dimensions of the original.
The key is removable. If you can get visegrips on any piece of it, grip it and start wiggling it out. Go ahead and use a hammer with a drift or a punch if you can't get pliers on it and tap at it ; it should move. Keys are cheap and designed to be somewhat sacrificial in nature, so worry not if it's not reusable. If the groove (keyway) at the end of the shaft is OK (not too boogered or enlarged), the new key will slip right in. You should probably take some sandpaper and clean up the end of the shaft to get any burrs off before installing with the key or the replacement pulley.
Finally, if the groove in the shaft is boogered, you can actually get by with 'Loctite Quick Metal'. This product is meant for temporary repair of damaged metal (we use it on damaged keyways and shafts on our factory machinery), but we have some shafts repaired with it that have been running over a year without problems.

yeah, the actual crank itself isn't in THAT bad of shape. Its actually perfect on one side, the other is just kind of grinded down a little, but i think i can get by. So the dealer should have the woodruff key then? I'll have to check into that (im gonna try taking that area apart today just to see whats doing), but thanks a ton for your help.

so i took the plastic housing off today and tried to get to the part, and from what i can tell it seems to be a pretty thick piece of metal. Looks kind of like a gear, but its thick and has a belt around the top of it. Does that still sound like the woodruff key? Hopefully it is (and is as simpel as you described it to be) so i can track one down.

[gsodonis]

Please do your best to take another pic to better allow us to see and diagnose the problem.

[gsodonis]

I think I got it. The piece that you say looks like a gear and has a belt around it is the INNER part of your crankshaft pulley. Your pulley DID split in two pieces. You should have an "outer ring" with grooves in it that match the grooves on the underside of the belts - this is the OUTER half of your pulley.
The gear looking thing with the belt around it is the crank pulleys inner half. The belt you describe is rubber piece sandwichd in between the inner and outer 'halves' of the pulley that acts as a harmonic damper. This is the parts that gives up the ghost, allowing both pulley halves to part ways.

The good news: you are still in possession of the woodruff key (it is keeping the inner half of your crank pulley from spinning on the crank). Be careful not to lose it when you take off what's left of the pulley.
The bad news: you probably need to replace the entire pulley. The bad, bad news: you have to remove the crank pulley bolt (this can be difficult). Do a search on 'crankshaft pulley' and you'll find numerous ways to get this accomplished.

Now's the time for you to buy the lightweight aluminum crank pulley you've always wanted. Dayle's got them in both stock and underdriven flavors. The stock one from Subaru costs more than anyone in their right mind should ever pay.

Good Luck

ahh, so the replacement pulley (be it from the dealer or even the aluminum ones from Dayle) should come with both pieces i need? thats what i was unsure of initially, cause like you said, it didnt' look to me like it split in half.

here's a pic of the part of the external part of the pulley that i removed, if it helps.

[gsodonis]

Your pulley looks to be intact; ignore EVERYTHING written above. Please take a pic of what's left on your engine.

ok, maybe this will help, i pulled a diagram off of subaruparts.com.

anyway, the part i circled in white is what i took the pic of, its the pulley i yanked out. What i circled in grey is what is still in the car, housed by a big plastic casing (that is a p.i.t.a. to get off) and is what looks to connect INTO the groove on the pulley. Thats the part that i think needs replacing.

[AFBeefcake]

Originally posted by gsodonis
Your pulley looks to be intact; ignore EVERYTHING written above. Please take a pic of what's left on your engine.

from the pic the pulley is not in intact. It looks like the pulley that came off the legacy I had. That pulley is mest up. You need at lest a new pulley, and from the sounds of it you need the key to. I think the key allso holds one of the timing gears on to the crank.

http://www.subaruparts.com/diag/?mod...ategory=010A-1

reference # E50506
wood ruf key 5X5.6X16

i think thats it. thanks for the part# andlink , i was looking for that.

[Mr. Pockets]

The part you've been illustrating with diagrams and photos, the part hidden under the plastic covers, is the drive sprocket for the timing belt. The crankshaft pokes through the drive sprocket so the pulley can fit over it.

If you just need a new woodruff key, that's one thing. But the slot the key fits into is in the end of the crankshaft. If the crankshaft is damaged in any way, I recommend taking your car to somebody who can (no offense intended) at least identify the parts involved.

[Mr. Pockets]

Thinking more about your post, what concerns me (moreso than some of the advice given thus far) is your first statement that the crank pulley 'flew off.'

Please explain in further detail. Did the bolt work itself loose, or was the pulley just wobbling? If it actually came off the end of the crankshft while the engine was running, then I would be seriously concerned about the condition of your crankshaft. If that is indeed what happened, then there is no doubt in my mind that you should have your car towed to a dealer immediately.

"flew off" was an exaggeration. The crankshaft looked like it was sort of slanted and off on one side, but still pretty much in place. it had just loosened the belt.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by yellowledbetter
"flew off" was an exaggeration. The crankshaft looked like it was sort of slanted and off on one side, but still pretty much in place. it had just loosened the belt.

Was the bolt that holds the pulley on tight, or was it loose?